The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1900-03-13
StFU,
\ PREMIUM ON RASCALITY.

Mr.. Harris opposed the motion. saying
he was attorney for the board two years
and during that time nobobdy was prose-
cuted. Those caught were simply re-
quired to pay the tax and that settled
it.
Secretary Bruner said he emembered
several years ago some fertilizers were
sold by one company and they proved 10
be inferior goods. The department called
attention of the manufacturer to the fact
and So a ton was refunde to those WHO
had bought it. This he thought a betto-
way to settle the difficulty than by going
into court.
Mr.. Bailey said such a policy as CHS
put a premium on rascality; that it vas
a system of if-you-are-caught-you-pay, if
you are not caught alright.
I don't want to put the Commissioner
in a false light. but I want these block
aders punished when they are caught
Here's a letter now telling of wholesale
blockading of fertilizers going on down on
the coast. The stuff is being hauled
there in bulk by the ship load and then
sacked and sent out without a tag.
Mr.. Patterson disclaimed knowledge OF
any such ~biockading and Mr.. Harris OF
jected TO any cast-irOn rule. He thought
the matter ought to be left to the discre-
ton of the Commissioner.
Mr.. Bailey-'Men are elected for their
sense as much as for anything else and
are not expected to act like automatic
Col. Grimes-''We want a thorough and
impartial investigation of the fertilizer
business as to the cause of present rise
in prices and a more rigid exercise Of :hc
police powers of the department in in
speeding fertilizers-both as to the failure
of dealers in paying tonnage tax and the
imposition upon the farmers Of spurious
and dishonest goods. The farmers or
Eastern North Carolina thowever unjust
or unmerited the cause of this opinion
feel that they should get more protection
from his department, and that it is too
lax in its inspection and too lenient to
offenders when caught.
"They would, I'm afraid, if left to them.
vote to abolish it. The present manage
ment of the department is not responsible
for this state of feeling as we all know
that our present officials have the inter
est of the farmer at heart and are anx-
ious to help hin in every way possible,
but the law was somewhat inadequate
and under the former management the
department was not strict in enforcing
such penalties as were provided. when the
law was violated
Under its present efficient Commission
er, Col. Patterson, he believed the de-
partment was making an honest effort to
give the farmers every advantage and
protection in it's power. Mr.. Grimes then
stated that he believed the department
should go further in it's investigation of
the causes that led to the rise in price OF
fertilizers and did not believe the present
high prices made by the Fertilizer Trust
was justified by the advance in raw ma
teriaI.
He stated that almost all large dealers
and manufacturers contracted for their
goods in advance, especially for raw ma
terial, which he said he was reliably in
formed was almost always bought, prob
ably a year in advance. and that a very
large part of the goods now being sold
was made from raw material bought
cheap. He showed a contract for to-
bacco fertilizer, bought of a small and
financially weak concern. unable to carry
large holdings or buy much in advance, ia
which they sold goods this year several
dollars a ton cheaper than the same
goods are sold by the trust. He was in
formed that it was now almost impOssi-
BILE for independent dealers to buy
chemicals for fertilizers unless the in
dependent manufacturer agreed to sell at
trust prices.
While the department is powerless to
aid the farmer in buying at lower prices
it can make an honest investigation