The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-04-13
M'LAUR|N'S PLAN OF HANDLING COTTON
 WINS APPROVAL South Carolina to Stand Be hind Warehouse Receipts
 Issued on Staple SOLUTION SHOWS
 PRACTICAL MIND Stagnation Last Fall Showed How Extensively Entire Nation De-
 bends on Prosperity
 of the South
By HOLLAND

New York, April 2.-(Special )-John Lowndes MeLaurin, whose term as Unitsd. States senator-representing in part South Carolina in the Senate ended in 1903, has often been spoken of by those who are familiar with the commercial and industrial leadership in the south as a man who is likely great ly to aid South Carolina in gaining the prestige which her climate and her re- sources entitled her to. When member of the Senate he frequently revealed intense interest in the modern and fn- dustrial commercial questions which from the political point of view were at that time much discussed in Con- gress He was thought to have a better understanding of the fundamental prin- ciples upon which in this day business can be successfully carried on than did some of his colleagues, and he always seemed to be indifferent to attack which he described as political demagogy.
 Senator McLaurin was greatly inter- ested in everything that appertained to the commercial and industrial pros- perty of the southern states. When Jefferson Coolidge of Boston and the Blairs of New York, together with Nor man B. Ream and one or two other men of capital, undertook to work out the problem which if solved would make possible the commercial utilization of the Clinchfeld coal deposits Senator McLaurin was especially pleased to learn that the plan formulated by these men of capital involved the construction of a railroad which was to be run as nearly as possible in a straight line southeast, with a terminal at Spartans- burg, s. C.. whence railroad communi- cation to the sea at Charleston could be obtained. This was to be new gate way from Kentucky and from states of the Ohio valley to a seaport upon the southern coast and meant much to South Carolina.
 Senator McLaurin was also much in- terested in the development of cotton cultivation and marketing. especially in South Carolina He worked out a philosophygof the cotton business which, if adopted, he believed would greatly. stimulate notsonlyth the growth, but the manufacture of cotton in South Caro- lima. He was one of the comparatively few men of public life of his day to- abandon politics so that he might be able to take mp important constructive business work.
 Recently it has been announced that ex-Senator McLaurin has so far de- veloped his theory of the wise and sue cessful development of the cotton busi- ness as to have perfected plan by means of which the cotton planters of South Carolina, through the utilization of the warehouse system combined with the credit of the state of South Caro- aid. His plan appears to have met with who agree with him that there is no better security for loans than ware house certificate for cotton behind which stands substantially the state of South Carolina.
 Senator McLaurin's plan appears to be in line with the suggestions which were made year ago by Frank A. Wander lip in an address he delivered to a large body of men who were interested in the cotton industry MT. Vanderlip did not go into details but he strongly inti- mated his belief that it would be pos sible to perfect a warehouse system in the south by means Of which the cot ton planters would be able at all times to secure at reasonable rate of inter- est advances upon their crops It is in