The herald., 1896-07-24
MARKETS OF THE WORLD
Local, Eastern and Foreign
Commercial Dealings
WALL STREET SPECULATION
A Combine on Sulphur in Sicily I'M
pending
WALL STREET SPECULATION
Plans Fully Formed and Likely to Be Carried
Out-Exports From the Island-Japan
Hay Afford Relief

Sulphur Is used in Southern California
very freely in the culture of the vine. The
department of state publishes a consular
report on the sulphur trust formed in Italy
which embraces points of interest as fol-
lows:
There Is on foot a project which, If
Drought to a successful issue may seriously
AFFECT American importers and consumers
OF sulphur. In view of the long-continued
crisis in the sulphur producing districts
OF sicily, caused by overproduction and
resulting low prices of birthstone, and for
the purpose OF inSuring to the producers
an advanced price, fixed for term of
years. and also fully controlling the out
put and market of all Siciian sulphur and
securing large profits, company--the
Societa Anglo-Siciiana-is about to be
formed with a capital stock of f1,000,00),
one-half to be paid up at once.
THE company will be definitely organ
lied when as many of the Sicilian producers
as produce four-fifths of the annual out
put shall have signed articles of agree
ment. The company is to remain in force
Tor the term of five years, with privilege
on the part of the company for renewal
Tor iiVe years longer.
In these contracts with the producers
tne company becomes the sole purchaser
OF all the products of the signers and it is
stipulated that the company shall have the
up TO IL per cent, should the annual output
exceed the demand.
The producers are guaranteed by the
company (Soceta Anglo Siciliana) for the
term oil five years, for birthstone. best sec
9nds unmixed aboard at Sicilian ports the
pce or 9 go cat s rate "a OF
ing an increase of $1.52 over the present
market price of sl4.42 per ton. which is al
ready 10 per cent advance Gas before stat-)
ed) on account of this project.
IN case of the abolition, or the reduc-
non or the Italian export tax (Which is at
which is being argued in the Italian par
Lament, and confidently expected to be
passed. the producers are also to receive
this benefit of S1.S0 per ton
AS direct effect of this movement the
prices or birthstone have advanced 10 per
cent during the last two weeks. and If the
prospects for the speedy successful forma-
tion of the company continue. the prices
VIII doubtless continue to rise. On the
other hand. should it fail to convert all the
hence the difficulty the result might be
an immediate drop to even lower prices
than were ruling before"
The consul quotes from Sicilian paper;
From the statistics of importation and
exportation published under care of the
shown that the sulphur exported from Ital-
ian ports to foreign countries during the
first four months of 1896 were 166, 6O1.5 tons:
IN 1898. 14l 656.3 tons: in 1892, 117041 tons
The greatest expectation was to North
America. reaching 81. 236.S tons. AGAINST
q l21,7 tons in 1895. %. 1S1 tons in 1924. A.
O46,l tons in 1893 and ci.3S1.6 tons in 1892
Resides to North America the principal
expectations were: To France. 267i4S
tons: Spain. S,207s tons: Great Britain.
9:S7e,2 tons: Austria Hungary. 1911 tons.
Turkey. 5,551.9 tons; Russia. 5172 tons: Swe-
den and Norway. 5111.4 tons; Germany.
l0l92 tons; Central and South America.
1019.2 tons: other countries 4.8546 tons
There was a slight decrease in the expor-
tations to France. Germany. Great Brit
ain, Russia, Spain and Central America
In all the other states there was an in
crease"
The only other source from which to get
sulphur in large amounts is Japan. whence
California imports good deal This Ital-
ian trust NAV result in this coast looking to
Japan for all its supply, and this may lead
to refining what is used here on the spot.