The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1907-05-07
EVIDENCE ON
FERTILIZERS
l legislative Committee
Begins Session.
THREE. WITNESSES EXAMINED
Two Manufacturers and One Mer-
chant Testify.
THREE. WITNESSES EXAMINED
President and Secretary of Tailadega
Concern Declare There In No
Trust OF Combin. ON Ter =.
chant Tells Different story.

III Testimony which Is regarded as tend
ing to show that an agreement exists
among manufacturers of commercial
Z fertilizers to fix prices on their prod
1 ucts sold in Alabama was offered before
the Legislatures special Fertilizer and
Cotton Seed OIL Investigating Commit
tee. which met, organized and exam
tned three witnesses at the New Elk
cpange Hotel yesterday.
n The committee met yesterday morning
and was in session until late yesterday
afternoon. when adjournme ut was taken
Z until o'clock this morning. During the
long sitting. r. w. Henderson, presi-
dent. and w. l.. Dumas, secretary, of
the Planters Chemical and Oil Company
of Talladega, and A. S. Wilson, mer-
chant of Lamar County. were exaEitAad.
Mr.. Henderson and Mr.. Dumas said
that they were members OF ar associa-
ton of manufacturers of commercial
Fertilizers. but that the associations
4 were not for the fixing of prices or In
any way for the restraint of trade.
Mr.. Henderson stated. however, that
!. he was, with other members of the Fed
eral Fertilizer Manufacturers Associa-
ton, under Indictment by court In
Tennessee for an alleged violation of
the laws prohibiting combinations in
restraint of trade. Both he and Mr..
Dumas were questioned about the man
ufacture of fertilizers.
Mr. Wilson testified as to his expert
ence in buying fertilizers and stated
his belief that the manufacturers had
:. nm agreement to sell at the same prices .
1t is not known how long the COM
mfttee will be in session More thaH
fifty witnesses have been cited to APP
near and testify and IL is expected that
the examination of seven will be the
maximum of a Days work. AS yes
terday's work comprised the nearing
Of the testimonies of only three VIII
nesses 1t would seem that seven "li
be above the average.
The Committee may at the END Oh
the week take an adjournment of sew
erai days to digest and assimilate the
many morsels of food for thought II
win then have mouthed IL not swal-
lowed. The frnprobability of a contin-
nous session. however. was but men
4 toned and the members of the COM
mittee may think 1t expedient to re-
main at wor- knntil all the ih !. wiiI
ton required for the report IL VIII
make to the Legislature is ACQUIRED
witnesses Examined Carefully.
The formal Organization OF the
sommIttee by the election OF cnair :
nan and a clerk had already been
perfected, so--that yesterday morning
when Senat6foAn L. Leith CT Walker
y EeUAt0r John \" ONeTLoH VI
Representative Nv. l.. PITTS, ST, OF
perry. and Representative T. d. Pow
err of Lee, convened in room in the
New Exchange, Senator Leith, the
chairman, had merely to call the COM
,nittee to order and declare that !,
was ready for business. Leon Nc
4 Cord is clerk to the committee. and
Jerre Sloan is stenographer. Repre-
sentative J. r. Sample. of Morgan.
member of the copmittee. who did not
arrive in Montgomery until last night
was not at the sessions yesterday, but
will be present today Assistant At
= torney General Thoma w. Martin act
ed as legal adviser to the committee
The taking of testimony was mark
ed by careful and complete interroga-
tories and by close cross examination
in which every member of the COM
mittee participated. Each witness
was upon oath. which was admins
tered as in court of law, and the COM