The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-03-01
Provides for Investiga-
 tion Committee.
SEN. SMITH WINS HIS FIGHT
Has Bill Taken from Adverse
 Calendar of Upper House.
Proposed Law Pushed Through by Vote of 20 to D-Thomas Opposes Big Salary for Conn.,
 missi0nerx.

The fertilizer trust" alleged or real, will be investigated by committee from the Alabama Legislature. if the House adopts a joint resolution which yesterday was passed by the Senate by a vote of 20 to g. The Senate, in pass- ing the resolution, took 1t for granted that there was such a trust, and the author of the resolution. Senator Leith, eontended that every fertilizer manu- facturer in the State was either inti- mated or working in harmony with the trust"
 The resolution was adopted by the Senate after a remarkable fight by it's author, Senator Leith. The Walker County Senator, by his persistence and eloquence. led the Senate into taking the resolution from an adverse report by the Committee on Rules and this having been accomplished, he succeed ed in having the resolution passed over strong opposition.
 The consideration of the resolution was made unusual by the bold declara- ton of Senator Thomas that the Leg islature was creating offices of profit and trust and filling them from It's own members in violation of the Constitu- tion.
 Thomas Opposes s10 Day.
 A forceful argument on this ques- tion was delivered by Senator Thomas, just after the Senate had adopted an amendment providing that each mem Der of the legislative committee should be paid the sum of $10 q day. The committee is to consist of five members, two from the Senate, to be named by the President, and three from the House, to be named by the Speaker. An amendment to the resolution adopt- ed by the Senate provided that eacn member of this committee should be paid like the@nembers of the Code Com mittee at the rate of SIC day.
 Senator Thomas launched foreefui argument in opposition to this slO amendment, asserting that it was adopted in the face of a constitutional provision which forbade any member Of tine Legislature to accept an office Of urofit and trust created by the Legisla- ture of which he was a member.
 The argument carried weight, for af- fer the dinner recess the Senate recon sidered the $10 a day amendment and voted that the members of the Com mittse should receive $4 q day, their regular pay as members Of the Legis- lature.
 Announcement was also made that the bill which created the Judicial Code Commission, which pays members or this code $1O a day, would be amended by an act of the Legislature and that members of the Commission would be paid $4 a day in order that their acts would be constitutional.
 Fertilizer Companies Started Agitation
 The action of the Senate in passing the resolution calling for an investtga- tion of the "Fertilizer Trust" was call ed, "The most important matter that has come before the Legislature" and if ia one that will be learned with ir- terest all over the State. for the rerti- lizer business has been subjected to sharp criticism. It Is en interesting fact that the fertilizer manufacturers of the State were the original leaders In tha agttation for railroad regulation and the lowering of freight ratess The manufacturers have been recognised as the staunchest supporters of the ad- ninistratiou, and of the Legislature The strongest argument made by MT. Conner and his supporters Tn the carry days of the anti railroad agitation were based upon the alleged unfairness or railroad rates on fertilizers.
 The resolution had been turned down by the Rules Committee with an ad- verge action. wednesday Senator Leith had given notice he would today move to have the resolution taken from the calendar. At the proper time Senator I,eith called for the consideration or his motion.
 The resolution was one, he declared, which had in 1t more possibilities TOT good than any measure which had yet been presented to the Legislature. IL was the most important measure Tn the interest of agriculture. and or the people that had been presented to tne I,egislature. He attacked the manner in which the fertilizer business was conducted in Alabama. He cited the instance of his own town. where Ter tilizer shipped from Baltimore and fer- tilizer shipped from Florence were sold at exactly the same price, notwith- standing the fact that the freight on a ion of fertilizer from Baltimore was S a ton, while the freight on ton from Florence was only TS cents.
 LeIth Argues for Measure.
 If was a big question, Senator Letth Argued, and when 1t was solved the people would receive more benents than from any other single source
 Senator Reese took position against the resolution. He saw no way III which good could come of resolution which appeared to him to be In viola ton of the Constitution.
 Senator Hammer was opposed 10 the creation of any new offices, ana the
 To ~t0