The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-04-19
WANTSNFORMATION
LETTER OF INQUIRY ABOUT FER
 FILTERS.
Legislative Committee Named to Probe Into Alleged Trust h Seeking
 Information from Mer-
 chants and Farmers.

An open letter issued yesterday from the office of the Clerk of the Fertili- ger and Cotton Seed oil Mill Investi- gating Committee of the Legislature makes appeal to the farmers and mer- chants of Alabama to assist the com mittee in ascertaining the truth about the alleged fertilizer trust in Ala bama.
 In the letter. which is signed by M. L.. Leith. chairman, and was given out for publication by Leon McCord, clerk, there are seven interrogatories ad- dressed to the farmers and merchants of the State, who are requested to aid the committee In gathering informa- ton to determine the truth or the falsity of charges which have been made aegainst manufacturers of fertl- izers.
 More than half of these seek to evoke testimonies upon an oft-alleged com bination or agreement between man. ufacturers of fertilizers, as well as among the cotton seed mill men. to control the selling price of the, manu- factured articles and the purchasing price of raw cotton seed.
 The other interrogatories concern the alleged sale of impure fertilizers and the failure of manufacturers and deal CTS to comply with the laws regulat- ing the tagging of fertilizers. It is expected that many witnesses will be cited to appear before the com mittee and that the investigation will be thorough and interesting. Following is the letter: "On May 6, 1907, the Fertilizer and Cotton Seed oil Mill Investigating Committee, a joint committee of the Senate and House, created by resolu- tion of the present Legislature, will sit in Montgomery, Alabama. to take tes- timony to determine and ascertain II the following facts exist: "First-Does a combination or trust exist among and between the manu- facturers of guano and fertilizers in this State?
 "Second-If so, does this combina-
 tion or trust, in violation of law, h1 the price of guanos or fertilizers and
 limit the quantity offered for sale7
 "Third-Does the guano or fertili-
 ger sold to the planters of Alabama contain a large per cent Of cheap ma terial that has no beneficial effect on the soil and does not increase its pro- duction2
 "Fourth-Does there exist combi-
 nation or trust among the cotton seed oil mills of Alabama, and are they. fr
 violation of law. controlling the price of cotton seed7
 'Fifth-Is there an agreement or un. derstanding between the cotton oil | mills of Alabama, in violation of law
 to control the market price of thei' l products?
 "Sixth-Are such cotton seed oil mills | manufacturing and offering for lale ( | product or products, in violation ol | law, that is spurious and not of the grade or quality as represented? "Seventh-To ascertain and tnvesti' gate if the manufacturers of fertili'
 gers are complying with the law relat' | ing to the tagging of their products The farmers of Alabama have great financial interest in the price ol | guano and fertilizer. and in the pur' | ity of the same offered for salei and | if such a state of facts. as outlined above, does exist in Alabama. 1t is th' | purpose of this committee to prepare and submit a detailed report to th' Legislature of Alabama of the tru, | conditions as they at present exist, ant
 to prepare and submit, along with sai'
 report, to that body bill to be en | acted into a law. to correct and SC | right such wrongs, and to this end VI must of necessity ask the co cooperation
 of the users of and dealers in such pro
 ducts.
 ''The committee, therefore. respect l fully requests, that. if any of the par | ties to whom this article is addressed
 have knowledge of any of the natter hereinabove mentioned, or anything
 that will aid in the proposed fnvesti
 gation, they reduce the same to writ | ing, putting 1t in the shape of an af
 fidavit before an officer competent tt l administer oath, and address to Leor | McCord. Clerk of the Fertilizer ant l Cotton Seed oil Mill Investigating | Committee, Montgomery, Ala"