The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-07-13

we further nnl. from all the evi., denos submitted. that the vir0inia-' Carolina Chemical Company (whose State Nanager is fir. D. R. Tabor of Montgcmery) sends to all the fertili. ger plants in this State . uniform price list showing the pfiees of the different grades of fertilizers manufac. this has been almost exclusively the price of all fsrtilissrs sold In this State. In very fsw-easss do we had from the testimony that any fsftilisss manufacturer or owner of . mixing plant has sold fertiliser chsapsr than b shown on the price list tssusd by the Virginia Carolina Chemical Com pany. We attach this price list to this report. and mark the same Exhibit
 we further report that after con- sidAring and weighing carefully au the testimony submitted. we hnd that there is used in all low grade ferti1issrs, such as what 10 known as S.3.3 and lower grades. what is called 'n1aer. which contains no plant food and has abso- lutely no good effect on the soil We
 h this State who really know that this
 'naer' is used in fertilisers. The tes-' timoay shows clearly that in . ten of
 s.2.3 fertilizer about aeo pounds ofsthis filler is used. and 1t is sold st the same price as the fertilizer. We nnd also that there are different kinds of filler
 used In this State by the different sand. soms coal dust. some graphite. some dirt and some pyritss rocks: all the witnesss testify that this has no bensacial effect on the soil. This filler is put into tho fertilizer to reduce the grade and to make weight. and con. tains absolutely no plant food.
 This committed. In view of all this testimony. has prepared and submits to this Legislature. . 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 svi- dence that the price of fertilizer tags reduired by law to be placed on sacks of fertilizer manufactured or sold In this State. is paid by the manufactur. CTS of the fertilizers. but the price b sumer.
 we nnd from the testimony of ex- Commissioner Poole and Chief Clerk Adams that the law requiring the Com-
 missioner of Agriculture and Indus- tries to obtain . complete analysis of every grade of fertilizer sold in this State, could not be compiled with. a
 
 have a suhicient number of inspectors to obtain . sample of each and every brand of fertilizer or fertilizer mate- rial offered for sale or exchange In this State. Your committee recom-
 mends that this part of the force in this department of the ofiice of the Commissioner of Agriculture and Indus- tries be increased in order that true and correct sample be obtained from
 each and every brand of fertilizer sold
 in this State.
 Under the Senate joint resolution this committee had power and author ity to investigate the cotton seed oil
 mills in this State, and In compliance
 with the resolution we summoned .
 number of witnesses who own and op- crate cotton seed oil mills in the State. We find from the testimony that there | fa no evidence of anlagreement 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. accord ing to the supply and demand for the
 same. For example. in the fall of 1906
 we ind the price of cotton seed rang we also hnd from the testimony,
 however, that in a few instances there has been an effort made to control the territory for certain mills in this State
 which the committee believes to be detrimental to the farmers of Ala
 bama, but we only found this to be true in . few instances in and around I Montgomery.
 An to the Sons of Plato.
 We also hnd from the testimony
 that there exists an order known as the Sons of Plato. organised by the cotton oil mill men. who are the only
 people eligible to membership in the
 order. This order. 1t is shown by the
 testimony is . secret organization
 Whether or not the price of cotton seed
 is discussed in their meetings this
 committee Is unable to tell. z we nnd that in most cases. If not all, the initiation fees and dues. which
 are from $25 to $50 per annum. are paid by the companies of which the members are officers or employees. and
 this committee does not understand and initiation fees of its oficers4 or employees who join this secret and fra ternal order, unless 1t expects to de- rive some benefit not to the members
 socially and personally. but to the companies in a financial way. Your committee, after due and care full consideration of all the testimony submitted, and in view of the further fact that there Is no law in the State of Alabama by which any trust. mo- nopoly, conspiracy to control business
 and prices of articles and to prevent
 the formation and operation of pools.
 trusts, monopolies and combinations of
 charters of corporations can be pre-
 vented, we have prepared bill that
 we believe will prevent any trust, mo
 nopoly or conspiracy to control busi- pess and the prices of articles in this
 State, and present the same herewith
 to this Legislature
 This committee has had the as- sistance of Hon. Thomas W. Martin,