The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-06-27

the s100 for taxation. what is that?
 MT. Harrison-That is a limitation
 but my friend from Henry said we car only have prohibition. He changed the prohibition of the amendment of the | gentleman from Pike to one of lirnita-
 ton. l was only applying myself tc
 his argument.
 | think it is legislative function | and ought to be left with the Legislat-
 ure. even with all he said as to the inn | propriety and highness of this price Is
 correct. If that is correct the gentle
 man should run for the Legislature and go there and try and correct il there and not here in this Constitution al Convention. It is true the farmers here and their representatives, some oi them, not all of them, I am glad to say, say that this was not inaugurated and not desired by the farmer. haps pened to be in the other end of the Capitol as a lawyer when this law was passed. I remember the appeals that
 were made to the Senate and it was composed largely of lawyers, by the master of the State Grange, MT. Hi ram Hawkins and a committee. I re- member how they came to the Senate 1 composed of lawyers largely and ap- peaIed to them to let the farmers regu- late this matter, the whole system of | agriculture for the State of Alabama | from the Commissioner down. the Con- missioner whom a few days ago thts convention engrafted as one of the Constitutional officers of the Executive Department.
 MT Samford-Has not the Hon. Hi | ram Hawkins been a candidate for the office of Commissioner of Agriculture ever since?
 MT. Harrison-I have not kept up | with the gentleman. I can neither de- nv or affirm. I do not see that that affects the principle that he helped to get this law passed. I believe there are some other farmers who have suc- ceeded in getting the office and I be- lieve the very law requires that the Commissioner shall be farmer. The whole system grew out of this very tax.
 Now. submit instead of going off on this line that we should take the back track as we have done with the Lieu tenant Governor. Section 3S in the present Constitution, on Legislative Department, was produced because we then had Commissioner of Industrial resources that became the laughing stock of the State, and. the Convention provided that No State office shall be continued or created for the inspection or measuring of any merchandise, manufacture or commodity, but any county or municipality may appoint such officer or officers when authorized by law" That was put there to legis- late old man Lambert out of office, and 1t did. It has been in the way of busi- ness and 1t is today in the way of an effective execution of this analysis of fertilizer. It Is only recently that complaint has been heard because the Constitution prohibits the appointment of an inspector who shall himself go and draw these samples and inspect them as is done in other States and not required of them to be sent for exami- nation. In Georgia the inspector may go to the articles when they come in the borders and draw samples himself and inspect them properly and but for this provision in the Constitution we could have that here and I trust the Committee on the Legislative De- pertinent when they report will leave that out and leave 1t to the Legisla- ture to see that proper inspection is made.
 Now, as to whether the consumer or the manufacturer pays this tax. there are differences of opinion. have been told in my town and In the adjoining town of Lafayette near the Georgia line, that the prices arc identical. Some deny 1t, but know it Is so stated. I am also informed although my friend the delegate to the left says there is at least one manufacturer that Is not in this combine or trust, I have been told and I see merchants here who know 1t that there is but one drummer all over this country to sell you any sort of fertilizers. If that is So it looks like a trust. have had the vafc fv1 fnIl that only one man comes around sell ing fertilizer and you can get any brand from him.
 MT. White-Does it improve the con- dition of the farmer to have the State after him on one side and the trust on the other?
 MT. Harrison-The farmers were try ing to get even with the trust wht n they passed that statute. Whether they did or not, I don't know, but l suppose it was an effort to en n1sLvJr to get even.
 Now I don't understand the neces- sity of placing this matter in the Con. stitution at all and don't understand why 1t was until this Article came from the Committee on Taxation that such a matter as this was reVer brought up. If there was any ordi- nance of this sort introduced before I never heard Of 1t. l was an nuinDle member of the Committee on Taxanon and if there was any such ordinance introduced, I failed to hear t read and it did not reach that Commlst9e. Why spring it here when it is a matter that has not been considered by the Com mittee, I have never heard of it. and right or wrong, can't the Legislature of Alabama be relied upon. If they have done wrong, to correct this evil. Why make the friends, of these nine or len schools opposed to this Constitution we are adopting to start with. Is 1t good policy. is 1t proper. Can: we risk the Legislature? As l say. to my personal knowledge, the farmers com menced this movement and got this legislation. At one time it was changed from 50 cents to 25 cents and believe 1t was Governor Jones who sent mes sage to the Legislature after trying the 25 cents tax and seeing tke prices were not reduced, recommending Tn public message to the General Assem- bly, that the tax be again put hack to 50 cents. These matters are brought up at every session of the Legislature. There are more farmers in the House in proportion than there are in this body. It is useless for you delegates to say here that there was ever a Leg islature where the farmers did not have sufficient majority to assert and maintain their rights. I believe as firmly as 1 stand here, that tLey not only inaugurated it but that 1t IS con- trolleA and managed by a majority of the farmers in the General Ass amDly. Now 1 desire while l have the floor.