The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1893-10-25
columbia Journal, 20th.7

| the Crippled Hhosphate
Industry.
Columbia Journal, Goth.
Governor Tillman has at last heard
from the phosphate miners and they
will hear from him in no uncertain
manner.
| In a long letter to the Governor 8
number of the phosphate men tell MIN
that even if they were to start with all
the energy possible to restore the condi'
ton of affairs they could not get ready
before June, 1894, if then. They say
that they could not produce 10000
tons the remainder OF this year. The
total reduction offered them by the
board, they say, including the amount
on the rock on hand when the storm
came, would be only $4,000, when il
will cost $500, 1000, to restore the plants
They say that at the expiration Of
1894 the royalty will return to Sl.05
! ton. Had not the storm occurred they
| could not have continued at that price
and would have had to stop.
They say that they are compelled to
meet a fierce a2d increasing competi-
ton from Florida, which State only
charges fifty cents ton royalty.
The letter concludes by proposition
to the Governor and State board Of
phosphate commissioners that the roy
atty be reduced to fifty cents ton fol-
five years, the contract to be sanctioned
by the Legislature.
Governor Tillman has sent the phos.
phate men the following breezy an
swer:
EXECUTIVE CHAMBER,
COLUMBIA, Oct. 20, 1898.
Messrs. F. Brotherhood, Jacob Paul
sen, NJ. Z. Lopez and Paul S. Fielder,
Beaufort, S. G.
GENTLEMEN: Your letter of the 18th
of October, addressed to me as chair
man of the board of phosphate CON-
missioners, has been received, and the
same submitted to the ex of6cio men,
bers of the board resident mere, who,
with myself, constitute quorum.
We have given full and careful con-
sideration to its contents and. regret
that the river mining companies, at
represented by yourselves, seem dis
posed to drive hard bargain with the
State, and demand concessions which
we cannot give.
The amount of rock on hand at the
time when the industry was paralyzed
by the storm, is estimated at from 3d.
900 to $4,000 tons. The reduction Of
the royalty on this to so cents, as
Beaufort September 18th will cause a
loss to the State of from $751; 900 to $780,
600. It is guess work, Of course, as to
what amount of rock can be mined
next year, and it is just as easy to
figure it at 100000 tons as at 10000,
aud the amount which the State will
lose under the conditions imposed in
that resolution, and by the sale of the
rock on hand, between now and Jam
uary, can be just as easily and reason
ably put at s150,000 as $4,000, the
amount under your calculation.
You complain of delay, and request
prompt action on our part, in the face
Of the fact that more than month has
elapsed since our meeting at Beaufort,
the proceedings Of which were pub
lished, and you gave DO sign as to your
acceptance or rejection of our propo-
sition till now.
I may as well say once for all that
Jile board considers that it has made all
the concessions possible or proper, and
it is unreasonable in the miners to ask
more.
We will not enter into any contract
reducing the royalty to 50 cents ton
for five years, nor will we advise the
Legislature to make any such agree
| mert.
The royalty in Florida has nothing
to do with the royalty here, and then
river rock there cuts very small figure
in the market.
We were under the impression from
what We saw in Beaufort in September
that some of the dredges should be put
to work in thirty days, and that by
Christmas at least half of them would
be mining. I do not know what has
been done towards restoring the indus
try, or whether it is intended to resume
| Mining at all, but the board is not re-
sponsible for any delay, and any at
tempt to drive the State into yielding
more than it already has will inevita-
bly, fail. We had just as we'll leave the
rock in the river as give it away.
The conditions offered by the board
at Beaufort, wee as liberal and just as
we felt warranted in making and un-
less they are accepted at once and
written notice given, royalty on tie
rock on hand August 9th, will be col
lected at the rate of Sl.05 ton.
Ifyou choose to 60 to the Legislature
and make your plea there we have no
objection, but the board will not make
any change in the proposition already
submitted to you.
Very respectfully,
B. R. TlLLMAS, Governor.