The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-06-27

$5s 300, expenses of hts office besides hin s2,00O, the amount paid to nine wfifo schools is sz2,5oo. The nesroes get s2, 500.
 MT. Jackson-Did I understand the gentleman to say the Commissioner Of Agriculture gets $5,000?
 Mr. Bulger-No. sir: did not say that. I said the salaries of himself and the clerks in his office amounted 70 that. The Uniontown Experiment Sta ton gets s2,500. don't know whether it is worth it to the farmers of Ala bama. but from what my distinguishes friend from Washington says. l would have very great doubts on the subject, think 1t is unfair to go into the in- terior among the farmers who use com
 nercial fertilizers and extract from them $2.5o0 and pay 1t out for an en- terprise in Alabama as described by the distinguished gentleman from Washington. If he is right. the levy of the tax is wrong. I am not attack ing the Agricultural District Schools. Far from it. I am a friend to the schools but I am also friend to the farmers of Alabama.
 MT. Long lWalker)--I would like to ask the gentleman a question.
 President pro tenn. (Heflinl-Does the gentleman consent to tho interruption?
 Mir. Bulger-Certainly.
 Mir. Long-Isn't it a fact you tried several years ago to locate one of these agricultural schools In your own town of Dadeville?
 Mir. Bulger-I did. and when it was put up to the highest bid decided it was too high and didn't buy 1t. We- tumpka outbid us, and got the school.
 Mir. Graham (Talladega)-I would like to know if the gentleman did not .,- tA ha hn1
 Mir. Bulger-I never did, nor any, thing like it.. Now, gentleman of the Convention, one other question and I am done. Is this 6 proper proposition to put in the Constitution of the State of Alabama? Some gentlemen say not. If not why not? This Convention wants to know. It is clear cut iimi- tation on the taxing power of this State. and if there is any one thing above another that should be put into the organic law of this State, 1t is a limitation upon the taxing power of the State. But for that we would have Iit- tie use for a Constitution in this State.
 If 1t is not right to limit the power to levy a tax for the sale of fertilizers in Alabama. then I would say strike out the limitation in the Consultation of three-quarters of one per cent on the taxing power in this State, ond Is as much limitation as the otliers one is as much a constitutional pro~ vision as the other. Now, Mrs PresI~ dent. I desire to submit to have read by the clerk what I hold in my hand. as a part of my remarks. know, aa parliamentary proposition. it cannot be offered now. I ask the clerk to rea& 1t as part of my remarks.
 The clerk read the statement as fol~ lows; Amend Section 1 by adding af- ter the word value" in the fifth lina of this Section. the following: Provid- ed. that the tax imposed for the privi- lege of selling commercial fertilizers ig this State shall not exceed ten. cents per ton; and provided, further, that the provisions of his amendment shaik not take effect until January list, 1s03."
 Now. Mr. President, shall, in dua time. offer that substitute to the Con- vention, because believe the fertilizer sold in this State should be analysed and their true merit and value known to the farmer who buys them. I put the time off until the 1st of January. 1903, because soma gentlemen have stated on the floor that contracts are now in existence with the teachers of some of the dis trict schools in Alabama. That being true, it gives them eighteen months more to comply on both sides with those contracts during the next year, and then leave 1t to the people and their representatives in the Legisiat- ure to provide for these District Ag- ricultural schools like other schools In Alabama are supported. l have heard no reason here why these District schools should have more privileges in this State than other schools have. Children who are educated in the log cabin receive their appropriations from the general fund, the University and Normal schools receive part of their appropriations and support from the general fund. Place these Agricultural schools on the same basis, and then-like the gentleman from Washington sayas 1t VIII be equal rights to all and spe- clal privileges to none-the grand Jef- fersonian doctrine to which he 80 elo- quently alludeG.
 Mir. Long (Walker)-1r regret being absent and having missed great deal of this argument. have only been here two days. It seems that this show started up some time last week.
 Mir. President, this is a matter thae is clearly legislative proposition, even if 1t had any merit in 1t. It has no more business in this Constitution than a dog law|has down in South Ala bama. The statement has been made
 
 pays this tax. I have had over twenty years experience in selling guano to farmers and I love the farmers like we all love them, we like to use them, and that is the reason we have so many lawyers and great statesmen so much in love with them because while they have never farmed, they have spent years running around all day and A good part of the night Tn the hope to reach some provision. Now the tax is 50 cents 8 ton and it has been said upon this floor that there was some rascality upon the part of the last Le- gislature of which l was member because this tax was not reduced. It is a well known fact that 1t was not re- duced because our late lamented Gever- nor did not want 1t reduced and sent to the Agricultural Committee and made that fact known to them. He took the position. and wisely, that a reduction of 20 cents a ton would not benefit & single farmer in Alabama, and it would cripple some of the schools. You take that 50 cents tax off and am one of those heartless merchants you hear about, and the trust that con- trols most of the guano factories and with which those who are not owned by 1t work and they would not reduce tue price of fertilizer one cent, and if they did the merchant to whom they reduced it would not reduce 1t one penny to the farmer. Now, this Is a plain proposition. The kitty is too small to divide out. The trust gets the first hit and the merchant the second and what would be left for the poor faruer ont of 5O cents2 Every Iner-