The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1915-08-24
HARDING CONFERS y
WITH PRESIDENT ON
COTTON SITUATION
Will Deliver Official Mes
sage From Administra-
ton, 1t Is Believed-Un-
usually Fitting That Mr..
Harding Should Address
Association

By noon today fully 1000 Alabama mer-
chants are expected to register at the
Chamber of Commerce as official dele
gates to the third annual convention of
the Alabama Merchants association. The
first arrivals came in yesterday, a dozen
delegates registering yesterday afternoon.
Last night large crowds of delegates
i came in on every train and this morning
hundreds of them are expected to arrive
from every section of the state.
Twelve clerks will be on hand at the
Chamber of Commerce auditorium, where
the convention headquarters will be, to
register the delegates as they come in,
give them badges, coupon books with
tickets to the entertainment events ana
rebate books. AS fast a. they register,
1t is expected the larger part of them
will leave for East Lake amusement park,
where at u o'clock the annual convention
barbecue will be served in the pavilion.
Manager J. P. H. DeWindt of the stree.
car company has made arrangements to
have extra cars in service on the East
Lake line all day in order to handle the
crowds. Mr.. DeWindt also will have ex-
ira cars awaiting the return of the
river excursionists Thursday night in
part of the city.
Harding Sees Wilson
News from Washington yesterday was
that Mr.. Harding and President Wilson
We're in a conference over the cotton stu
alton and it is generally believed that
Mr.. Hardiags address at the convention
Wednesday night will be an official ad-
ministration statement on the cotton sit
uation. Mr.. Harding is expected to ar
rive in the city tonight or tomorrow
morning.
1t is of more than ordinary interest to
recall that the Alabama Merchants as
ISOLATION, before which Mr.. Harding is
to deliver his address tomorrow night,
was organized in this city under the
auspices of the local Chamber of Com
merce when Mr.. Harding was president of
that civic organization. The organiza-
ton meeting was called with the pur-
pose of forming a North Alabama Mer-.
chants association, and it was Mr.. Hard
ing himself who suggested, when he saw
the wonderful success of the launching OF
the association, that it be called the Ala
bama Merchants association instead and
include the whole state.
The cotton situation has figured promi-
nently in the deliberat tons of the Mer-
chants association ever since it's organi-
cation. Last year Col. T. o. Smith of
the Birmingham Trust and Savings bank
had just returned from the federal re-
serve bank board conference at Wash
ington over the situation and made an
exceptionally valuable address before the
This year it is a member
of the board itself in the person of Mr..
Harding, who will address the convention
on the same question brought up to date.
To Reveal Government Plans
While nothing official is to be learned,
1t is generally reported that Mr. Hard
ing will reveal in Birmingham some plans
Of the government to handle the cotton
situation this fall At the conference
at the Chamber of Commerce Thursday
between Mr.. Harding and COM
mittees of citizens from various parts
of the south, any plans which it may
develop are necessary it is now generally
believed will be formally announced and
placed in operation.
The main events of the convention to- |
day will be the registration this morn |
ing, the annual barbecue at noon and |
this afternoon the delegates will be at |
tHelT leisure 10 entertain themselves at
East Lake park, which will be free to |
Them or to visit the jobbing houses of |
the city.
Tomorrow morning the ieYega,es Will |
have to themselves, also, the baseball |
game at Redwood at which they will be |
admitted by their coupon books taking |
place at $3.50 o'clock and the Harding |
address beginning at o'clock at the |
Bijou theatre.
The night session topiphf WIFI ha L
he Bijou. beginning promptly at o'clock |
with addresses by Judge A. B. Chamber
ain of Chicago; Mrs. G. H. Mathis of |
Norman H. Johnson of Rich |
nond, w. w. Ogden, president of the as /
ISOLATION, of Sulligent, and others. New |
officers and directors for the assoca-
ton will be elected tonight, also nominate !
ng committees to be appointed at the |
at noon.