Lancaster enterprise. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1891-1905, 1898-01-12

INSTITUTE FOR THE DEAF, DUMB AMI
Special atteption is directed to
the Institution for the Deaf
Dumb and Blind. 1t will be
found that this institution is do
ing admirable work and deserves
the earnest consideration of your
Honorable Bodies.
PHOSPHATE INDUSTRY.
Only $40,700.25 have been
paid during the year into the
State Treasury from the phos-
phate mining industry. This
amount under the law must be
devoted to a sinking fund for the
redemption of State bonds. You
may expect Il still smaller revenue
from this source next year. Com
petition with A giers and Florida
has so reduced the price of phos.
phate rock that some of our
miners have been forced to sus
pend operations. Those who are
engaged in the business are min
ing at a loss, notwithstanding the
fact that the Board of Phosphate
Commissioners reduced the royal
ty from fifty to twenty-five cents
per ton. On the first day of A pril,
1897, t! e phosphate Commission
ers met at Beaufort to inspect the
phosphate territory. The phos
phate miners were invited to lie
present and they were all repre-.
sented ut the meeting. After
thorough investigation the Board
adopted the following resolution ::
"Resolved, That on and after
April 1st, 1897, the royalty to be
paid to the State of South Caro-
lima by all persons, corporations
or companies mining phosphate
rock or phosphate deposits from
the beds of navigable streams aud
waters of the State and marshes
thereof, shall be. and the same is
hereby fixed, at the rate of TWEEN
ty five cents per ton of dried rock,
so long as the price of said phos-
phate rock free on board to the
said miners at their several mines
shall be three dollars per ton or
under; but in cases there shall be
any increase in such price over
and above three dollars per ton,
then and in every such case. there
shall be paid to the State an ad
ditional royalty per ton equal to
one half of such increased price
1S'sr and above tmree dollars per
ton. free on board. Provided, that
all phosphate rock dug, mind and
unshipped on hand on the first
90 OF April AtaD. 1897, shall
first be accounted for at the
royalty fixed by the Act of the
General Assembly, entitled AN
Act Relating to the Phosphate
Industry OF the State approved
December 22nd, a. ID. 1898.
Provided, further, that all com
panies shall pay into the State
Treasury the royalty upon all
shipments made prior to the first
day of April, y ID. 1897"
Soon after the adoption of this
resolution citizens of Beaufort filed
with the Board of Phosphate Com
mlssloners a petition praying that
the royalty on rock already mined
be also reduced to twenty-five cents
il ton. On the first of January,
1897, the phospha e miners had
ON hand about $4,000 tons of rock
which was snbject to royalty, and
on the first of April, 1897, about
10000 tons. After ne consider
alton, the petition referred to
was retLsed. The board held
that the royalty of fifty cents per
ton fixed by the Act of 1893,
should he paid on all rock on
hand ON the first day o! April,
1897.
The Board took the view that
the phosphate miners were bound,
bN the contract contained in the
Act "i 1898, TO pay the royalty
fixed by the said Act, until il
was changed by authority Of the
General Assembly. They further
held that they had no authority,
nor did they deem it right. To
make the miners Il present OF
+ 1000 then due the State.
The Farmers Mining Company
failed in October. 1891. being in
dcbtcd TO the State TO the amount
OF SlO.3SI for rayaltv ON rock.
This amount ha, not vet been
collected The matter has been