The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-12-03

. ihe potasf0Nar In OrfntNy, ~ III
can he 50. called Is of lntouse interest
TO the fertilizer industry in M United
States and therefore &c the south
particularly. Potash is larsc ingre-
dent OF manufactured feruNxers sed
upon the cotton. grain and tobacco
fields OF the United stat. Germ my
Is the chief source of supply and the
fertilizer concerns OF the vn,ted
States are the purchase OF e0out
half that supply. We import some
ss.0o0,o00 worth OF potash annually
from that country. accordins 90 .he
Springfield Republican. Tho potash
mines OF Germany have hten operated
under syndicate of owneraiip, nut
a year ago last June the s,ndicl lte
was dissolved through inability OF
the members to agree upon he
terms OF a continuance ThCtorpon
leading American buyers Of potash
took advantage OF the situation md
made contracts extendlng over some
years for the delivery Of potash to
them at 5000 a ton.
Specially Protected
Thereafter. or late IN 1909, me
German potash syndicate was recon-
structed and a bill was introduced In
the reichstag giving special legal
sanction TO the syndicate aud appor-
tioning the output OF the mines
among the members on the basis Of
specific allotments and taxing the
excess OF output above those orlo,-
mentS. The effect OF this measure
would have been TO tax heavily lie
American contracts. Then came the
diplomatic negotiations between Ger
many and the United sta'es over ne
maximum and minimum Caiuss 4
the Payne-Aldrich tariff law. and the
said bill vas withdrawn. Its pend
ency would hurt the German chances
Of escaping the rs per cent addition
al tarin TO be imposed on imports
Into the United States from coun-
tries unduly discriminating against
this country In their tariff OF trade
arrangements. Germany was finally
admitted to the minimum tariff
schedule; whereqpon. or In May OF
this year. the reichstag took up and
enacted the hill referred to, with |
the result that the potash syndicate
refuses 20 recognize or execute the !
A N
price. The price named by the syn
dicate is s34. While the German |
bundesrath or Federal council has the |
power 90 compel observance OF the |
contracts. and while tho German gov
foFrnent has been appealed u on be !
hair of the American interests. Moth |
ins has been DONE and the matter
will now be taken up actively by the !
American State department.
III the German government contin-
ues to refuse TO interfere. the Wash
fngton administration will no doubt |
consider itself forced to adopt retalia- |
tory measures. IL will likely use its |
power TO apply the maximum tariff |
schedule to all imports from Ger |
many. That would infict a hard blow |
on German trade i'm this direction |
and measures in extended retaliation
would doubtless be adopted by Ger |
many against the United States. Pot
ash seems TO be a small matter over
which To start an international trade |
war. but the American interests seem |
TO have real grievances. and failure |
on the part OF the German govern
ment to correct matters will Justly |
provoke retaliatory measures at
Washington.
As a Affects Us.
Mr.. B. +. Taylor OF the Taylor
Manufacturing company. who while
not a manufacturer OF mixed fer
tiiizer and therefore not purchaser
OF potash salts. Is unusually we'll !
posted on foreign trade conditions, |
was asked by The Daily Record to
give statement of the situation as
IL affects local conditions. Mr.. Tay-
lor stated that while not personally !
interested In the potash situation. he |
Is Informed that all OF the fertilizer
people are much stirred up over the
potash situation.
"As far as / know" said Mr.. Tay- ]
lor. "there are no potash mines any |
where la the world ot any conse-
qucnce except In Germany. and near
~ every complete fertilizer or balanc-
ed fertilizer contains a certain
amount OF potash.
II DO not know how much 1 nth |
there a. In a. hut unIrrst,ai that
large fertilizer concern iu this sec