The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-05
COTTON AND THE FERTILIZER
TRUST

The price of cotton justifies the be iei
that the cotton acreage next year will be
greater than ever before. 1t is the very
! general understanding that the present
crop will be a short one-not more than
100000 bales, certainly not more than
| 10000 900 bales. A large crop next year
therefore will not necessarily mean cen S
cotton again, though if the farmers are
wise they win keep the acreage within rea-
sonable limits by diversifying their crops
by giving a part of their lime 10 such food
/ crops as they need for their families and
stock.
They are confronted, however. with the
statement that the fertilizer combine in
tends to demand much higher prices for
fertilizers than the fertilizer maufactur-
ers obtained last year. II looks there
fore as if the actual net profit in cotton
next year would not be so very great
even if the price should hold up and the
yield be good. II there should be a crop
failure, or II the price of cotton should fall
below cents pound, the farmers would
be in a very sorry plight.
The fertilizer combine is stating through
its agents that the reason the price f
fertilizers is so much higher this season
than 1t was last, is that the prices of q e
materials used in their manufdc lure have
advanced greatly. To what extent this
is true we do not know, but it seen s
TO us that the Commissioners of Ayr
culture of the various cotton states could
render the farmers great service by in
vestigaung this statement 1t is not a
difficult matter TO find out whether the ad-
vance in the price of fertilizers is large y
arbitrary or is due wholly TO the advance
in the prices of the raw materials.
If it is shown that the advance is large
ly arbitrary there would be basis for
drastic legislation against trusts. 1t is al
most certain that the demand for such
legislation will become so imperative that
the trusts, great as their power is, will
not be able to prevent 1t, and it is pretty
certain that if antitrust laws are enacted
they will be of a very radical character.
It is announced that Congress win be ask
ed to repeal the duty on wood pulp. If it
should comply a heavy blow would be
struck at the paper trust
And there are ways in which the fer
tilizer trust can be reached. 1t is said
that the trust which supplies fertilizers
for the cotton states is capitalized at a
sum several millions of dollars greater
than the cost of the fertilizer plants II
controls If this is the case the great rise
in the price of fertilizers is partly ex-
planned. To pay dividends of the immense
amount of stock which the trust has is
sued will require a big profit on every ton
of fertilizers sold.
When the trust was formed il was the
understanding that its profits would be in
the saving that would be effected in the
handling of It's product. 1t was pointed
out that the services of many statesmen
and clerks would be dispensed with. 1t
was not expected that there would be a
great advance in the price of fertilizers.
The increase in the prices of the raw ma
terials may account for some of the ad-
vance, but 1t is almost certain that II
does not account for the whole of 1t. Let
the Commissioner Of Agriculture of this
state and the Commissioners of Agri-
culture of other states in the cotton belt
investigate this matter, so that war on
the fertilizer trust can be carried on in
telhgently and effectively.