The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1917-04-18
From Thursdays Daily

From Thursdays Daily
Despite bad weather fully a thous
and people assembled at the Cour'
House here this morning to attend tn,
Food Production and Conservation
conference. The meeting was aliv.
with patriotism and enthusiasm ane
will do much good in awakening the
people of this section to the necessity
of raising more food crops and getting
the farming system on a more indie.
pendent basis. Numerous speeches
were made and brass band music fur
nished.
A resolution was adopted giving the
sense of the meeting and .pledging sep
arately the different classes of citi-
zens to the support of the movement.
The farmers declared in the resolu-
ton that not over sixty per cent, of
their lands would be planted in cot
ton this year and that the remainder
would be devoted to grain. The bank
ers pledged themselves to lend money
for the furtherance of the acreage of
food crops at an interest rate not to
exceed five per cent, and the merch-
ants and other pledged themselves to
lend the movement their every effort
and to see that a market was sup
piled for the surplus of grain and food
stuff raised.
Among the crowd assembled were
many ladies who braved the weather
to lend their part to the success of
the meeting. Of the hundreds of men
who were present quite a number of
them were from out Of town, citizens
of this county and several were pres
ent from adjoining counties.
The meeting was called to order by
Mr.. 7. H. Baird who nominated Sen
ator w. M. Wilmington as Chairman.
He was elected, as was Mr.. w. H.
Hays as secretary. The Greenwood
Municipal Band played the "Grand
National" medley overture while the
entire audience stood. The medley
begins and ends with the "Star Span
gled Banner, which was cheered to
the echo, as was Dixie"
A group of about one hundred and
fifty school children who spent an
hour at the meeting sang "The Star
Spangled Banner while the audience
stood. Following a Prayer by DR.. w.
C. Tyree they sang "America."
DR.. Tyree in his Prayer thanked the
All Mighty that this Country is a
Christian Country, that it has a Chris
tian President and prayed that the
guidance of God be given the Presi-
dent and his advisors during these
trying times. He asked that patriot
ism might burn on the altar of every
heart in America and that everyone
do all in their power for the freedom
of the Country and the principle of
Christianity that "Old Glory stands
for.
Mr.. Baird read several messages
from different people and organiza-
tons relative to the meeting being
held, nj of which was from the
Greenville Chamber of Commerce,
stating that that body heartily endors-
ed the movement.
Senator Wilmington in an eloquent
and patriotic address declared that
the call of the Country comes to ev-
eryone and that those present had as
sembled to manifest confidence in the
great leader of the United States,
President Wilson and our represent
tatives in the Congress. At the men,
ton Of President Wilson's name the
audience cheered.
Money, munition, men and food is
what this Country should give as her
part Of the war declared Senator
Wilmington. If you cannot go you
can do as much for your Country by
planting more corn and other food
stuffs on your plantation and in your
gardens, he declared. He asserted
that is was as patriotic a duty to live
for your Country as to die for your
Country.
4AO" Shall we llCIedSe IHe supply
of foodstuffs for man and best in Le-
fore County was the question to be
decided, he declared. In closing he
called on Judge w. M. Hammer for a
| speech.
Judge Hammer opened his remarks
with the statement that the Declare.
ton of Independence signed in 177e
was a Declaration Of independence
for America, and that the one issued
in the Halls of Congress by Presi'
dent Wilson at the converting of the
extraordinary session Of Congress wa:
q Declaration of Independence for the
World.