The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-12-09
Anlessoal sgntel1ige1leer.
THE PHOSPHATE INDUSTRY.
Report of Special Assistant f. [. Roche

Mr.. E. L. Roche, the special assistant
of the department of agriculture, has
submitted TO the commissioner of agri-
culture report of the duties performed
by him during the past yestss He says !:
During the past year the market TOR
rock has continued ina most snsettled
condition. The combination heretofore
existing between the. producers Of land
rock, but which. Il mentioned as dissolved
IN my last report; has not been renewed.
+ TIE natural efecfof the necessarily sharp
competition has been to render the mar
ket most unstable. There has been no
fixed price, and sales have been reported
at exceedingly low prices.
The effect of this is of course depress-
ing on the trade While the shipments
during the past year have been heavier
than the year before, and the royalty
consequently greater, it. does not indicate
by any means healthy condition Of the
business, The, cost, of production con
tinues the same, and the result must be,
necessarily, little or no profit, If not an
ACTUAL loss, to the producers. q ~,
Such condition Of affairs in an indus
try in the successful operation of which
the State has SO direct an interest, eau
not but be matter of grave concern.
AS such, deem i, proper to again: bring
it to your attention.
The low price of rock does not seem
TO affect the price which the farmers
have to pay for their fertilizers. In the
Hast year or two, when the price of rock
has been SO low, that of commercial fer
.tilizers has been as high or even higher
than it was before, when tie price OF
rock was higher. Consequently the
State is in the position Of seeing an in
dustry of greatimportsnce to her seriously
affected without any compensatlng re-
duction IL fertilizers to her citizens gen
sffilx Il Is almost IL e forecast The
future. 1t now appears that the rock
.market,wil still continue dull and de-
| I pressed, With sales at low figures. In
I,this, connection, it may not be out ol
place to again call attention to the con,
tinued large production of land rock and
Etbeiroyalty paid thereon. to-
Nest. of the large producers of LAND
rock own the land they mine. They
therefore enter into competition with the
States guarantees, with at least q dollar
ton in their favor when they offer theil
rock for sale. There are many land pro
ducers, however, who mine in the land o.
others upon a royalty. This is not ar
absolute sum, as with the State, but j:
usually percentage upon the amount O.
their sales.
1 find that in the generality of cases
the royalty is one sixth of the market
value of the rock. and sometimes less
Hence, the owner Of the land in which
the rock lies shares with the miner ir
the fluctuations in price.
To this extent the miner of land rocs
lis on better footing than those mining
in,t the water, for the latter pays a hxec
royalty, while the former, with the pres
ent price of 81 to $3.50 per ton, pay
royalty of &C to Is cents per ton. Where
| the production is large this makes a con
siderable difference, and to that extent
the grantees of the State are handicapped
in the race with those mining under lano
owners.
This has been complained Of by many
dow working under the States license
Ideemit my duty to. call attention to the
rSatter,s and leave it TO- the wisdom o.
| those ia authority to say whether or mol
The true interest of the State would OF
would not be better subseryed by adopt
| ing some such rule in reference to the
States dsposits. :.