Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-12-31
The Brady Bill.

The Legislature will have very inter-
esting question to decide next July. 1t is
whether the Brady bill, ii passed, will in
iure Or befsahitile farmers. 1t is sppsr-
emily intended to protect the farmers
against dealers in worthless fertilizers,
but WRIT accomplish that object?
The bill provides that in an action on
promhsspy pete, given for any kind of
fertilizer, failure of consideration may be
plead. 1t is also provided that the right
TO make this plea cannot be waved. An
other provision is that the acceptance of
note for fertilizers, in which it Is not
stated for what it was given, is made a
misdemeanor.
II this bill should become law what
would be the result: Clearly, that farm
ers would have TO pay cash for fertilizers.
They now purchase them almost wholly
on credit, but no dealer in fertilizers
would do a credit business in this State
il the Brady bill were to become a law.
He couldn't afford to. Although the hon.
est fertilizer dealers and honest farmers
are greatly in the majority, the law would
be productive of endless complications
and troubles.
Even an honest farmer, IL he did not
plainly see good results from fertilizer
for which he gave his note, might plead
that the consideration TOR it failed, al
though the fertilizer was all that had
been claimed for it. On some soils fer
tilizer will make its power felt in the first
crop, while in others its presence will not
be plainly apparent until the second crop.
There are fertilizers of the best quality
which will help grass, but may not bene-
fit cotton or potatoes. 1t is apparent,
therefore, that it wouldn't be just to a
dealer to judge his fertilizers by their
effect upon any particular crop.
1t may be urged in behalf Of the bill,
however, that a purchaser who pleads
that he received no consideration for his
note must prove that the fertilizer was
worthless. But how is he to do that? BY
a chemist, or by showing that his crop
was not benefited, Hardly by chemist,
because all fertilizers sold in the State
have the certificate of the State Chemist
attached to them, indicating
their character and value. II
the State Chemist were called as
witness he could not contradict his own
certificate, and it would hardly be good
policy in the State to retain a chemist
whose certificate could be oontradlcted
by any other chemist. The intention of
the bill doubtless is to permit the pur-
chaser TO prove want of consideration by
showing that he received no benefit from
his purchase, and that would be produce
tive of so much trouble and make the
dealers so dependent upon unsympathetic
jnries for their money, that they would
cease to do a credit business at once.
Doubtless many would withdraw from
business in the State altogether. Farm
ers would have to pay each for their fer
tilizers, and also higher price because
there would be less competitions
1t is possible that farmers in some in
stances are deceived and robbed, but if
they are it is because they do not deal
with houses which have an established
reputation for honesty. 1t is much better
for the farmers to depend upon laws in
tended to secure an honest inspection of
fertilizers than to seek such legislation
as that proposed by Mr.. Brady.