The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-07-05
FEDERAL BOARD HOLDS INQUIRY ON
 FERTILIZER TRUST
Resolutions of Senator Norris Asking For Truth About Fer tilizer Trust Approved and
 Investigation to Start
By HUGH W. ROBERTS Washington Bureau. The Age Herald,
 B00 Davieou Building.

Washington, July 4.-(Special.l .l- Under authority of resolution intro duced some days ago by Senator George W. Norris of Nebraska, chair man of the Senate committee on agri- culture, the federal trade commission is making headway in an investiga- tion having for it's object the ascer- tainment of the existence or non=ex- istence of fertilizer trust.
 This investigation Is of prime In- terest to every farmer of the United States. For if the existence of fer tilizer trust is developed, the depart ment of justice will proceed to dis solve 1t to the end that prices of fertilizer might be in accord with the law of supply and demand. If 1t is ascertained that no trust does exist. the farmer of the United States will be made aware that his condition Is attributed to an unseen miscreaht by those whose main object is to be reelected, at any cost, to important office.
 Norris Dubious
 Senator Norris, who offered the resolution, indicated that he did not believe that such a trust actually existed. Senator J. Thomas Heflin of Alabama had spoken so frequently against the trust" and to the trust" had charged responsibility of the de- lay of Congress in acting on the bid of Henry Ford for Muscle Shoals. that the chairman of the committee concluded that it might be well to allay all doubts. and secure an of ficial investigation.
 Speaking in the Senate, Senator Norris said: 'tI had heard the charge made by the senator from Alabama (Mr. Heflin), that there was fertil- izer trust. l had not heard 1t de- nied and I assumed that it was true. If there is a fertilizer trust, l sum moned the head of that trust to ap- pear before the agricultural cori- mittee. I was not prepared to cross- question that witness as l would have been if I had made study of the question and had become imbued with the idea that there was a fertilizer trust. But there sat the senator from Alabama. I asked that witness everything I could think of that
  zation of fertilizer trust and the control of the price. contrary to law. and confess that I did not get any thing out of him of value. But the senator from Alabama sat there heard 1t all, and never asked a ques- ton. There was the great fertilizer trust looking him directly in the face, and he was as silent as the grave"
 T had no confidence in anything he was saying" interrupted Senator Heflin.
 Senator Norris continued: T said to the senator from Alabama: I do not know anything about this trust business. You sem to know all about it. I will subpoena any man in the United States you want and we will show up this fertilizer trust But he did not suggest anybody.
 T summoned the expert of the federal trade commission. He testi- fled that at the time of the close of the last investigation, about the be- ginning of the war, there was no such animal as a fertilizer trust .n America.
 "The farmers of America. instead of being defended from the on- slaughts of those who are not in laNoi VI dtScptlhb bHc FOiu oAAtA toi Muscle Shoals. ought to be defended from the deception of the dema- gogue."
 The investigation is of great in- terest to the farmer. Coming from all states of the union, the request If the farmer for information as to pro- gress has reached Washington. He has declared 8 belief that if there Is actually trust the trust should be destroyed; and if there is not n trust, he should be informed in or der that he might know how to deal with those politicians who have played on his credulity for so many years.
 would counter