The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-02-06
THE PHOSPHATE QUESTION, AGAIN.
BEAUFORT, S. c., Jan 80, 1878.

BEAUFORT, S. c., Jan 80, 1878.
Mr.. EDITOR: We notice in your issue
of the 23d inst, an article on the "Phos-
phate Question" above the signature of
Mr.. R. w. Simpson. We who remember
the confident and persistent advocacy in
the House of Representatives by this
gentleman, who was then Chairman of
the Committee of Ways and Means, of
the plan adopted in March, 1878, (mak-
ing exclusive grants of large areas to
corporations,) feel satisfied that he will
not consider SO impatiently now as he
did then the suggestions we propose to
make concerning this property of the
State, and our remarks upon the plan he
offers for developing it.
This property in phosphate deposit be-
longing to the State is precisely similar
to that found in the land and owned by
individuals, the phosphate formation
underlying the waters presenting the
same general features as that occurring
in the land; viz: beds or veins of rock,
varying in thickness and extent, appears
at irregular distances OH the surface, or
cropping up sufficiently near to the sur
face to be accessible, and which are be-
ing discovered from time to time by acci-
dent and by search. While it seems
probable that all these land phosphates
will not be discovered for some time to
come, it is certain that many years will
elapse before the full extent of the water
deposits will be known.
To obtain an approximate estimate of
the extent and value of these phosphate
beds occurring in the land it is necessary
to make a survey so minute, elaborate
and costly that the owners of phosphate
lands very frequently avoid the expense
by leasing them in tracts for royalty on
the quantity mined. The State being
the owner of phosphate territory of an
unascertained extent and value, could
not have adopted more prudent plan
that of the individual under similar con-
ditions. Nor does it appear that the
amount fixed Isl per tony is an unfair
one to the State, when we consider this
is considerably higher than the average
price obtained by the landowner. The
protection to the State in this right of
royalty is also as ample as it could posi-
bly, be made, being guarded by securities
required of the operators and by the
supervision Of her own Special Agent.
The landowner gives an exclusive right
to the area he leases, because whatever
may be said by the theorist of general
rights, it is certain that considerable
outlay of capital, which must be protec-
ted, is necessary to put these phosphate
beds, whether lying in the water or upon
the land, in a condition for gathering the
rock; but he is careful to apportion his
leases, both as to extent of area and time
for development, to the capital of the
lessees. If conformity to the plan of
the individual owner and like prudence
had been observed in arranging the
limits of these tracts of phosphate terri
tory belonging to the State and terms of
the leases thereon, the plan would have
been the best possible for the State. But
as these leases (both as to extent and
terms) were made to suit the wishes and
interests of the parties asking for them,
it is a matter which should Cause no
great surprise that the present condition
of this property Of the State should have
been reached, viz: that all the valuable
and available deposits of the State are in
the possession of few individuals, and
upon terms and conditions which render
the opening or closing up of these sources
of wealth matter of individual caprice
or interest in disregard of all other in
terests. While it is true that this vicious
legislation was begun by ignorant and
unprincipled men during the Radical
regime, it is nevertheless equally true
that it was continued, and its evils inten-
sifed by Democratic legislators, who, if
not fully informed as to the business,
should have known that course so op-
posed to all the principles ofprogress and
development could lead only to the ruin
of all the interests involved, and that
the whole people of the State would,
sooner or later, feel the weight of the
fetters they were helping to rivet on the
necks of those of a section Of the State.
In the remedy proposed by Mr.. simp-
son, viz: that the State shall enter into
the business of mining phosphate rock
and of manufacturing commercial fertil-
izers, much stress is laid on the adyant-
age which the State, will have in the
unpaid labor Of five orsix hundred con-