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Barrett Re-Elected President of the National Farmers 9 Union. Little Rock, Ark., Sept. 3—With thousands of delegates in attendance, the Farmers’ National Union met in annual convention here today. Plant ers are here from everywhere, but the southern and southwestern states are represented by unusually large delegations. Delegates have been arriving for several days, but yesterday and last night every train that rolled into the city was crowded. Many of the del egates are quartered at the Capitol hotel, which is the national headquar ters. Many Georgians Present. National President Barrett, of At lanta, Ga., arrived several days ago from Conway, Ark., where he had been ill for the past three weeks. The secretary of the Arkansas state union, Hon. Ben L. Griffin, delivered the welcoming address at the open ing session; President Barrett and a representative from each state re sponded. The Georgians present are R. F. Duckworth, state president; J. L. Barron, state secretary; J. L. Lee, state organizer; G. M. Davis, state lecturer; J. G. Eubanks, state busi ness agent; J. M. Hart, of Clayton county; S. R. Taylor, of Dodge coun ty, and J. E. Bodenhamer, of DeKalb eounty. Miss Lutie Gresham, daughter of Newt Gresham, founder of the order, is the honored guest of the conven tion. Miss Nellie Horton, of Texas, who was Gresham’s first secretary, is also a guest of the convention. Every courtesy is being shown these two young ladies by members of the union and the people of Little Rock. The national board of directors which has been in session is com posed of the following: President Charles S. Barrett, ex officio chairman, of Georgia; W. A. Morris, of Alabama; W. S. Miller, of Texas; I. N. McAllister, of Louisiana; Campbell Russell, of Indian Terri tory, and James Butler, of Kansas. Little Rock, Ark., Sept. 4. —“Don’t sell your cotton for less than fifteen cents. ’ ’ This is the edict of the National Fanners’ Union to the cotton growers of the southern states and the official order was issued by unanimous vote immediately following the adoption of the committee appointed yester day to fix the minimum price on cot ton. There was not a dissenting voice raised to the adoption of the report when the committee read the follow ing before the convention this morn ing: “We, the committee appointed to fix the minimum price for cotton, re port that the basis for middling shall be fifteen cents in September, with an added one-fourth of a cent for each month, beginning October first.” This means that during the month of September the minimum price of middling cotton shall be fifteen cents. For the same grade during October fifteen find a quarter cents per pound shall be the price. For November, fifteen and a half cents per pound and through the remaining months a quarter of a cent shall be added, making cotton sell in February for sixteen cents per pound. Big Revenue for Farmers. It also means that if the Farmers’ Union controls this year, as well as it did last year, in the sale of the fleecy staple, that two hundred mil lion dollars have been added to the revenues of the cotton farmers in the South. Last year with the price at 11 cents, a bale of cotton was worth fifty-five dollars. With the price at 15 cents it means that a bale of cot ton this year will be worth seventy five dollars or twenty dollars more per bale. This on a crop of only ten million bales. In the event the crop exceeds ten millions, there will be an added wealth turned into pockets of the producers. “The Farmers’ Union will succeed . in getting the prices agreed upon,” was the positive comment of Presi dent Barrett after the adoption of the report. “You have only to take a look backwards to see that the cot ton farmers have learned well the lesson of co-operation and mutual agreement. Three years ago we fixed the minimum price at 10 cents. There were some who believed the union could not secure the price agreed up on and these few sold at 6 or 7 or 8 cents—just what they could get for it. The result was that they sacri ficed their cotton while the members of the Farmers’ Union held to theirs and got their 10 cents in every in stance. “The next year there were less who had no faith in the Farmers’ Un ion. Last year the farmers had learned that the price agreed upon by us was the price that we got and few there were who sold their cotton for less than 11 cents. With this history of the past, the basis for our opinions, we are firmly convinced that we will have no difficulty in holding the farmers in line and that all will obey our agreefnent.” Texas Sets the Pace. The great cotton raising state of Texas has set the pace in the price movement. When the cotton began to come in more rapidly than usual this year, President N. J. Neill, of the Texas state union, hastily con ferred with President Barrett, of the national organization, and then is sued a general manifesto to the farmers of his state, ordering them to hold their cotton indefinitely rath er than sell it for less than 15 cents. Little Rock, Ark., Sept. 5. —The old officers of the National Farmers’ Union were elected without opposi tion. A motion was made to nomi nate the officers as a body and elect them by acclamation. This, however, did not meet with uniform approval, as some of the men wanted to make nomination speeches. The officers, who have been in charge for a year, and who will continue at the head of the organization for another year at least, are as follows: President—C. S. Barrett, of At water, Ga. Vice President—J. E. Montgomery, of Gleason, Tenn. WATSON’S WEEKLY JEFFERSONIAN. Secretary-Treasurer—R. H. McCul