The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1910-12-23
POTASH TAX HITS
The FARMERS HARD
Looking 10 Washington For Re-
lief From German ExaCti0nS.

Efforts continue to secure relief from
on exports II potash To the United
States. IN these efforts all agrl'Il
tnral interests ARE deeply concerned
for the reason that potash IL m essen.
iini element Of al commercial fcrtlll
zers.
Il, ,llziug the seriousness ~ the bur
den So lnInscd. President Taft and
the state department have made yisnr.
"us protest Ia Germany. and the mat.
ter Is stil pending. 4 representative"
Of the stat" department who visited
Iicrlu IN IN effort 90 secure r@lrcsN
from the German government has just
returned ~ Washington. aud further
action 10y the administration Is rN-
pcc:pd without great delay.
Official efforts I" bring about II IA.
been actively aided by til" u"usyHdi.
cato potash mines which mad" III"
American low price contracts.
Did Germany Break Promises7
II is understood that the state d"
pnrim"mi had assurances from The Ger.
man gov crnm"nt when the tau law
was first talked 81 that nothing would
hc done which would impair cNistii"
trade arrangements. These assurances
proved Ia h." Worthless. and after Ger
many had secured the benefits ~ til"
minimum rates ~ our new iarim law
III" potash tax was put Int" force.
President Taft In his message To- con.
gross may hav" hnd this fact IN mind
when he said referring Ia the success
ful working cut If III" mnNimum and
minimum provision. There are. how.
ever. unfortunately. Instances whcr"
foreign governments deal arbitrarily
with American interests within their
jurisdiction IN u manner injurious and
Incuuitahlc.'
II was when the Gcrmnn potash syn
dictate found that independent mines
had got almost all II the American
business 10y making prices about 10
per cent lower than the syndicate
prices that the law now complained nf
10y American consumers was demand.
ri 10y III" potash trust aud enacted 10y
III" r"i"hsIng with the nN"wrd pur
pos" la deprive Americans "f the hrnc-
fits II their advantageous agreements
running In some cases until 1916
The amount ~ the tax imposed by
Germany X NOR" than the entire cost
~ the mines under the American con.
tracts with nnnSyndiratc producers and
makes the price "n deliveries In the
United Sinlps much greater than the
old cNorhiiani syndicate prices. As
| The American contracts provide that
he buyer shall pay all government
| charges. the taN falls heaviest upon the
consumers nf potash for tho making
Of fertilizers.
Tax Levied to Raise Prices.
Tho tax law was passed. II Is assert
cd. with n" other purpns" than Ia tie
stroy existing contracts. Ia c"cr,c all
potash mines Int" tho syndicate aud
50 {" bring about n return to high
prices aud take away the market made
here 10y n"nsyndlcnir producers
l'niIl this controversy arose II was
not generally known that potash In
wnrknhl" quantities was found only In
Germany. The production * AMI has
been for twenty years controlled 10y II
syndicate. which nlsn fixes the price
that the world shall pay for this ne
c"ssity. In This syndicate. which l.
strictly regulated by law, several Ger
man governments participate ns "wm
crS nf potash mines. II was during u
temporary lapse IN the syndicate, lcnv
Ing every IN" free 10 make his own
| figures. that the low prices now caus
| Ing trouble were made.