Newspaper Page Text
Poultry, Pet and Live Stock
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The Atlanta Georgian
AND NEWS
DEVOTED TO POULTRY. PET AND LIVE STOCK. PIQBON3 AND KENNEL
ATLANTA, GA„ SATURDAY, JULY 29, 1911 ■
THE TRUE INWARDNESS OF IT
A STATEMENT AS TO THE POULTRY SITUATION IN ATLANTA
By H. G. HASTINGS. President Georgia Poultry Association
Ordinarily I believe it to bo
bad business policy to advertise
u competitor's business by tak
ing public notice of it. How-
over, so many questions have
been asked mo during the past
few weeks ns to the Atlanta sit
uation and the relation between
the Georgia Poultry association
and the newly organised South
ern International Poultry associa
tion, that I deem it best at this
time to make a plain statement of
facts as to he Atlanta situation.
There is absolutely no connec
tion Whatever between the Geor
gia Poultry association and the
other organization.
In explanation, I can do no
better than to outline poultry
show history in Atlanta for the
past eight or ten years.
The old Atlanta Poultry asso
ciation was, to the best of my rec
ollection, the original poultry or
ganization. During its existence it
held several shows, all of them
financially unsuccessful, except
one. During its existence sev
eral disgruntled members formed
a competitive organization, which
held one show and then died s
natural death.
The Atlanta Poultry associa
tion also died, but a year later
the present Georgia Poultry as
sociation was formed, and has
• held annual shows ever since.
The show held last January in
the Atlanta Auditorium was the
' first financially successful show
held by the Georgia association,
it being necessary for our mem
bership to finance a deficit on
each of the previous shows. Fol
lowing the next to the last show,
it was a very serious question as
to whether another show should
be attempted. Most of us had
gotten tired of going down in
our pockets and footing the bills.
During all these past years
with the financially unsuccessful
shows, we had had very little
support from the daily press of
Atlanta. During the summer of
1910 several meetings of the
Georgia Poultry association were
held, and it was finally deter
mined to hold a show if suffi
cient support could be obtained.
A number of our members pledg
ed a certain amount, conditional
on a sufficient additional amount
being raised to successfully
finance a creditable show. Com
mittees were appointed to make
the necessary canvass. One of
these committees called on both
The Atlanta Journal and The
Atlanta Constitution, but re
ceived no encouragement from
either of them, the gentlemen
representing those papers evi
dently deeming the poultry busi
ness of too small consequence to
be worth encouraging.
Shortly after this, a represen-
H. G. HASTINGS.
tative of The Atlanta Georgian,
which had been giving encour
agement to the poultry business
in general thru its columns for
several months previous, came to
the officers of the Georgia Poul
try association with a proposition
to back the Atlanta show, both
financially and with publicity
thru its columns, the condition
being that the show be known
as The Georgian’s Poultry Show,
held under the auspices of the
Georgia Poultry association. The
proposition of The Georgian only
covered one year, or rather one
show, the one so successfully
held last January.
This proposition was taken un
der advisement, and after much
discussion it was agreed that if
The Georgian would sign a two-
year instead of a one-year eon-
tract, it would be accepted. The
Georgian’s representatives de
murred at this, but finally amend
ed their original proposition to
two years, and it is my recollec
tion that the vote to make this
two-year contract with The At
lanta Georgian was unanimous.
As soon as this contract was
signed. The Georgian gave the
show almost unlimited publicity
thru its columns, and was instru
mental in securing many cups
for prizes and also numerous cash
contributions.
Without going into details, the
result of this contract was that
there was held in the- Auditorium
last January the best and largest
high-class poultry show ever held
in the South, many exhibitors of
national reputation stating that
it was second only to the New
Tork and Chicago shows, and an
impetus was given to the poultry
industry throughout the South
eastern states such as it never
had before. Instead of no show,
we had one of the great shows
of the country. Not only was it
creditable to Atlanta, but it was
a great financial success.
Now, incidentally, thru the
impetus given the poultry indus
try thru the show and by the
printing of a great deal of poul
try news daily by The Georgian,
that paper secured a great deal
of poultry and poultry supply ad
vertising.
A few weeks after this Jan
uary show, one of the gentlemen
who is now an officer of the
Southern International associa
tion came to me with the state
ment that one of tho other pa
pers would be willing to pay
$3,000 for the privilege of back
ing such a show as the one just
pulled off. I replied to him
that the paper in question had
been asked to help us in the past
and had turned the Georgia
Poultry association down cold.
Furthermore, we had a contract
with The Georgian for another
year that was both morally and
legally binding.
From time to time suggestions
were made to me as an officer
of the Georgia association that it
would be a good thing to get rid,
of our contract with The Geor-'
gian, so as to secure the support
of the other papers. This ac
tivity was confined to some three'
or four who seemed to be in
close touch with the ojher At
lanta papers.
Some time later, notices ap
peared in The Journal and The
Constitution that a new poultry
association was to be formed in
Atlanta, the names of Mr. Loring
Brown, Mr. Poole and Mr. Sim
mons. who were members of the
Georgia association, being men
tioned.
Following these notices, I
called a meeting of the Georgia
association. Mr. Brown and Mr.
Poole were present, and were
asked to state why they took this
position, and responded, but hard
ly to the satisfaction of the other
members present, who, without
exception, condemned their course
as suicidal, and it was repeated
ly stated that, with the possible
exception of New York, two
poultry shows in a town have al
ways proved disastrous.
In my personal capacity I have
done everything possible to avoid
any conflict. Every opportunity
has been given the few who con-
situtc the Southern International
Poultry association to come to
gether with the Georgia associa
tion, without result. Tho demands
they make on us could not be
complied with and retain our
self-respect.
I believe the time has now come
to call a spade a spade in this .
poultry association matter.
Here in Atlanta we have three
daily papers of largo circulation.
The rivalry between them as
newspapers is very keon and each
tries to outdo the others in enter
prise. In addition to this, there
seems to be some personal feeling
between the rcspoasiblo heads of
two of them. With this rivalry
and personal feeling the Georgia
Poultiy association has nothing
to do. Of these matters the mem
bership of the.Georgia Poultry as
sociation and the public generally
knows little and cares less. Per
sonally, I am equally friendly with
Mr. Howell, of The Constitution;
Mr. Gray, of The Journal, and Mr.
St-fly, of The Georgian, and 1 be
lieve that the same is true of most
of our membership. I sincerely
regret that my official position
necessitates my taking, so far as
this poultry matter is concerned,
an antagonistic attitude toward
the position of The Journal and
The Constitution.
There, is not a shadow of an ex
cuse for the organization of the
Southern International Poulry
association in Atlanta other than
newspaper rivalry, in my opinion,
and that of the great majority
of the members of the Georgia
association. Several who have
taken a share of stock in this new
association have stated to me that
they did so under a misapprehen
sion. *
It was announced at the time of
its formation that Governor Hoke
Smith was to be its president.
Governor Smith, as soon as he
learned how matters stood, posi
tively refused to let his name be
used. During its organization the
names of others were used entire
ly without authority.
In a recent political campaign
here in Georgia one of the catch
phrases of the campaign was
“Watch the line-up.” It is well
to watch the “line-up” in this
new association.
Poultry departments in the At
lanta papers became quite popu-
Continutd on Ba«k Pago.
THE GREAT CENTRAL SHOW OF THE SOUTH, JANUARY 8 T0 13, 1912, ATLANTA, GaH
GEORGIA POULTRY ASSOCIATION, C. O. HARWELL, SECRETARY |