The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-01-24
THEY FOUGHT HARD
And Succeed in Having
Cotton. Seed Meal
Bill Changed.

here was II lOIlS IldId Ltu@3hl pclIS'C
waged by professional mill men re-
fore the joint Committee on Agricul-
ture in the House of Representatives
yesterday afternoon. The committee
met 10 decide upon the Mitchell bill.
recurring cotton Seel meal manufaC-
turers to increase the amount of
ammonia il their meal from rs per
cent to s per cent The bill was con-
sidered at a joint meeting last Mon
day and afterwards changed. 1t
wSs thought that final action would
have been reached yesterday, but the
mill men by their uncolnpromislng
and determined stand had definite
action postponed and the matter was
referred TO a subcommittee, consist
ing of Mr.. Mitchell, of BERTHE, its au-
thor, and Mr.. Laughinghouse, of Pitt,
to rebort within few days.
Mr.. Graham, of Lincoln, chairman of
the House Committee. presided. He
stated that 4 week ago the joint corn
mittee considered the House bill No.
Z by Mr.. Mitchell, of BERTHE, requiring
manufacturers of cotton seed meal to
increase the ammonia percentage,
a!d since then the committee had pre-
parei 4 substitute bill, as follows:
An act 10 amend chapter 800,
Laws of 1908. That section 8 of said
-
and inserting s, in inc four.
THAT all the requirements, regu-
lations and penalties provided and set
forth in sections 5, s, Z, s and . of
chapter 377. Laws of 1889, and as
amended by chapter 1856, Laws of
1903, be made 10 apply TO cotton seed
meal.
1T shall be unlawful for any man.
Gfacturer to adulterate the cotton seed
meal in the process of manufacture.
or otherwise.
Mr.. Il. Z. Pitt, Of Edgecolnbe, said
ne favored s per cent. He owned the
controlling interest in q mill and said
1t had never made meal containing
less than s per cent ammonia. He
exhibited samples of meal and hu,s
in proof of his statements. He said
there was no trouble in making
per cent meGl, and Ihat he had been
making 1t Tor over three years, and
that he had made it from some Of the
worst cotton seed grown. but none
alalyZed less than 8 per cent, but the
ma ority of his sacks au3lyzcd above it
Mr.. Jonathan Ravens. OF Washing
ton, ID. c., said he had been IL the cot
ton seed meal manufacturing business
more than twenty years and from
close observation he declared that the
product of the mill depended upon
the quality of the seed. The class of
seed he regularly bought he got
per cent of AMMONIA meal out of, and
it paid him to work seed for that
purpose as his trade demanded s per
cent meal. But when ne worked
certain other kinds of seeds it was
impossible 10 get s per cent or ann
monid.
Here Mr.. Ravens exhibited 4 variety
Of qualities OF seed, and some he eN-
hibited he said il was 10th impracti-
cal and impossible to make 5 per
cent meal ont of them.
He said it would be Of great benc-
fit to him TO have North Carolina
pass this law, but that il would be a
gross injustice to % per cent OF the
oil mill men of North Carolina TO re-
ouire them to make meal impossible
10 them.
Mr. Mitchell, OF BERTHE, who intro
duced the bill said that il had been
charged that he had aimed it at the
cotton meal manufacturing interests
OF the State. but that this was incor-
rect. He stated that he had fire.
quently received communications
from people who claimed that the
cotton seed meal they used was adult
Grated, they alleging that large GUAM
titles of ground huils had been found
IN the meal. lie said from a practical
and scientific standpoint that the bill
Was not unjust.
Mr.. Hal London, Of Pittsboro, said
he was new in this industry, but was
running d mill owned by farmers and
merchants. In his mill, he declared,
he could not make s per cent meal,
as his section was not one which
grows much Gotten, and If he was re-
quired to make s Der cent meal he
would be Obliged to close down.
Mr.. NJ. G. Braswell, of Tarboro, said
he had had considerable experience
and was operating a mill. 80 per
cent of which was owned by farmers.
He said the result in al particulars
as to oil, hulls and meal, financially,
was successful, and that any mill i'll
North Carolina worked properly could
make s per cent ammonia. He an
swered the arguments of those who
claimed that they could not make
per cent of ammonia to the tor of
seed, and said that the easy solution
was that of preparation on pertora-
ton, and the result after this remedy
would be ) per cent meal. He SAID
he was not only Il manufactures, but
an agrculturalist, and that he should
protect the interests OF agriculture
as well as those of milling, and that
it would be no hardship to amy mill
in the state to increase the ammonia
percentage. lie repudiated the arGu-