The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1895-03-02
GLOBE PHOSPHATE co, COLCM-
DGA. :. &.


.Nr. E,Ut0y: Dear Sir-EIc have foT
ears past i'ccn using every ch1:; 10
have The freight rate on fertilizers re
Iuccd.
Our &i;.pa!s, both 80 iila Ri. .r2@d
Commissioners and 20 Inc roads, llaV:
been unsuccessful. :''c ti!ni; the time
mas come when tic right Of petition
should be exc, cised, and an appca? by !
the people 10 the railroad commits
sioncrs, and should this fail. then 10
the Legislature.
We arc no enemy 20 railroads, bat
it is L fact that the rates Oh fertilizers
are vastly higher than OF similar
articles.
The present rate on fertil z3rs IS
twice as great as that on cotton seed.
The four great factors that go to fix
freight rates, are CD the value, (2) tie
tonnage, (3) the bulk, CD the liability
to damage. The less the value: the
greater the tonnage; the less the bulk
and liability to damage, tie chca. CT
should be the freight rate charged
Under these conditions, the ra;e Oh
fertilizers should Lc less than on cot
ton seed For tie past three years,
! ton Of seed has fully cqual!sd i'll v'ige
| a ton of fertilizers. There aic two TO
three times as much fertilizers hauled
a. seed. The fertilizer is less bulky
and less liable 10 damage. Is there
any lust reason, therefore, why twice
the rate should be charged TO haul
| fertilizers as to haul cotton seed:
The traffic managers Of the roads
and the railroad commissioners have
| given as the reason the fact that the
| roads obtained two hau's from the
seed. First, the seed to the mill, anu
second, the manufactured product
| from it. Let us sec how much tom
mage the roads actually obtain from an
oil mil! and a phosphate mill Of same
capacity, say each using 5000 tons OF
crude material.
| From the oil mill they get: first,
5000 tons sc seed, ard second, 800
tons Of oil AID meal. or total OF
1888 tons.
From phosphate n;i they care:
irst, 5000 ;"Hs OF crude material. say
1000 - $ Of rock, ana second, 1899
tons Of sulphur, tie manufacture o.
which produces 5000 teas CT actd
phosphate, 50 that the phosphate mill
gives $1,000 tons, as AGAINST $3.50 tons
| from the Gil mil But til, is nOt all,
for the 5000 tons Of sphoSphate easily
make an increased yield Of $4,000
bales of cotton or 1900 tons, which
added to $4,000 tons gives Il total Of
1900 tons from phosphate mill
against 1888 tons from the OIL mill.
Cotton seed is rs fine fertilizer as
can be used, yet where the roads
charge you $l.00 per ton 10 baa! away
from the lands cotton seed, tie best
plant food, and consequently destroy
the productiveneS Of your lands, they
charge $500 per ION to restore fer
tiiizers, which build up the lands and
increase the products of The soil, Civ
inc them in The fall 4 tonnage OF cot
| ton on which they obtain Il Fate OF
freight six times greater than that
charged on secd-c. g the freight or
a ton of seed from Charleston to
| Columbia is 81 90; on fertilizer; 81 90;
and on cotton, 5000. Tie removal
of a ton Of seed from the plantation
does not add one blade of grass or ouc
boil of cotton next fall to that laHd,
but annually makes * poorer, a"d toE
e..,e-,soStt rli0 TUsde UIi1t'SU CT % PC4
ton. The replacing Of one ton CT
fertilizers At So % per ton. gives easily
two extra bales Of cotton, CT half ton,
Oil which they get $500 freight, o.' q
total of $500 to the roads from haul
ing fertilizers, as against Sl.00 i0T
hauling cotton seed. Whac equity, o.
what wisdom IS there in continuing
such policy? i kills the goose thai
lays the golden egg. We hope this
question will be agirated until either
the railroad commissioners, CT III tic
event Of their failure to 10 SO: the
Legislature will remedy tle evil We
will cooperate with tle farmers &na
merchants to secure this end: &gd hope
You will aid III having thc rc'isi3n
signed by your neighbor<.
Very respectfully, "
| GLOBE PHOSPHATE COMPANY,
| I. 4. Robertson, Su:it.