The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-10-23
A BIG FERTILIZER COMBINE.
VIRGINIA-CAROLINA COMPANY NOW
CONTROLS SITUATION.

Has Recently Acquired the Plants
of the Commercial GuanO Company
and the Baldwin Fertilizer Com
pany of Savannah at Columbus,
Savannah and Port Royal and the
standard and EdistO Companies OF
CharIesfon-Has "a Capital of $24,-
coo 600 ann Controls Almost All
the Fertilizer Plants in Georgia
and south CaroIina-An Advance
in Fertilizers Predicted and Ser
vices of Many Travelling and Office
Men Likely 10 BE Dispensed with.
Apparently the fertilizer manufacturing
business of the South is about to be con-
centrated in the hands of one concern. In
fact, this is nearly the case already. The
recent purchase of the properties of the
Commercial Guano Company at Savannah
and Columbus by the V.rginia-Carolina
Chemical Company is only one of several
large purchases of similar character
made by the latter concern.
The deal with the Commercial Guano
Company has been very quietly conduct
ed, though il has been in progress for
some time. The vice president and gen
eral manager. Mr. John W. Huger, is in
Atlanta, and there is no one here in po-
sition to give information. The two plants
at Savannah and Columbus were easily
worth in the neighborhood of 100000, that
at Columbus being almost new, and as it
IS understood that a liberal price was re-
ceived for the properties, it is not likely
that the figure is anything less than $780,
900.
Only a few months since the Virginia
Carolina Company bought out the Baldwin
Fertilizer Company of Savannah with
its large factories at Port Royal, S. c.
About the same time the Virginia Com
pany acquired the Standard Fertilizer
Company of Charleston, and it is now re-
ported on good authority that it has more
recently acquired the Edisto Manufacture
ing Company of that city, the Standard
and the Edisto being two of the largest
fertilizer companies in South Carolina.
The Virginia-Carolina Chemical Company
also owns large phosphate interests in
South Carolina and Florida, having ac-
CURED practically all of the ST. - 600 of
the capital stock of the Peace River Phos-
pnate Mining Company of Florida, which
was largely owned in Savannah and At
lanta.
The first large deal of the Virginia Caro-
lima Company in this section was when
it bought out the Southern Fertilizer Com
pany, which included the large properties
formerly operated by George w Scott Of
Atlanta and Conner, Hull & Co. of Savan-
nah. The recent purchase of the Com
mercial Guano Company gives the Rich
mOnd corpora ton every fertilizer factory
at Savannah, with the exception of the
Savannah Guano Company. Not only
this, but it is said that there is only one
other fertilizer factory in the state when
is not controlled by this corporation. a
small plant at Vadosta. Pretty much the
same condition exists in South Carolina
where the Virginia Carolina Company has
acquired everything in the fertilizer line,
with the exception of a few small plants
The Virginia. Carolina Chemical Company
is capitalized at S240O0,000, and its head
quarters are at Richmond. 1t is evident
ly the purpose of its promoters to secure
control of the entire fertilizer manufac-
turing business of the South. and very
good progress has now been made in this
direction. Not less than several millions
of dollars must have been required to pur-
chase the properties recently obtained in
this section. The transaction with the
Commercial Guano Company is said to
have been on a cash basis.
What will be the effect of this big con-
solidation of the fertilizer manufacturing
interests will be remains to be seen, but 1t
is a question of considerable moment to
the business interests of Savannah and the
surrounding territory. One effect of the
consolidation mas already been forecasted
and that is an immediate advance in the
price of fertilizers. Fertilizers were lower
than usual last season in the face of the
fact that there was very decided advance
in phosphate. The advance in the cost
Of fertilizers can very readily be attributed
to the increased cost of materials. and is
only what might have been expected any
way.
Another very perceptibe effect of the
consolidation will be the decrease office
forces and in the number of travelling men
on the road 1t is estimated that the fer
tilizer companies employed last season as
many as $50 travelling men in this state.
With practically all the interests conscl-
idated and no competition to speak of IL
is already predicted that the number of
travelling men in the field for the fertilizer
interests will be cut down to a fraction Of
what it was during previous seasons. Sa-
vannah has already felt the effect Of the
reduction in Office forces. OF the three
local companies which have bsen absorbed
by the Richmond concern the offices of all
three have been discontinued.
In this connection it is announced that
Mr. Joseph Huh has resigned his position
as manager for Georgia with the Virginia
Carolina Chemical Company and that Mr.
]. w. Huger, formerly general manager o p
the Commercial Guano Company. has been
appointed manager for GEORGIA for the
former company His office viii be in Al
lauta. Mr. Hun has embarked in the bus
mess Of mining phosphate and other ores
and minerals.
IN THE RAILROAD WORLD.