Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-02-14
MERCHANTS CD
HOME At 7 Err
Bic DINNER
Successful Week to 1900 Culmi.
mates in Banquet, Where
Noted Men Speak.

Five hundred Southern merchants
| are leaving Atlanta for their homes
Saturday, after being guests at the
annual Merchants Week" OF the At
lanta Merchants and Manufacturers
Association one of the most success
full weeks in the history of the city.
1t is estimated that during the week
| more than 1000 out of-town mer
| chants and BUYERS, hailing from all
parts Of the South. visited the city
and purchased their spring stocks.
| The visitors have been royalty en-
! tertained by the local association, the
festivities of the week coming to
close Friday night with a monster
| banquet at the Auditorium, at which
| more than 800 dealers. statesmen and
visitors Toasted and enjoyed the flow
of oratory that followed.
The dinner was undoubtedly one of
| the most notable feasts Atlanta has
seen in recent years, with an excellent
| menu prepared and served under the
direction of j. Lee Barnes, of the
Majestic Hotel. The hall was deco
| rated with flags and bunting hung
from the rafters and the sides of the
/ balcony and gallery. \ cabaret per-
! Torrance by two young women and
| two men during the dinner helped to
| enliven the affair.
Public Hears Speeches.
The doors of the Auditorium were
| thrown open at s o'clock, when the
| speaking began. and several hundred
| people who did not attend the din
ner came in and heard the speeches
| Several of Georgia's most noted ora
| tors made short addresses. among
| them Postmaster Boiling II. Jones
| who served as POSTMASTER: Senator
Hoke Smith. ]. W. Vaughn, OF Car
tersville. president of the Southern
| Merchants Convention; John Skel-
| ton Williams who represented the
| National Regional Bank Board, and
! Mayor James G. Woodward
| All of the speakers predicted a new
, era of prosperity for the South, and
| pledged their cooperation in any
movement the merchants OF this sec
| ton might inaugurate to better their
condition and the condition of the
South generally. The recent legisla-
| ton enacted by Congress was also
referred to by the speakers with the
| declaration that the new currency
act is destined to prove a godsend to
! all lines of business.
| Williams Optimistic Over Business.
John Shelton Williams was particu-
/ larly warm in his praise OF the new
laws and was optimistic concerning
| the future of the South.
We hope that in working out the
new currency act" said Mr.. Williams,
I'VE shall be able to make the dollar
less of a curiosity than 1t has been
to many of our people. | believe none
! of us are likely to overestimate the
tremendous good that will flow from
| the enactment of this law
The splendid piece of constructive
| Legislation which the country now ad =
| mitS is likely to be the solution of the
vexatious financial problems that
have confronted the nation for the
| past half century is spoken of as a
miracle. but it is no miracle; it is the
| logical and natural result and product
| Of men who have devoted to its crea-
ton and development brains and en-
ergies which for many years have
| been dedicated to the study of great
J problems Of government political
\ economy and social progress from the
| altruistic standpoint"
| Senator Smith Given Ovation.
A startling array of facts and fig
| ures proving Georgia's claims to
| greatness were presented by Senator
! Hoke Smith in his speech. He was
| given a tremendous ovation.
I'VE produced last year" said Sen
ator Smith, cotton and cotton seed
| worth approximately two hundred
| millions of dollars. We had, in round
| figures 100000 acres in corn. This
! land, cultivated up to the highest
standard for three years, car be made
! to average so bushels to the acre and
| without increasing our corn acreage
we can raise in Georgia one hundred
! and seventy-five million bushels of
| corn.
Along with this immense corn pro-
| Il
our hay. Following this logically will
| be a production of beef cattle and
hogs, not alone sufficient for home
consumption, but amply sufficient to
| supply many other markets.
| There Is scarcely a limit to the
| capacity of Georgia's soil to produce
| fruits and vegetables. Raising food
stuffs to supply our own people, and
marketing in the East large part
Of our products Ia handsome net re-
turn should come to the State.
Add to this two hundred millions
of dollars from our cotton crop, and
the agriculture OF Georgia In a few
years will make this one of the rich
est States in the world
we must raise our own foodstuffs
We can easily produce corn and oats
and hay to raise horses and mules
and cattle and hogs for our own use
and 70 sell. And then if cotton and
cotton seed were our only surplus
agricultural products, the rapidly
with which wealth would accumulate
would broaden the opportunity for
every citizen while 1t would make
ours the most powerful section of the
world"
Senator Smith referred to the work
OF the Boys Corn Clubs and the Girls
Canning Clubs, to the farm demon
stration work and the other activities
that are aiding in the work of max
ing Georgia the greatest State in the
Union.