The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-08-16

We have shown not only an increased
production in every single crop, but as
to every one there is a greater average
yield per acre. If this be due to lin
creased expenditure for fertilizer it is
pertinent to inquire why, whilst prices of
foodstuffs were steadily advancing last
year, and the new tariff being framed,
the efforts of the minority (democrats) in
| the Senate to admit free sulphate of am
monia were reluctantly conceded, the
senator in charge of tho bill, Mr.. Aid
rich, stating THE committee do this
very reluctantly and l am not at all GER
tain the action is correct
G. Increased banking facilities, enabling
the farmer to hold his crops and market
to best advantage.
The minority, instead of complaining
at this fact, believe that anything that
will tend to make the farmer so indie
pendent that he will not be forced to sell
his crop at the dictation of his creditor or
the purchaser will prove a blessing to
| the whole country. If he can not hold
the demand for immediate consumption
being only for a small portion of his
crops, he must sell to the speculator or
middleman, and this tends to the en-
couragement of gambling, corners, and
fictitious fluctuations. having no regard
to the law of supply and demand where
/
fair price the mark ct will adjust itself
TO the real value and the holding be SO
widely distributed among thousands of
people as to make 1t practically impossi-
| BILE to secure that concerted action to ad-
vance the price above its real value that
becomes so easy when the whole crop
| for sale is controlled by few hundred
spectators Our cotton farmers have In
the past been accustomed to see the mar
ket price OF cotton constantly decline I'M
til it gets into the hands of mid1lemen
and then to see steady appreciation
set in. The minority think that the profit
should be enjoyed by the producer rather
than the Spectator.
7. Reduced supply convenient to trans
portation facilities of such commodities
| as timber
It is not to be denied that aside from
| all other causes the cost of lumber has
| been increased by the diminishing sup
ply of standing timber, but 1t is equally
| true that. In the case of the farmer,
| so In this case of lumbermen,f the cost
| of the product has been largely increased
| by the enormous increase, through the
operation Of the tariff. on almost all arti-
| cles used by him in the prosecution of
! his business and in the clothing and
supplies needed by himself, his family,
| and employees Combinations of dealers
1
ed no little to the advance in lumber.
| s. Cold storage plants, etc, as above
| shown.
| The majority seem to think that these
| plants are useful in preventing extreme
| fluctuations but tend to the greatest adj
vantage to wholesale merchants. We
| believe that they are useful and of de-
| cided economic value in preventing loss
| of perishable stuffs and the saving OF
| the surplus for future use, but we dc
not think that any evidence has beer
submitted to us to show that the whole
/ saers are the principal beneficiaries. We
| agreed with the majority some time
| since, in reporting to the Senate rec.
ommendation for legislation fixing a time
| in which commodities should be held II
| cold storage. Our information is thai
the large packers have invaded this ter
rtory and buy up large quantities Of
eggs, chickens. fruits and vegetables Al
low prices. and hold them from the mar
ket for a large profit SO that the people
never enjoy low prices. We prefer t
have fluctuations. If the fluctuations wert
sometimes toward lower prices, than t.
have high prices all the time. We be-
| lieve that no foodstuffs should be al
lowed to remain longer than one year In