The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-09-10
PROTEST ON BAGS
 FOR FERTILIZERS Farmers Union States KOlb
 Has Made Mistake ADOPT RESOLUTION
RESOLUTION
Ask State Commissioner of Agricul- ture to Rescind Ruling That Farmers Cannot Buy Fer
 tilizer in Bulk Lots

The members of the executive commit
 tee and business agents of the Farmers
 union held a meeting yesterday in the
 Chamber of Commerce and prepared a
 formal protect which will be sent to R.
 r. Kols, commissioner of agriculture of
 Alabama, in behalf of the farmers con
 corning the recent ruling of MT. Kolb on
 the matter of shipping fertilizer | The members of the committee insist
 that the ruling is unjust and inconsistent
 with the teachings of the experiment sta-
 tions and demonstration farms. The pro-
 test of the executive committee Is as fol-
 lows:
 ITO Hon. R. F. Kolb, Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries, Montgomery.
 We, the undersigned members of the
 executive committee and business agents of the Farmers union of the state of l Alabama, in convention assembled in the | city of Birmingham, September S. 1912, | protest against your recent ruling, to-wit | That if shall be unlawful for any | fertilizer manufacturer, mixer, or dealer | to sell any consumer in this state any commercial fertilizers, acid phosphate kainit or hard salts, fertilizer materials | or chemicals, loose in ear lots or in any other quantity. it being the intention of this order to have all of the above stated l fertilizers or fertilizer materials sold in bags containing either 100 pounds or 200 pounds. each bag to be duly tagged by law provided.
 This ruling we consider unjust and | inconsistent with all teachings of the ex- pertinent stations, farm demonstrations
 and Farmers union.
 | We have been trying for years to per l suade the farmers to buy their fertilizers
 in bulk and do their own mixing to suit | the individual needs of their lands and | crops. The office of commissioner of agri- | culture was established for the purpose of promoting the interest of the farmer, l but you have promulgated a rule that is | in direct opposition to the farmers in- | terest and strictly in the interest of the | fertilizer manufacturers fertilizer mixers | and bag manufactures.
 Your ruling eliminates the farmer from | the saving of S1 30 per ton or 80 per
 car of fertilizer provided he prefers to buy in bulk. Besides. when car Of bag | fertilizer Is delayed in transit the bags l become rotten and get badly mixed in with the fertilizer and have to be screened be- | fore they can be thoroughly mixed with
 other fertilizering ingredients or can be uniformly distributed by the drills | We believe the farmer has perfect right to buy his fertilizer put up in any way he may designate. Be 1t in paper | lined car, wagon bed or wooded drum. or | tn anyway that may prove most economi- | cal to the individual user. Knowing full
 well your great interest in the upbuilding
 of the farmer we feel that you will give
 our protest due consideration. We beg to
 remain. E. w. WINSLETT, Chairman. | "C. L. Gay,
 s'J N. WYATT, | w. r. JOHNSON, CLARENDON DAVIS, | State Executive Committee. | Chairman. "G. T. M'ELDERRY | F. G. MILLER. 1 w. II. CONWAY, State Business Agents"