The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-01-28
Salt for the People.

ton Is before the Leg islature for the pur-
chase Of the salines lying on the line OF
Washing ton and Smyth counties at SaltVille,
In this State. I believe that the two CONT
guous estates, embracing these salines, and
Lbe lease under which they are now opera
ted, can be procured for one million OF dol
lars. have some acquaintance with this
property and am persuaded that the pur-
chase ought 10 be made 1T that price, it it can
De done.
The property il worth more than is de-
maEded for it. It is in danger of passing IN 70
the hands of u joint stock com any at u higher
price than the State would be required to
sise,viZ: at twelve hundred thousand dollars;
" the capital Of which company upwards OF
three hundred thousand dollars is aiready
subss ribed. Corporations have no souls, anu
II the works pass into u corporate ownership,
they pass i'll " the hands OF u monopoly, nav.
ing The single object alone OF making the
largest pronts out OF them.
1ne property is proved to be worth more
than is demanded OF the State; not only by
tne tact that 1t Will bring more, but by
the tact that the State officers have been as
sessiAg it for ten y sa,s past; Il mean the pro-
perty Itself, irrespectiveiyO OF hs ie;se) nut
nalI a million for the Preston and over half q
million fer the King estate more than mil
lion for the two. Inc lessees have contract
with the Confederate Government, which
they can ill III four months, that will give
them profit Of a hundred thousand dollars
and if the proposition before the Leg islature,
to direct a contract on the part OF tho State
for four hundred thousand bushels Of salt be
carried, the profits Of the lessees on this alone
will be one hundred and seventy Ave thou
sand dollars more, and can be executed In six
months. Nevertheless, with this prospect Of
two hundred and seventy five thousand dol
lars, the lease can be bought out by the State at
less than their profits on tn csc two con tracis
The Preston estate can be bought fer $780,
600, although assessed at $500 O0c and the
Kirg estate for less, though assessed at
$3.50, 900. am not familiar with the i'm prove.
msnts on the King estate; but those ON
the Preston estate, including machinery,
buildings and apparatus of all sorts, 10 worth
upwards o. $780, 900; they cost more than
8l25, 900. This estate consists OF 600 acres Of
land, which could be sold in farms at an ave.
rage of $50 an acre; the mere land alone being
worth $40, 900; which, with the improve
ments makes $4,000, leaving the salt and
plaster to stand the State in, only $40 OO0.-
The King estate has 1000 acres, worth $50 an
acre, and many improvements, the value Of
which am not acquainted with.
When 4 magnificent property like this Is
offered the State at q price less than will be
taken from private individuals the propo.
sition is certainly relieved from all color of
speculation and extortion.
The State ought to own works like these
producing unlimited supplies OF those Two
important articles, salt and plaster. The
cost of making salt by boiling the brine is
thirteen cents a bushel and OF barreling or
sacking il for market, seven cents more
cQat m "A tn
three cents a bushel by constructing watts for
solar evaporation, which would enable i: to
he put into depot for shipment at ten cents
pcr bushel. The Stete could sell it anywhere
fifty cents a bushel with transportation
added or at a profit Of thirty to forty cents
per bushel. She can mine plaster at one dol
lar per ton and sell it anywhere except just
upon,the border Of ship navigation. at three
dollars a ton wi tn transportation added. She
may manufacture any quantities Of both salt
salines without exhausting the supply of
either The present manufacture Of salt at
Saltville is at the rate Of nine hundred thou
. sand bushels u year. Four times the quaint.
ty, in addition, could he Manufactured by
constructing watts for solar evaporation. It
requires only twenty gallons of the Saltvills
brine to make q hushel of salt = of sea water
it requires three hundred and fifty gallons !;
go that l6-l7ths Of the labor and expense
OF evaporation is saved ny making salt at
Saitvilie, rather than on the seabOard. !.
The State ought to own this property for
The reason that salt and plaster are articles
that should be in the hands OF public agents
rathsh. than Of private monopolies, and for
the further reason that the transportation Of
these articles can always be secured %
the most economical termS by the State
whereas this transportation is so tardy
ana costly when on private account as to give
opportunity for the enormous peculatlons
In these essen tial articles, such as we have
just witnessed, in times OF scarcity. II the
State herself produced these two articles,
she could enforce such action on the part Of
her public works, as to make this transpor.
tation adequate, regular and cheap, and as
would prevent the possibility Of a re petition
of that system of speculation and extortion,
which the last few m on tbs have witnessed
The propriety and necessity OF the pur-
chase OF this salt and plaster property, ON
the cheap and liberal terms on which they
are now offered the State, seems 80 obvie W
as to need no argument; and trust that
there ia enough saSacity in the Legislature to
give effect to the proposition. IL this pur.
chase be mot made. the people have yet
trou blss to experience in regard to a supply
Of salt, to which those Of the past have been
trifling In comparison.
have no further interest In this subject
than belongs to q citizen of Virginia, GER
tatnly not more than IL naturally felt by
A CITIzHH OF TIE SOUTHWEST.