The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1909-05-02
FARMERS ARE
PROTESTING
Can See $3.50. 900 Ex-
pense In Sight.
.--
OBJECT 10 p6rAsH TARIFF
Payne Bill Win Mean Heavy Ex-
pense to Alabama.
Petition /. to ne Sent to consress
Adkins That Pot Asia salt. Ne &
Not Placed on tAe se-CaIied
aRetali.seryv last.

Protesting against what is antici'
pated to become an expense OF s2so,oo'
or more to the farmers Of Alabama. ths
oficials OF the State Department o.
Agriculture and Industries have petit
Toned the Alabama members OF tbs
national Congress to oppose the prop.
osition embodied in the Payne tariff
bill. to place potash salts on the 30
called .retaliatory" list. thus being
subjected to 20 per cent. ad vaioren
duty.
Thus, potash salts. which incluie
the most important varieties Of fer
tilizers used In farming. IL placed on
the free list. provided It 10 not i'm
ported from . country which Ievies
duties upon American products A.
most OF the potash salts are mined In
Germany, into which country American
fmportations are dutiable. the tariff Of
20 per cent. ad valorem on the salts
holds good. in case the section OF the
Payne bill so providing is carried II
has passed the House. and now lin.
gers In the Senate.
1t is shown that the 20 per cent
duty to which potash salts will thus
be subjected. will increase the price
OF muriate of potash. a high grade
fertilizer, from the present basis OF
about $50 to S72 q ton. One OF the
most widely used fertilizers will thus
be increased ii price from $12 to s1t
a ton, or from SIS. as has latteriy
been quoted. 10 s1s. Double manure
potash. quoted at SIS or more. VIII DC
raised to $40.
Altogether, figures have been com
niled nv C. H Billingsley. at the De-
partment OF Agriculture. tending "a
show that the increase In fertilizer
expense to the farmers of Alabama by
the imposition OF the 20 per cent. duty
on the German imports VIII De from
$3.50, 900 to s270,o00.
Thus. II was estimated by Mr.. Bill
Kingsley that $4,000 tons of fertilizer
approximately. is sold yearly In Ala
bama. Figuring upon the estimate
that 8 per cent. Of this Is potash. OF
potash salts, then II was shown that
the increase In expenses. by virtue OF
the 20 per cent advalorem duty, II
$3.50 600, or probably more. for tho
2sO. 600 tons of fertilizer used each
year.
That the increased cost may be ever
more Mr. BflIingsiey points. II Drnh-
able because OF the fact that . pei
cent. is very conservative estini.i :
for the amount OF potash In the tota
tonnage OF fertilizer. Taking In con.
sideration that part OF the tonnags
consists Of rnuriate Of potash. contain.
ing SO per cent. of potash. part Of
kainit, containing IL per cent. OF pot
ash. part of suiphate of potash, con,
tanning SO per cent. and part OF dov.
Bile manure salts, of Is per cent. eBti.
mate IL very conservative. Il 10 told.
Practically all OF the complete fer.
tilizers contain per cent. OF potash
or more, many, contain per cent, and
many four per cent.
OF late. farmers are leaning more
and more upon fertilizers, ana this
salesf are. increasing. according to tht
public records OF sales of fertilizer
tags. The impetus which has beer
given lately TO diversihcation OF crops
and TO the relinquishing Of cotton. Il
make room for other crops, is the mos
important factor, probably. IN the In
crease In fertilizer sales. and as thii
movement win grow, according TO stu
dents of conditions. the fertilizer sale,
in Alabama will correspondingly con,
tinue to increase.
The matter of the 20 per cent. tariff
on fertilizer has been taken up By
many Southern States, and Alabama
through its agricultural department
presents now its plea to the represent.
atives and Senators from whom replies