The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1902-02-05
Of the Virginia-Carolina Chemica,
Company Be Revoked?
The REPLy OF TIE COMPANY
iGy Its Counsel to the Special Message
Sent 20 the Legislature by
Attorney General
Beiiinger.

gin:a-Carclina Chemical Company be
revoked in this State. and stated as
The main reason for so doing that the
Virginia Carolina Chemical Company
had just petitioned to remove its case
TO the Federal courts.
The statement OF Mr.. Bellinger was
published at the time in The News and
Courier and to-day the other side OF
the case was presented in q letter ad-
dressed to the individual members OF
the House and Senate. The reply is
interesting and reads as follows
Columbia, S. c., Jan. 20, 1902.
To the Honorable Members OF the
General Assembly Of South Carolina.
Dear Sir:-The Attorney General
has addressed to the General Assem-
bly, special report directed against
particular named individual inter-
est-the Eirginia-Carolina Chemical
company.
The party so referred to may be per-
mitted on it's own behalf also to ad-
dress and ,memorialiZe you.
The public laws and statutes OF
South Carolina expressly invite corpo-
rations created by its sister States to
come into the State. invest and carry
on business.
To induce them to do so they are
guaranteed the same rights, privileges
and immunities as are enjoyed by the
citizens and corporations OF South
Carolina herself. (Revised Statutes
Of 1893, Sections ], ,4o5 and 1,471)
To her own corporations the State
Of South Carolina has given the right
to acquire, and own real estate, and
personal property, to an unlimited e1-
tent, including stock in other compa-
MES. (Acts Of 1896, Statute at Large,
Volume %, p. es.)
Accepting this invitation the Fir-
ginia-Carolina Chemical company en-
tered the State and located and &C
quired property, and carried on it's
business. viz, the manufacture and
sale of fertilizers.
In order to do so it has acquired by
purchase a large amount Of property:
l. Manufactures to manipulate and
manufacture complete fertilizers.
2. Phosphate land to provide the
phosphate rock from which, by proper
processes, is obtained the phoSphoric
acid for complete fertilizer.
8. Cotton seed oil mill interests so
as to provide in cotton seed meal the
ingredient OF nitrogen for a complete
fertilizer.
Much of this property was purchased
from the estates Of insolVent concerns
that had suspended business and whose
property was idle and unused.
South Carolina has no mines or de-
poSits of potash, so that ingredient
has to be purchased and imported
from abroad.
In the case o. nitrogen-Save for its
being obtainat,le from cotton seed
meal, the manufacture of complete
fertilizer in South Carolina would be
wholly at the mercy Of the foreign
market for nitrates.
The Virginia-Carolina Chemical
company has, like any prudent manu-
facturer, sought to insure a supply OF
it's raw material for use in its manu-
factures.
It has done nothing else.
1t has purchased only the property
of parties who we're willing and Of
fered to sell.
1t has driven no competitor out OF
the market-unless perchance BY the
fair competition Of the best article at
the cheapest price.
It has extended to all a fair and rea-
sonable credit.
It has unduly pushed or pressed no
one to the wall.
It has simply purchased its property
and carried on its business in like man.
ner as any person would do.
The Attorney General has instituted
proceeding in the courts to test
whether the Virginia-Carolina Cheml-
cal company has violated the statute
of the State known as the Antitrust
Act.
The reasons he gives for stating
it has violated this law is that it has
purchased q large amount OF property.
This is true. but what law has it
violated BY so doing?
The State Of South Carolina said to
the company:
Come and invest and do business
in this State, and you can buy and own
as much property as you wish"
No one is complaining Of any injury
from the company.
The former owners Of the property
purchased by the Eirginia-Carolina
Chemical company so far from COM
planning are congrstulstlng themselves
on having been able to sell. The full
value Of their property has been paid
to them, and thus as the property re-
manned in the State, the purchase
money paid to the old owners has been
brought additionally into the State Tor
it's development and taxation.
The farming interest has not been
affected by any charge for fertilizers
in excess Of what the cost OF raw ma
terial and Of manufacture warrants.
The property Of Old and insol7ent
companies which was lying idle has
been again brought into operation,
and the supply Of fertilizers thereby
increased and renewed employment
given to operatives.
Therefore. the only question can be:
Because the Eirginia-Carolina Chemi-
cal company owns SO much property
has it by that act alone made itself
obnoxious to the Antitrust statute?
1t has other competitors. There
are some twenty-one independent fer
tilizer companies OF concerns selling
fertilizers in South Carolina, Of which
cor,a covan ara actue1lV located and