The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-06-27

Taiiadega also said that we had no assurance that the repeal of this law would reduce the price of fertilizer. That Is the point. i-4vite the gen. tleman to go with me to the line that divides the State of Alahama from the State of Georgia. I invite him to go on the Alabama side and buy ton of and then I ask him to step across an imaginary line into the State of Geor- gia and buy tho same ton of fertilizer where they pay a 10 cent tax and he will lind that he pays 90 cents 8 ton less in Georgia. That Is the reason why the tax ought to be reduced.
 Mr. Graham (Talladega)-fn as much as the gentleman has addressed his remark to me, will he permit me to make a statement?
 Mir. Bulger-Certainly.
 MT. Graham (Talladega)-I have been told by a citizen of Chambers County that he can buy fertilizer at Lafayette, Ala, at the same price made by west Point, Ga.
 MT. Robinson--I am the person re- ferred to. I live within twelve miles of the Georgia line, between the county of Tailapoosa and the State of Geor- gia, and a good portion of. the citizens of Chambers County get their fertlli- ger from WeSt EoAht. AuC ASa at West Point are at the same price as at Lafayette, Ala, and Opelika. Ala: OpeIika, Ala. and West Point, Ga., are on the same railroads. The town of Cusseta Is ten miles from west Point and twelve miles from Opelikd. and those people get their ferIni1sr from Opelika rather than west foint'
 MT. White-when the Georgia mar ket Is open to the Alabama farmer or course they put it at the same price but how Is it with the men who ifve Tar inside of the State and cannot go 'o West Point, Georgia? gentleman from Chambers, no longer ago than last Friday was in conver- sation with distinguished merchant of Linette, which city Is on the line or the two States. He told me that the tag tax in Georgia was ten cents and the tag tax in Alabama was fifty cents and the price of the fertilizer m Geor- gia was forty cents less than In Ala bama. I have his word. ana IL was no less a person than Senator Nornah oL Chambers County. I leave that with the gentleman from Chambers and Senator Norman. do not know what the facts are. I do not agree With my friend from Pike in his original proposition. believe that fertilizer should he analysed. I believe the pur- nose and motive that prompted the original enactment of this law was good one and that 1t was passed TOT the benefit of the farmers of Alabama ana to protect them against imposition anywhere. but believe IL IS Wrons .o make the farmer pay more expense 10 have his fertilizer analysed than nec- essary to be paid. We are now ex- tracting from the farmers Of Alabama SS6.O00 when $20.000 would pay Tor the analyzing of the fertilizer In this State and the expenses of running the Agrt- cultural Department of this State. IT that is true. then we are collecting from the farmers $70.0oO more than ought to be collected. and l am unlike the gentleman from Tahadega, do not believe that would be lost If left Tn the pockets of the people.
 MT. Jackson--I would ask If the fer tilizers have a guaranteed analysis?
 MT, Bulger-l understand that they have and a ten cent tax on the guano pays the whole expense.
 Mr. Jackson-I understand they do not have.
 MT. Bulger-I understand that they do.
 Now the distinguished gentleman from Talladega suggested that the ne-
  tax. That is true. but at the same time the negroes get largely of the benefits of this tax. While $23,000 goes to the District Schools, the white schools. $2, 800 goes to the negro schools of this State, 1,000 of 1t goes to the Paterson School at Montgomery. which is q ne- gro school, $1, ,500 to the Booker Wash ington School at Tuskegee. which is negro school, and l submit for reply TolloAAOa the negro don't draw out more than he puts in. in that proportion?
 MT. Pillans-If this is so important as to require a discussion for a day or two in this Constitutional Conven- ton. framing an organic law. could the gentleman or any of those sustaining his side explain why no ordinance was introduced and referred to a Commit tee so 1t might have been canvassed quietly and faithfully discussed in the Committee and reported to the Conven- tion?
 Mr. Bulger-Because it was unimpor- tant to do 1t. because it could be reach ed as well by the amendment, as is demonstrated on this occasion.
 MT. Pillans-May l ask another ques- tion?
 MT. Bulger-Certainly.
 Mr. Pilans-Then might not all the matters of novelty which have been introduced here have been offered by way of amendnent to the Constitution of 1875 and a great deal of time have been saved?
 MT. Bulger-I do not think so be- cause all original questions have to be introduced by ordinance, but all may be improved upon by amendment. Now the gentleman who last addressed the amendment insisted that perhaps this was not a subject proper to go into the Constitution.
 MT. Sanders Uimsstone) )~CIsn't it a fact that $50,000 of this fertilizer tax goes into the general educational fund of the State, after the agricultural schools have been provided for?
 Mir. Bulger-I am prepared to say that is not the fact.
 MT. Sanders-How much then does go into the general educational fund?
 Mir. Bulger-None of 1t.
 MT. SanderS-Into the general fund?
 MT. Bulger-SE7,7O0 of surplus that they are unable to spend in the agri- cultural department, in-the Experiment Stations ,inNthe negro schools and iQ the District Agricultural Schools, have to go into the general fund.
 MT. Sanders-Doesn't that surplus which goes into the general fund en- able the common school appropriation to be increased?
 Mir. Bulger-I think so, but think 1t is very unfair to make the farmer alone in Alabama put $37, 700 more into the State treasury for general purposes than other people have to pay.
 Mir SoIlie-If the same amount were