The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-02
COMMENTS ON LAND
CONGRESS MERGER
Officials Believe More Work
Can BeAccomplished Now
ARE 16 DEPARTMENTS
Southern Settlement and Development
Organization Has Branches in l6
Southern States-How the
Work Is Carried On

The announcement made in The Age
Herald on Thursday of the merger OF the
Alabama State Land congress into the
Southern Settlement and Development or
ganization. with its main headquarters
in Baltimore, and headquarters for the
/ Alabama department in birmingham, has
| been the source of much favorable COM
ment over the state.
Those interested I'm the work of the
land congress are congratulating them
selves I'm securing this union with the
larger and more powerful organization
which has for its aims and purposes
| the same general objects sought to be
attained by the land congress, that is,
the development of the agricultural re-
sources of Alabama, and the settlement
of her idle lands with thrifty white
farmers The Southern Settlement and
Development organization. although only
having been established an din active
operation since February 20, 1912, has al
ready earned the synonym of 'the or
ganization that has turned the tide from
Canada" Several hundred families of
American farmers who had been lured
into various sections of Canada through
the extensive advertising campaign being
carried on by the Canadian government,
have been secured and brought back into
various southern states.
Headquarters in Baltimore
| The headquarters of the organization
| Is in the Continental building, Baltimore.
In addition to being the offices of the
general officers and heads of depart
ments, the headquarters acts as a clear
ing house for the auxiliary state or
ganizations and other associations and
bodies cooperating with the organiza-
ton in its plans and work.
Branch offices of the organization
known as state departments have been
and will be instituted In each of the
member states, for the purpose of util-
izing the forces and resources of the
organization in the settlement and devel-
opment of the state. Each state depart
ment, while working particularly for and
in its state, will cooperate with the
organization and the other state depart
ments for the development of the south
as a whole. clearing through the head
quarters. Thus there will be 16 units,
ordinating.
The plan of organization of a state
department provides for a state finance
committee and committees on colonial
ton, on agriculture. on publicity and on
commerce, industry and real estate. The
chairmen of the several committees, with
two other members of the organization
! living In the state constitute an advisory
committee. Of which the state member
of the executive committee of the Or
ganization is chairman. The state mem
Der of the executive committee for Ala
bama is George Gordon Crawford. presl-
dent of the Tennessee Coal, Iron and
Railroad company, of Birmingham.
The chairman of the state finance COM
mittee is the state member of the gem
eral finance committee of the organiza-
ton and is authorized to appoint the
members of the state finance committee.
This committee provides funds neces-
sary to prosecute the campaign in the
state. The chairman of the state finance
committee for Alabama is Frank p.
Glass of Birmingham.
Thompson Is State Manager
All money raised in and for the set
tlement and development of the state
by this committee Is deposited In such
banks In the state as may be designated
and dsbursed by the committee in and
for the settlement and development of
the state. state manager is appoint
ed who. under the vice president and
general manager, has charge of the ac-
tivities and work of the organization In
his state. The state manager of the
Alabama department is Col. N. +. Thomp-
son, formerly secretary and general man
-..ff 1A Ia1 1.1tt, n
officials are the chairmen OF the several
state committees and the state superin-
tendent of agriculture. colonization, etc
The executive committee of the South
ern Settlement and Development organ
ization Is as follows: Alabama, George
G. Crawford, Birmingham; Arkansas.
Judge e. r. Ratterre, Little Rock; Flor
ida, James B. Dodge, Jacksonville; Geor-
gia, Hon. r. II. Maddox, Atlanta; Ken
lucky J. N. Camden. Versailles: Louis
lana, f. o. Bruner, commissioner OF agrl-
culture. Baton Rouge: Maryland, S. Da-
ves Warfield, Baltimore; Mississippi L.
Il. Davis Natchez Missouri. James e.
Smith. St. Louis North Carolina, w. s.
Lee. Charlotte: oklahoma. ]. s. Mullen
Ardmore South Carolina, T.. w Robert
son. Columbia; Tennessee. T. f. Peck,
Nashville; Texas. b. b. Cain. Dallas;
Virginia. Hon. G. W. Kiner. Richmond;
West Virginia. John j. Cornwel. Rom
ney.
In the 16 states represented by this com
mittee. there are 200.000000 acres of un-
improved farm lands, and nearly one
half as much more of so-called wet lands,
which are reclaimable by drainage for
agricultural purposes. About one-half of
the total of 4O0000,000 acres of unim- |
proved farm lands In the United States
are situated in these l6 southern states.