The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-08-01

us most.
 SOUTHERN COMMERCIAL
 CONGRESS
 Tn coming to Alabama to assist the
 Alabama Commercial League in the,
 great work it has undertaken I comA
 to throw all the influence of the South ern Commercial Congress behind this movement There is not an individual or a business in Alabama which is not benefiting directly by the past work of the Southern Commercial Congress. Throughout it's history it has recog- nized the potential power of agricul- ture in relation to every phase of American life and business. By adding to the productivity of the soil and by bringing new tillers of the soil to the vacant acres and therby increasing the purchasing power of a section def mite practical service would be rem dered in increasing the sum total of wealth of the country and in develop
 ing the economic power of the nation.
 SMITH-LEYER ACT "Following this agriculture pro- gramme the Southern Commercial Con- gress early became interested in agri- culture education and stood sponsor for the Davis bil1 later known as the Page bill, and still later subdivided and en- acted into law as the Smith Hughes act and the Smith-Lever act. The Southern Commercial Congress con ducted a national campaign in the in- terest of this legislation at the time of | it's initiation.
 FEDERAL FARM LOAN ACT "The high water mark, not only of
 the work of the Southern Commercial l Congress but in the agricultural his ! tory of America was reached upon the
 initiative of and through the organ
 ized work of the Southern Commercial l Congress in bringing into existence the I American commission on agriculture organization that made an investiga- 1 ton of agricultural finance and CO., operation in eighteen countries of Eu
 rope, resulting in what is known as i the federal farm loan act. This act has
 brought about the agricultural regen- eration of America by making every acre of land liquid a basis of credit l for a long time mortage loan at low l rate of interest and on the amortiza- l tion plan. Twelve great banks have 1 been established with more than 4,009 i loan associations and a total of more l than $500 O00 900 have been loaned to l the American farmer. This law was 1 in force when we entered the world l war. and it is practically the only l phase of American life that was ready
 to meet the exigencies of the war. No i further Legislation was needed to fi- | nance American agriculture.
 ORutlNlLILO 40 tCi xA AIND | For the first time the commission 1 CTS of agriculture of the forty-eight states were called together in Wash 1 ing by the Southern Comm ercial Con- gress to organize a national unit to consider the relation of the states to l the federal agricultural programme. ] This organization stands today as one l of the active and vital forces in the economic life of America. It may here be poipted out that the agricultural 1 leadership of the south. through the Southern Commercial Congress, has re- acted into the field of national ser vice.
 DISTRIBUTION
 Not alone in the field of agricul- l tural finance but in that of dis tribution or marketing has the | Southern Commercial Congress rem dered a distinctive national service The congress was responsible for the amendment to the postoffice appropri- ation bill of 1915 which made possible 1 the use of trucks under the parcel 1 post in direct dealing between pro ducer and consumer. This programme 1 has wonderful possibilities in the solu- tion of not only the problem of dis tribution, but in reducing the cost 9f living, since the experiments made py the government under this amend ment discloses the fact that 4S1s per cent was saved to the consumer on produce delivered under this system. "The Southern Commercial Congress reached another high water mark in this phase of agriculture development Tn the joint resolution, prepared by pr. Clarence J. owens, director general or the congress, and presented to the Sen ate of the United States by the late Senator Bankhead. The active cooper alton and approval was received from the governors of the forty y-eight states.
 This resolution was made Section or
 the postoffice appropriation bill of 1919 and under it approximately billion dollars worth of war material and equipment is turned over by the Secre- tary of War to the Secretary of Agri- culture and distributed to the highway departments of the forty eight states
 for highway construction. This achieve
 ment when the entire evidence is in
 and the last of the material is dis
 tributed, will be a romance of achieve ment growing out of the war period
 and will give the impetus and the equipment for the building of highways
 to solve the distribution problem of the