loch, of Beebe, Ark. The national board of directors is composed as follows: W. A. Morris, of Sulligent, Ala.; W. S. Miller, of Lake Creek, Texas; J. N. McCollis ter, of Many, La.; S. L. Wilson, of Mississippi; J. M. Jefferds, of Okla homa. The national board of directors meet once each quarter, the days be ing the first Tuesday in December, March and June. The president is the executive officer of the board. The directors will name the meeting place for the next annual convention. The place will probably not be chosen until the directors’ meeting in March, although they could name the place at any other meeting. Want Good Immigrants. A resolution on immigration, in troduced by R. F. Duckworth, state president of Georgia, places the Un ion on record as being opposed to any and all immigration that will bring an undesirable class of citizens to the United States. The farmers claim, they are not opposed to any man who will come to this country with a view to making himself a home and bettering his condition. They are opposed to the bringing of labor ers to this country who will wo V for small wages and possibly create discontent. The resolution was adopted after much discussion. Some, it is said, wanted to place restrictions around immigration by naming exactly the kind of people that would be desira ble. All were in favor of adopting a resolution showing the farmer’s as a union to be opposed to the influx oc cheap laborers. State Business Agents. The gathering of the state business agents at this convention was one of the most important matters relative to the Farmers’ Union. They have been in session almost continuously and much of the work of the conven tion was mapped out by the business agents. Owing to the illness of P. F. Parker, of Alabama, chairman of the business agents, he could not attend. J. G. Eubanks, state business agen r of Georgia, was elected chairman for the ensuing year. In speaking to The Georgian representative of rhe work of the business agents’ meetings, AD. Eubanks said: Uniform Bale. “We have several important mat ter’s under consideration, but one of the most essential is arriving at a uniform bale of cotton in size and weight. We have adopted a plan to compress our cotton at our ware houses, of which we have over 2,000 in the South. To install compressing machinery at every one of the 28,000 ginneries in the South would be too large a task for our body and we will locate our compresses at central points where our warehouses are lo cated. “We are considering whether it will be a round or square bale. We want cotton produced by union farm ers to reach the spinners in the best possible shape and we believe if we properly bale and compress it we can get a premium over other staples. ’ ’ Mr. Eubanks speaks very encourag ingly of the outlook of the national bureau of information which will be operated under his supervision. The most important work of the last day’s session of the National Farmers’ Union was the adoption of the report of the committee on legis lation. The report provides for a committee of three to go to Wash ington during sessions of congress and there present to national legis lators the demands of the union, as has been the plan in the various states. The strongest men in the or ganization will be appointed by the president and executive committee. R. F. Duckworth, of Georgia, and Ben L. Griffin, of Arkansas, are spok en of as probable members of the committee. Official Button. Reports for other committees of less importance took up most of the day’s time of the convention. The place of the next national convention will be fixed by the executive commit tee. The button with Newt Gresh am’s picture on it was adopted as the official button of the order. This button had been previously adopted by the Georgia division. Resolutions were passed looking to the copyright ing of a union label by the conven tion. Davis is Honored. G. M. Davis, state organizer of Georgia, was selected by the nationa’ union to make a trip through the northwestern states in behalf of the order. J. M. Lee, state lecturer of Geor gia, delivered an address before a large body of Junior of Amer- • ican Mechanics, which is in ses sion at this place, last night. Mr. Lee’s speech was well received and favorably commented upon. Barret is Re-Elected. There was enthusiasm over the election of Charles S. Barrett as national president of the Farmers’ Union yesterday afternoon. O. P. Pyle, of Texas, placed in nomination the name of Mr. Bar rett, and J. L. Lee, of Georgia, sec onded it. Mr. McCulloch, of Arkan sas, was elected secretary. Miller, of Texas; Morris, of Alabama; Wilson, of Mississippi, and Jefferds, of Okla homa, were elected executive commit teemen. The report of the state business agents shows that the cotton crop is far below the average, and much short of last crop is 10 per cent off from last year. In Texas, it is claimed, only 2,000,000 bales will be raised. In the middle gulf states the crop is very short. Work of Convention. The lobby of the Capitol Hotel pre sented a busy aspect at an unusually early hour this morning. The meet ing is proving to be the greatest ever held by the Farmers’ Union. It is a live, energetic body of the sturdy farmers of the country tVho have come here to transact business for the betterment of the agricul tural interests of the country and a vast volume of business is being transacted. What is considered one of the most important pieces of work of the convention is the fixing of the minimum price of cotton and grain. It is expected that the convention will complete its work tonight and the session will then adjourn. PAGE THREE