The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1836-04-19 00:00:00

PROSPECTUS
OF TOE _

LIVERPOOL MERCHANTS' JOINT STOCK SALT
COMPANY.
CAPITAL, £250,000. in 10,000 SHARES OF £llsl7.Acti.

TU E immense injury which the Merchants and Ship Owners
_ll, of this Port have sustained, in consequence of the combin-
ation of the Salt Proprietors to support the present exceedingly
high rates, is too well known to require mu h comment; it may
be proper, however, to observe, that this ortion of our trade
has suffered a very material diminution while our rival port,
Gloucester, as well as several ports in F ante, Spain, and Por-
tugal, have been reaping a proportion e benefit. Previous to
the combination being entered into, t e annual export of Salt
averaged 375,000 tons; but, owing the proceedings of the
present monopoly, it has been reduced to about 250,000 tons;
thus drawing from our port the annual exportation of 125,000
tons.

For several years previous to the existence of the combina-
tion, Common Salt was selling at from Bs. to 9s. per *ton, and
Stoved and other Salt in proportion ; but since the establish-
ment of the monopoly it has been increased to 12s. 6d., thus in-
creasing the price of the article from 45 to 50 per cent.; and a
still further advance is in contemplation.
As Merchants anti Shipowners generally may not be ac-
quainted with the reason why these high prices are sustained,
it may be well to remark, that the enormous profits which were
realised, during the period the Salt Manufacturers were under
the survey of the Excise, induced them to take long leases of
their works at high rents, in the full expectation that there
would be no alteration in the then existing laws, and that their
profits would in nowise be diminished.
A considerable portion of such leases remain still unexpired,
and, as the profits are considerably reduced to what they were
when from 10s. to 255. per ton were the selling pi ices, the pre-
sent combination has been entered into to support those who
may be thus circumstanced, as well as to prevent a fair compe-
tition in the trade.

To do away with this monopoly, it is proposed to form a Joint
Stock Company, to consist of 10,000 Shares at £25 each, and to
be conducted upon such principles as will ensure the constant
supply of a good article, at a remunerating price to the Com-
pany, as well as being advhntageous to the purchaser, and not
subject him to such fluctuations in the value as he has for the

last few years been compelled to submit to, whereby a large
portion of Shipping has been driven to seek those advantages in
foreign ports which we are so well calculated to afford in our
Own.

Among the advantages to be derived from such a Company
having suitable Works erected in the vicinity of the Pert, where
Coasting Vessels might load as they now do at Garston, the fol-
lowing may be enumerated, viz.,
1. That a considerable saving would be effected in bringing
Rock Salt to the Works to be manufactured, from the well-
known fact, that, with the assistance of salt. water, one ton of
Rock will yield at least 25 cwt. of manufactured salt; cbnse-
quently, of the Weaver dues, and freight to be charged upon
the Rock brought down, (say ls. river dues, and freight 3s. per
Ton,) there would be a considerable saving in these items alone
independently of the increase; for, were the article manufac-
tured up the Weaver, the dues and freight would become
chargeable upon the weight of the manufactured article instead
of th s raw material.

3. That a saving would be effected in the purchase of fuel,
which thrins a serious item in the manufacture of Salt, as the
Weaver dues would be entirely avoided by sending to Runcorn,
or entering into an arrangement with some, of the Coal Pro-
prietors of St. Helen's, to deliver at the Works.
3. That the advantage of always being able to supply, in a
few hours' notice, whatever quantity might be required by ves-
sels in any of our Docks, would cause all parties, except those
petsonalty intereited in Work; up the Weaver, to apply to the
Company, as they would not be compelled to wait for several
days in a state of uncertainty whether they would be able to re-
ceive their supply or not, the Flats being so frequently detained
at Weston Point from want of water, or by contrary winds, and
the water of the Weaver being frequently run off for a period
of fourteen or fifteen days at a time.
4. That the present prices are exorbitantly high may be
proved from the circumstance of Common Salt having been
sold for years at from Bs, to 9s. per ton, and Stoved and other
Salt in proportion, thus advancing the price of the article from
45 to 50 per cent.; consequently, if the minimum selling price
be limited to 10s., and the expense of manufacturing be taken
even at Bs. per ton, there would still be a direct profit of 25 per
cent. on the outlay. with a still greater per centage on the more
profitable manufacture of Stoved Salt, independently of the ad-
vantage to be derived from the Company employing their own
Flats, which generally (although paying a handsome profit) are
a separate and distinct interest.
That the idea of having Works erected in the vicinity of the
Port (which may afford to pay a profit on the outlay) may not
be considered merely chimerical, reference need only be made
to the Works on the banks of our river, at Carat on and Dun-
geon, the highly respectable proprietors of which have for the
last century carried on an extensive and profitable business,
although compelled to bring their Rock through the river
Weaver to their Works on this river, and have successfully
competed with the manufacturers on the Weaver.
Independently of the considerations already adduced, there
is one circumstance which must not be kept out of view, viz., '
the probability that in a very short period the East India mo-
nopoly in this article will be thrown open to fair competition,
which will no doubt prove highly beneficial to the manufac-
turers in this district, especially as our trade with all parts of the
eastern hemisphere is rapidly on the increase.
That the name of the Company be "THE LIVERPOOL
MERCHANTS' JOINT STOCK SALT COMPANY."

The affairs of the Company to be managed by twelve Direc-
tors, each holding twenty-five shares, or upwards; five to be a
quorum.
The Shares to be appropriated on the 30th of April instant,
£2 per Share to be paid on allotment, and further calls to be
made at the discretion of the Directors.

• No individual to hold more than one hundred Shares in the
Company.
A Older of five Shares to have one vote; of twenty-five
Shares, two. votes; and ,for every twenty-five Shares, beyond
the first twenty-five, an additional vote; .so that. the holder of
one hundred. Shares will be entitled to five votes.

Applications for Shares, with christian and surname, resi-
dence ana profession of the Applicants, to be sent, under cover,
to the Office of Messrs. SHACKLItTON, WRIGHT, and 1-IU.NTER,
Brunswick-street; to Messrs. Taos. TINLEY and Co.. Ship and
Share Brokers, 106, Oldhall-street; or to Mr. THUS. Foasmt,
23-,'xchange--buildings.