The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-06-21
COURT SUSTA|NS
 STATE OFFICIAL IN
 CONCERNING FEED
6S0 Sacks of Lightweight, Fibre Packed Stock Feed Confscated as Not Up
 to Standard
By FRED IT. GORMLEY
 Mont1omery Bureau The Age Herald 22I-o Eirst National RniIdinn

Montgomery, June 20.-(Special)- )-An- nouncement was made by J. M Moore. supervisor of the food feed and drug divisicn of the state agricultural depart- ment Saturday that the Montgomery cir cult court had issued an order condemn- ing 6S1 sacks of feedstuffs which had been placed on the market here by a New Orleans company. The state was in- structed to dispose of the feed either by sale or destruction.
 The case was one of the general cam paign against misbranded, adulterated and short-weight feedstuffs which have been on the market in Alabama. The legislature of 1919 gave the department power to condemn and destroy stock which does not come up to the standards guaranteed by the manufacturers.
 Referring to the order in the case here, Supervisor Moore said:
 Tt developed in this case that the sacks branded to weigh 106 pounds net when packed weighed only approximately 55 pounds each when being sold, and car ried over five pounds of excess fiber which the purchaser had no notice that he was required to pay for.
 This represented a loss to the con- sumers on the total amount of 300 sacks shipment of two and one-half tons, or an aggregate loss of approximately S3oO, based on the selling price. But the loss, according to nutrition experts, may have been decidedly more on account of the excessive fiber present, which not only is very largely indgestible but which is claimed to affect the digestibility of the associated constituents in the mixture. The fiber content of approximately 20 per cent in these shipments is exceedingly high for a horse mule feed, which 1t was designed to be sold for. In fact. the fiber content is so high that unless the price is materially lower than a high grade dairy feed, carrying from 10 to IA per cent fiber the dairyman cannot be expected to feed it profitaply.
 MARKS CHANGE
 This case and it's successful ter imitation for the state can be regard ed no less than an epoch in the history of the commercial feeding stuff busi- ness in Alabama. which has reached the high mark of 50,000 tons per an- nun at cost to the consumers this year of no less than $21, ,S50,000, $12, 00C, 900 of which will go out of circu- lation into other states (and this does not include the enormous amount paid for straight corn, oats, hay, etc. of- fered on the markets), and marks deciding factor in the continued suc cess of the nearby great dairy and live stock industries of the state.
 Tt speaks in unmistakable terms for a speedy end to the sale of short welght, under-standard, substituted in- gradients or misbranded and adul- terated feeds in Alabama, which have been causing a loss to the consumers of over $500,000 per annum. This loss, coupled with the careless, indifferent buying of tremendous quantities of commercial feeds, has been a broken clog in the wheels of live stock prog ress. and is pressing back the waves of the fawnlike Jerseys and their kind. the Short Horn Reds and their kind, the Belted Hampshires and their kind tre Plymouth Rocks and their kind, and the fleecy Southdowns and their kind which are so fittingly spreading over and richly endowing the boil weevil devastated state to such an ex- tent that, if not soon checked, it will take years of toll to regain the grounds lost
 DEALERS SHOULD LOOK
 Dealers should check the weights Of the feed. which they have in stock and check the weights of every ship ment hereafter received to make sure that the bags carry 50 pounds net 75 pounds net or 100 pounds net as claimed on the tags or labels. If short weights are found, the feed should be returned to the manufacturer at once or notice given to this departm that instructions may be issued under which the feed may be lawfully tested and disposed of in an equitable man. ner to all parties concerned.
 Consumers should also notify the department of any short weight feeds purchased or that appear not to be as represented by the tags and enclose tag and a statement of where the feed was purchased in order that it may be located"