The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1897-06-15
Against Reduction,

] Senator Parry Is urging the members Of
the New Jersey delegation in Congress tt
use their influence against a threatened
reduction of the phosphorus schedule il
the tariff bill now pending in the Senate
The chief industry of Centreton is the
phosphorus works. which were established
about 1873, Amos Gibbs and James W
Deacon being the proprietors, and after
conducting the work for a period they
sold out to the Aliens, of Philadelphia.
The tariff on phosphorus varied. Al
one time it was 20 cents pound, then il
went to 10 cents, then to Is, where it now
stands. The effort now being made is tc
again reduce it to 10 cents.
The works had a hard time to keep
alive under the competition that came
from across the water, where the phos.
phorus dealers had entered into a com.
bine that controlled the markets of the
world so far as their products were con-
cerned
Centreton was one of two manufactures
of phosphorus in the United States, the
other being located at Camden, under the
name of the Moro Phillips chemical
works, and where the making of phos.
phorus was a side ISSUE The greater
part of the phosphorus used by the match
manufacturers of this country is purchased
from Albright & Wilson, at Birmingham,
Eng So completely was the market con-
trolled by the trust that it was enabled to
allot fields of operation to different firms
and the markets of the United States were
given to Albright & Wilson.
When, in 1898, the Mckinley tariff
went into effect, the Diamond Match
Trust in this country made a proposition
to Aliens to dispose of their phosphorus
works, because the Diamond people found
they could manufacture phosphorus here
cheaper than it could be imported. After
negotiations covering several months, the
works were sold to the trust, which con.
tinued to operate them.
No sooner had this arrangement beer
made than the phosphorus combine o.
Europe reduced its price with the pur
pose of inducing the Diamond Match Com
pany to cease its manufacturing at Cen.
treton. More trouble for the Diamond
Match Trust was made by the combine o.
the lucifer match manufacturers of the
United States, and, in order to protect
themselves, they entered into comb
nation with the phosphorus dealers Of
Europe, and it is alleged that one condi-
ton of the deal was that the Diamond
Match people should exert themselves tc
have the duty on phosphorus reduced
and they went to work to do it, and have
asked that it be lowered to 10 cents
pound, rate cents pound lower thar
the Wilson tariff.
Senator Parry says he believes it is the
intention of the Diamond Match people
to close the phosphorus works at Centre
ton if the tariff is reduced to the rate thai
they have asked for, because they could
import it at that rate cheaper than they
could manufacture it.
The material from which phosphorus il
manufactured is brought from Florida, and
the large amount of coal that it requires
to keep the furnaces going comes from
Pennsylvania, and for that reason, three
states are deeply interested in the tariff
remaining at the figure fixed in the tart f
measure now pending in the senate.
Senator Parry carries petition signed
by the residents of Centreton and the
farmers in that vicinity, praying the New
Jersey Congressman and Senators to dc
all they can to prevent reduction of the
tariff
Senator Sewell has been communicated
with regarding the matter and has prom.
Used to exert himself to accomplish wha
the people of Centreton ask for.