The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-06-18

n II 4l AVA sold to the merchant. to be sold to the the farmer, for . certain stipulated
 Uniformity of Action.
 We further find from the testimonr of the manufacturers. as well as from the testimony of the merchants. that In most cases the price for the same grade or fertilizer was the same. there- by showing some uniformity of action between the fertilizer manufacturers - whether an express agreement or not, mittee believes that there is an implied agreement between the fertilizer manu- lecturers of this and other States in the south, by which they can; abso- iuteiy control the price of fertilizers
 We. further find that in the South mere IS an organizzation known as the southern Fertilizer Association. com throughout the South. but we find no evidence land we had no witnesses ex- sept members of that associationp that faetsress ners is trust rust Of fertilizer manl- mfttee believes that this association influences and makes 1t possible for certain large fertilizer >manufacturars this State. We further find. from all the evil dence submitted. that the Virginia Car olina Chemical company (whose State
 
 gomeryo sends to all the fertilizer plants in this state uniform price list. showing the prices of the different grades of fertilizers manufactured by them. We further find that this~has been almost exclusively the price of all fertilizers sold in this State In very. few cases do we find from the testimony that fny fertilizer manufacturer or oWneFof mixing plant has sold fer tflizer cheaper than is shown on the price list formed by the Virginia Car oifna Chemical company. We attach this price list to the report and mark l the same Exhibit A
 Object of the @FiIiers.,
 We further report that after con sidering and weighing carefully all the testimony submitted. we find that tilizers such as what Is known as SAP and lower grades, what is called a filler. which contains no plant food and has absolutely, no effect on really know that s this .afS 'fiiler' ~nI ia used in the fertilizer The testimony shows clearly that in a ton of S.2.2 fer is used. and 1t Is sold at the same price as the fertilizer. We find also that there are different kinds of filler used in thls State by the different manufacturers of fertilizer, some using sand, some coal dust, some graphite, some dirt and some pyrites rock; all the witnesses testify that this has no beneficial effect on the soil. This filler is put into the fertilizer to re- duce the grade and to make weight, and contains absolutely no plant food.
 This committee, in view of all this testimony, has prepared and submitted to this legislature a bill by which 1t seeks, to eliminate this filler, which is of no value whatever to the farmers of this State.
 Your committee finds from the evi- depce that the price of fertilizer tags required by law to be placed on sacks of fertilizer manufactured or sold in sthis State, is paid by the manufactur- CTS of the fertilizers. but the price Is correspondingly increased to the con sumer.
 Insunicient Inspectors.
 We find from the testimony of ex- Commissioner Poole and Chief Clerk Adams that the law requiring the com missioner of Agriculture and Industries to obtain complete analysis of every grade of fertilizer sold in this State. could not be compiled with as the law requires. because they did not have sufficient number of inspectors to ob- tain a sample of each and every brand of fertilizer or fertilizer material of- fered for sale or exchanged in this State. Your committee recommends that this 
 the office. of the Commissioner of Agri- culture and Industries be increased. in order that a true and correct sample be obtained from each and every brand of fertilizer sold In this State. sss- ;. Under. the ySenate joint resolution, this committee had the power and au- thority to investigate the cotton seed oil mills in this State, and in compl- ance with this resolution, we summon ed a number of witnesses who own and operate cotton seed oil mills in the State. We find from the testimony that there is no evidence of an agree ment between the cotton seed oil mills. or showing that they are trying to control the price of cotton seed; that the price of cotton seed varies every season, according to the supply and demand for the same. For example. in the fall of 1906, we find the price of cotton seed ranging from $1O to $22 per ton.
 We also find from the testimony. however, that in a few instances there has been an effort made to control the territery for certain mills in this State. which this committee believes to be detrimental to the farmers of Ala bama, but we only found this to be true in a few instances In and around Montgomery.
 Raps for "Sons of PIatO."
 "We also find from the testimony