The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1907-05-15

/ Tucker mentioned the names of none
Of the companies represented at the
meeting. MIR. Butt testified that he
had never been requested to secrete
the conversations he had with sales
/ men.
w. A. Austin, Jr, member of the
Arm of Austin( Macon and Sanford of
wetumpka, said he bought about 500
tons of fertilizers from the Alabama
Chemical Company and Adair McCarty
Brothers of Atlanta at the same prices
except. that the Alabama Chemical
Company gave him rebate OF fifty
cents a ton. The Alabama Chemical
Company had the rebate in writing. he
said. and kept the writing as they al
ways do" The Atlanta firm declined
to give rebates.
Mr.. Stratford represented the Ala
bama Chemical Company. All the rep
resentatives talked as IL their compa-
MES had the same prices. He had
never been told there was an agree
ment among the companies.
/ Mixer Gives Evidence.
C. r.. Maxwell, a fertilizer mixer Of
! Northport, said that previously to
March he had been merchant and
had sold fertilizers. Several concerns.
he testified. had bid on his contracts
for raw material; there had been a
| considerable difference in bids and he
had accepted the lowest. Firms In Ala
bama and Mississippi had made bids,
he said. and he bought much of his
materials in Mississippi.
He had received price list which he
presumed came from Mr.. Taber. whom
he had requested to keep him Informed.
He said the Virginia Carolina Company
sold most of the tonnage in the State
and generally he, held off" until he
learned the Virginia Carolina prices.
He charged Virginia Carolina prices If
he could; IL he couldn't he took less;
he did not wish to fight the Virginia
Carolina people. he said. He did not
know anything about the southern
Fertilizer Association, except that ne
had seen 1t mentioned in trade jour
nal
Mr. Taber was his friend, Mr. Max
we'll said. but had never written him
ANYTHING about the Southern Fertilizer
Association.
He himself gave no rebates except
that on five-ton lots he sold at 81 less
a ton.
length upon filters. He said he used
alters in low grades but not in high
grades.
l.. Burch, q merchant of Cullman
mamher of L. b. Burch and Company
handled about twenty cars OF fertiii-
zers He had talked with vice Presi-
| Varn0n
ana Fertilizer Company, of Birming-
bom who had guaranteed to meet
prices of other companies. He spoke OF
transactions with the Continental
Company which contracted to deliver
"1O-2-2" goods at $2o.75.
Then a Decatur company borrowed
the contract | q few days AFTER
wards the Continental company ae-
manded $22.10, which was the price
first asked by the Decatur people. j.
d. Sessions, Mr.. Burch said, told hin
there was al agreement
All prices quoted him, he said were
based on "1O-2-2" goods fob, Gull
man. He was refused rebates.
l.. Il. Burch of l.. b. Burch and
Son, said there had been no difference
In prices quoted by several companies.
A Decatur company's representative
had talked with him. Mr.. Burch cor
federated the statements of his son,
]. l.. aBurch, regarding the transac-
tions with the Continental Oil and Fer
tilizer Company of Birmingham.
Would Put Them Out of business.
Mr.. Burch said when he protested to
the Continental Company 1t sent a
representative to see him. The rep
resentative said If he could find any
companies selling at smaller prices he
would make their shirt tails fly and
put them out of business.
The Decatur people, he said, did not
tell him they had consulted the Con-
tinental Company, which knew, how
ever, that the Decatur people were in
possession of its cotract.
N A. Burch, son of l.. b. Burch,
said Burch and Son had bought ferti-
lizer from the Continental Oil and
Fertilizer Company. The contract
price, based on '1O-2-2," was $40. rs
T. otb. Cullman. The first invoice
was at that price; after two cars had
been shipped the company claimed
price quoted $20.75 was +. O. b. Bir-
mingham and sent corrected" in
voice on which price +. o. b. Cullman
was $22 10.
Mr.Welsh. representative of the COM
pany, said he would guarantee the
prices to be as low as any Mr.. Burch
went on. He had no personal knowl-
edge of proceedings afterwards ex-
cept that his brother gave the con-
tgact with the Continental Company
to Decatur people and shortly after
wards Mr.. Welsh came to see the
Burches.
Mr.. Welsh. testified the witness,
said II there were any companies SELL
ing at less than $22. 10 he would make
their shirt tails. pop"
r. o. Crawford general manager of
the Crawford Mercantile Company of
Walker County, exhibited contracts for
with the Jefferson Fertilizer Company
showing a price of $21.70 for 1922"
goods +. o. b. Jasper. and $14 rs for
IA per cent acid f. o. b. Jasper. He
got rebates which he was asked to
keep secret. The representative Civ
ing the rebate said 1t would bust
him. If 1t was known. The represen~
tative was named Robinson and signed
as Secretary Treasurer of the Jeffer-
son Fertilizer Company.
The Graselll Chemical Company Of
fered prices of $21.75 for 1922"
goods and $14.25 for IA per cent acid
and gave him rebates, which made
their prices Identical with those of the
Jefferson Company. He was asked to
keep the rebates secret. The digger
ence of 5 cents in the contracts refer
red to was the greatest difference he
had ever seen in fertilizer prices.
Representation of various companies
had told him they had to get togeth-
err to regulate prices. He could not
remember the names of the men who
told him.
Mr.. Crawford explained the regular
cash discount and the special discount
which was the rebate which was not
stated on the contract.