Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-09-10

! 1t is incumbent upon you, therefore,
to extend the helping hand. not only
| because it is in itself a right thing to
do, but because ii pays in the long. run.
Don't do so much kicking about the
community I'm which you live, or per-
haps the slack attendance of the local
to which you belong. Examine yourself.
and see if, by accident or otherwise you
are not partially responsible for these
conditions Have a heart to heart talk
with yourself, and find out If a little
announcement on your part would not
better those conditions.
Reflect IL you criticised your neigh
bors or your officers less and cooper
ated more, things would, in all prob
ability take on vastly different ap-
pearance.
ABOUT ENTERPRISE.
Enterprises conducted by our menu
bers have developed the past year, as
never in my recollection. There are
more of them and they are more sound
| ly and honestly conducted.
But / want to remind you that 1T is
one thing to ''resolute" an enterprise
into existence in a hallelujah meeting,
and another TO patroniZe 1t the year
round after you return home and have
recovered from your enthusiasm
have seen enterprise after enter
prise IaiI because menDOfS LOISOl Iuo
promises of support honestly tended in
moments of exlberance. Business men
who succeed do not follow that custom
They keep their promises, and you rare
ly see a gathering of business men who
do not meet calmly, debate calmly, and
then afterward abide by the program
they have set out.
The trouble is, too many of us go
into conventions full of good feeling.
wanting to hear a lot of talk, pass a
ton of resolutions, and then go home.
We fail to remember that the issues
we pass on are serious ones. whether
II is in the marketing Of crops or the
"swatting'' of those who have betrayed
us. Until all of us regard the pledges
made in gatherings as sacred, this or
ganization cannot hope to achieve its
greatest usefulness.
MARKETING MACHINERY.
/ have lately had much to say regard
ing the need of more systematic market
ing of the crops of the members. of the
American farmer generally.
A large percentage of the low prices
received in the past has been due to the
fact that until lately we marketed our
products, not as business men, but as
school boys. We did not study underly-
ing conditions. We still fail, here and
there, to realize that agriculture is
about the most serious vocation in the
land. and that it should be taken as
such shr,a
| / have upon several previous occa-
sions dwelt upon the necessity Of mar
keting machinery, both central and that
which feeds the central machinery. We
now have that machinery, ramifying
throughout the cotton belt and making
provisions also for products of the
a.
not only essential, but imperative, that
this machinery be given the solid sup
port and patronage of the organization.
This is ell that is needed for the com
plete success of its operation. We have
been talking all these years about CO.
operating to the end Of marketing our
products in an orderly manner. The OPP
portunity is today before us, and 1t is
our duty to those who have labored hard
| in our interests, as well as to our
selves. to avail ourselves Of IL. and with
out reservation, when we agree TO sup
port such machinery, In this connec-
1 ton, it is encouraging to note the prog
ress of the National Warehouse, compa-
ny, nationalized from the Farmers
Warehouse company, of Mississippi. up
on the authority of our last convention.
The program of this company indicates
what can be accomplished, If members
put their strength in behind their enter
prises when the latter are managed in
| business-like way.
ONE LAME DUCK.
In passing, i want to call your atten-
ton to the fact that the chairman of
the general agricultural committee of
the national house of representatives
has been retired to private life.
This gentleman may have been con-
scientious in opposing legislation look
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