The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1916-07-14
GRENADA BANK HAS
SEM-ANNUAl MEET,
Deposits largest in Banks History.
Speech BY Geo. r. James -Other
Features of Program.

Features OF Program.
The annual and the semi-annual
meetings of the directors and the Off
GERS of the Grenada Bank and its
twelve branch banks have become to
he almost part of the life of Gren ada
and are looked forward to as some of
the feasts of old were regarded by
those of that day and generation. The
semi annual meeting was held here
Monday which brought to Grenada citi-
zens from Charleston. Oakland, Bel
zoni. Morehead, Vardaman, Calhoun
CITY, Eupora. Ackerman, McCool, Nox-
apater, Louisville and Holcomb.
The usual business meeting was had
that day in the Directors room of the
parent bank after which the never
overlooked social and educative fea-
lures of the meeting were had in the
same place. This particular part Of
the days program was begun with a
song by Mrs. John Lorens of Jackson.
accompanied by Mrs. ]. Sidney Sharp
on the piano. Mrs. Lorens 80 capti-
vated the audience that encores brought
her back for the third time.
The next feature was a reading by
Mrs. Annie B. Collins of Hardy, and to
say that she pleased and delighted the
audience would but family describe the
attention that was given her from the
opening sentence of her reading to the
last. She was almost perfect in h ar
delineations and it was no trouble to
see the faces and the features of the
characters she was portraying at all
times. She was happy in her demeanor
and such great enthusiasm was mani
tested that she. too. was compelled to
appear for the third time. Mrs. Col
Inns is an artist as a reader and is in
deed lady of exceptional charm and of
rare accomplishments.
Mr.. Geo. r. James of Memphis was
then very appropriately presented by
Judge A. T. Roane who did not fail to
pay very high compliment to Mr..
James and to the undertaking.
Mr.. James is very practical man
and made no attempt at oratory or the
arts of the average platform man but
he had talked but a few moments be-
fore it was manifest that he had mes
sage to deliver and that he knew how
to tell it. He talked common-sense
farming and plain, practical business.
He said that out of the business strain
of the fall of 1914 had grown his deter
nination, acting in conjunction with
many other business men of Memphis,
to learn why it was that thisfparticular
locality, referring to west Tennessee,
north Mississippi and eastern Arkan-
sas. were so poorly prepared to meet
financial emergencies while many of
the states of the northwest, particu-
larly Kansas, Illinois and Iowa were
their own financial masters. But a
little investigation, Mr. Jones said,
soon showed them that this section was
buying from the states named too much
of its feedstuff, that which it could and
ought to raise at home. He spoke of
the bank deposits of Iowa, ninety per
cent of which he said belonged to the
farmers. MIR. James plea and message
was to use what We had at our doors =
to do as in the three states named, a
rule, he said. that would apply to the
entire cotton belt, what these western
states are doing. Mr. James said We
had the land, we had the seasons and
that we could raise here anything that
could be raised there, and in larger
quantities, and that We could raise cot.
ton besides. Mr.. James cited example
after example to prove that what he
was arguing was no dream and that il
was being done on farm after farm anc
in locality after locality. His purpose
was to persuade people to make gen
erl now what was being done by a few
He paid high tribute to the A. & M
College and other like institutions anc
insisted that tU attain that which the
farming interests of this section must
attain if it ever does what Providence
has laid out for it to do, it must work
under the advice and the direction OF
the Agricultural Colleges or agencies OF
the federal department of agriculture
As an instance of what can be done by
farmers when scientific methods are
used, he referred to Germany where he
said that it was not left to the farmers
option to farm under the direction OF
trained men but the government sale
'.do this" and if the farmer did no
obey the heavy hand of authority wa:
laid on him. Mr.. James said thBt tht
people in the cities and the towns, too
had part to perform in bringing abou
new agricultural era and he empha
sized that if the town and city pOpua
tions did not wake up fully to their duty
as to aiding the farmer to put on new
life and in finding market for his pro
ducts, they would pay the penalty
While Mr.. James deplored the back
wardness of manv farmers yet he sait
they were not wholly to blame in thi
regard. The address was very timel,
one and it is believed went to the mari
as a number present said they were go
ing to act on Mr.. james suggestion
about a number of matters. The Gre
NADIA Bank rendered splenpid servic
in securing Mr.. James to make this ad
dress, who, by the way is the James o
the James & Graham Wagon Company
The stockholders and officers of tn
bank were in a happy mood, as the
had every right to be. The Grenad
Ropk has on deDosit TODAY nearl