The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1902-02-06
rs CHARTER TO BE REVOKED9
The Virginia. Carolina Chemical
Company Replies to the Attorney
General of the State.

Company Replies to the Attorney
General of the State.
Attorney General Bcllingor sent
special messagct to the General Assembly
last week, asking that the charter Of the
Virginia. Carolina Chemical company be
revoked in this State, and gave as the
principal reason for this course that tho
company hadopctition for the removal Of
its case to tho Federal courts. The re-
ply Of tho company is interesting and
entirely on tho defensive, and it is con
tanned in o lettcr sent to tho individual
members OF tho Legislature, as follows ::
COLUMBIA, 8. g., January 20, 1902.
TO the Honorable Members OF the
General Assembly Of South Carolina
Dear Sir: The Attorney General has
addressed to the General Assembly a
special report directed against a parti-
cular named individual intorcst-thc
Virginia Carolina Chemical Company.
The party 80 referred to may be per
mittcd on It's own behalf also to address
and mCmoraliZc you.
The public laws and statutes Of South
Carolina expressly invite corporations
the State, invest, and carry CD business
To induce them to do 30 they arc guar
antccd tho same rights, privileges and
immunitics as arc onjOyCd by the citizens
and corporations Of South Carolina her
self. (Rcviscd Statutes OF 1893, Sections
| ,IG5 and ,I7l)
TO hcr own corporations the State Of
South Carolina has given tho right to
acquire, and own real estate, and per-
I nr,, ,,nl
| including stock in other companies.
(Acts Of 1896, Statute at Large, Volume
%, p. 00)
Accepting this invitation the Virginia
Carolina Chemical Company entered the
State and located and acquired pro-
pcrty, and carried on it's business, viz,
the manufacture and sale Of fertilizers.
In order to do 50 it has acquired by
purchase large amount Of property:
|. Manufactures to mani nipulatc and
manufacture complete fertilizers.
3. Phosphate land to provide the phos
phato rock from which, by proper pro-
ccsscs, is obtained tho phosphoric acid
for a complete fertilizer.
3. Cotton seed oil mill interests 50 rs
to provide in cotton seed meal the in
grcdicnt OF nitrogen for u comp. etc fer
tiliHCr.
Much Of this property was purchased
from the estates OF insOlvont concerns
that had suspended business and whose
prnrcrty was idle and unused
south Carolina has no mines or dc.
posts OF potash, 50 that insrC dicnt has
to be purchased and imported from
| abroad.
In The case OF nitrOgcn-savc for its
bling obtainnblC from cotton seed meal
the manufacturers OF a complete fcrtili
Zcr in South Caroiina would be wholly
at the mercy Of the fororn market for
nitratCS
The Virginia, Carolina Chemical Com
pHny has, like any prudent manufac.
lurcr, sought To insure supply Of its
raw material for use in its mnnufnc
lures.
1t has done nothing else
IL has purchased only the property OF
parties who were willing and offered to
sell
1t has driven no competitor out Of the
market -un'css pCrChAnCc by the fair
competition Of The bGs. article 1T the
cheapest price
1t has extended to all u fair and rca-
sonablc credit.
one to the wall.
1t has simply purchased it's property
and carried on its business in ike man
nor as any person would do.
The Attorney General has instituted q
proceeding in the Courts to test whether
the Virginia. Carolina Chemical Com
pany has violated the statute of the
state known rs the Anti Trust Act
Thc reasons he gives for stating that
| 1T has Violated this law is that it has pur
chased q large amount Of property.
This is true, but what law is violated
by so dong?
The State Of South Caroln, said to
the company:
Come and invest and do business In
this State, and you can buy and own as
much property ~ you wishr'
NO one is complaining Of any injury
from the company.
The former owners Of the propcrty
purchased by tho Virginia Carolina
Chemical Company so far from com
planning arc congratulating themselves
on having been able to sell. The full
value OF their property has bocn paid to
thcm, ana thus as the property remained
III inc state, tho purchase money paid
10 tho OLD owners has been brought ad-
ditionally into the State for It's dovolop
mcnt and taxation.
The farming interest has not been af
footed by any charge for fertilizers in
excess Of what the cost OF raw material
and OF manufacture warrants
Inc property OF old and insolvent
companies which was lying idle has
Dccn again brought into operation, and
the supply Of fertilizer thereby increased
and renewed employment given to opera,
tivcs.
Therefore, tho only question can be
because the Virginia Carolina Chemical
Company owns 80 much property has it
by that act alone made itself obnoxious
to the Antitrust statutc?
1t has othor competitors. Thorc arc
some twenty ono Independent fertilizer
companies or concerns selling fertilizers
III South Carolina, Of which some seven
arc actually located and manufacturing
In the State.
1t may be the largest concern in the
state, but it is to the advantage Of tho
state to have u large concern in it's own
limits.
1t has very strong and wealthy COM
potitors iii adjoining States, who sell
and deliver within the State.
At any rate, some ono concern has to
q <,l;