The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1912-02-28
FLORALA HAS
ENTHUSIASTIC
MASS MEETING
PRINCIPAL SPEAKER AT GATHER
ING OF BUSINESS MEN IN THAT
CITY LAST NIGHT WAS LELAND
J. HENDERSON OF THIS CITY.
Special to The Journal.


F1orala, Ala, Feb. 27.-Undoubted1y
the most enthusiastic mass meeting OF
the merchants and business people OF
the town ever held here was that last
night held for the purpose of organ
izing a commercial organization, the
most interesting feature of the meet
ing being the address of Leland J..
Henderson, secretary of the Pensacola
Commercial Association.
Mr. Henderson, who is one of the
best informed commercial secretaries
in the south, held the undivided at
tention of his hearers and created
much interest and enthusia "a in the
interest of the purpose for which the
meeting was called.
MIR Henderson said, In part:
The object Of a commercial organ
ization-meaning the boosting get
together" body of town-should be
to promote the agricultural, CONNER
cial and civic interests Of the town
and vicinity. Partisan strife, religious,
political and individual interests should
be avoided.
To assist in the carrying out OF the
purposes Of the association every citt-
zen should be Il member and aid.
Money paid to this work Ia not a tax,
but cooperative investment.
The commercial organization should
be considered by every business man
as his most essential employee, and
placed on his payroll as such.
The commercial BODY has recently
become a recognized necessity in city
development.
Communities do not stand still. In
these busy periods they either move
forward or go backward. Where there
is life there Is also consequent growth,
and the inventory will always show
progress. Where there is lack of en-
ergy. indifference, lack of patriotism,
the inventory tells its unvarying tale
of retrogression. The commercial body
ergy.
Agriculture is the very backbone Of
the nation.
Scientific farming is the one eternal
source of newly created wealth, for
thereby nothin- Is lost, even the soil
is benefited, while the production is
To secure and locate those who
manufacture from the soil is but the
first step. In order to succeed, Coop
Grafton is necessary. Cooperation ie
necessary between growers in order
that the market may not be over
stocked--the cotton crop OF 1911 Illus
trates this point--in order that bulk
shipmens may be made to secure the
greatest econonny in transportation, to
protect themselves against unscrupu-
lous seedmen and buyers. and to uni
fornnly fight insects and plant diseases.
Cooperation Is also necessary be-
tween the growers and their buyers.
A practical and economical way to
accomplish this cooperation Is through
the organization of packing houses
and growers unions.
Cooperation is the first step. The
second Is the market. It is economy
TO ship only prime or first class pro-
ducts to the northern markets. The
cost OF transportation is as great on
the poor as on the good article. Usual
" the farmers prime productions win
sell for enough in the north to realize
a profit, but, as in all classes of manu-
featuring (please consider scientific in
tensiye farming as manufacturing In
the by-products lies great additional
proft-if we may call imperfect and
inferior farm products by-products.
Tomatoes or potatoes of I'M uniform
size and shape will bring as good =
price in the local market as though
they were uniform. The farmer. how
ever, is not peddler. He must be
able to drive his days supplies to a
market and dispose of it at a given
price.
There remains. after providing q
market for the prime products and for
the articles which are good in every
Pal ttShidA C@1Cpl NnklOTullly-ln some
crops at least haIf--which are
specked, crooked or insect bitter. and
in all crops some of this class which
are as suitable for canning as the
prime crop. hence vegetables and fruit
canneries are required.
In other words, to stimulate farm
production and the coming of farmers.
they must be aided to organize. to
have their products reach the northern
markets in proper condition. They
must be provided with a local market
and with cannerfes for their inferior
products.
Real Estate.
I once heard a great railroad man
say, When we build a new line of