The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-01-08
lDE ALERS LODGE
FORMAL PROTEST
Independent Fertilizer Manuiac-
turcrS Give Facts in Potash
Controversy.
CHARGE DISCRlMlN ATlON
lnvalldation OF German Con-
tracts Presented as Evidence
10 Governments.

tcrmal protest having been ii,cd
with thu state Department at Wash
Sv~ton against treatment received at
JJe hands of Tho German governments
ana a formal demand made that this
country reciprocatc by putting into eff
tCCi against Germany the maNimum
tariff rates prescribed under the Payne
-Nidrich law Of 1909, II committee head
20 by James y. Moncurc. OF this city.
7 issued yesterday a general statement
ON behalf of siNty-tivc independent fer
tili2er manufacturing concerns. not
connected with the Virginia Carolina
Chemical Company. Mr. aioucurc is
secretary and treasurer OF the Rich-
1nond Guano Company. the Powhatan
( Chemical Company and the Nenable
lFcrtiiizcr Company. The potash con
troVersy which has been under ncgo-
tiation for nearly two years. affects
all American manufacturers of fer
ltilizer. through what is termed the ar
hitrary action of the German govern
lment in invaiidatins certain contracts.
Committee Issues Statement.
,e statement is signed by Robert S
bradley, for the American Agricul-
7ural Chemical Company ~rarlcs IL.
! Mcdowell, for the packers. and by Mr..
/ Moncure u. II. Brewster Ir,, and c.
4 -. pempwolf. the committee which
conducted negotiations with the Ger
F; man government at Berlin for several
months during the past fall. urIng
q part of the time President Morgan.
! OF the Virginia Carolina Chemical Com
pany, was associated with the commit
Zee in It's negotiations, though that
company having other contracts and
sources Of potash supply. was not ar
Elected 10 such an extent.
The statement is authorized by the
committee acting for the American
potash buyers. who secured from indie
pendent German mines contracts which
/: is now stated the German govern
iucnt has invalidatcd by Il retroactive
T law which imposes on American manu-
, facturcrs, farmers and consumers pen
unity taxes aEgregating about $4,000
zoo, which the committee charactcrizcs
IS discrimination against American
citizens.
Origin OF Controversy.
The committee gives the following
statement as 10 the origin of the pot
ASH controversy;
Potash salts in their natural state
are found principally in Germany
where they exist in enormous deposits
pronounced by German mining experts
As practically ineXhaustiblc There are
AT present seventy-onc German potash
mines in actual operation, and nearly
AZ many more in process OF develop
producing mines is three times the en-
'ire worlds consumption.
The raw salts are concentrated into
m0riate and sulphate uf potash which
arc largely used in tile MANUFACTURES
~ commercial fertilizers, explosives
and chemicals The lower grade crude
sails arc also used for fcrtlizing crops
The United States uses about 80 per
cent. of the entire production. and
about 5p per cent. of the amount ex-
ported.
Syndicate iIns Monopoly.
For the past Twenty-Five years the
German mines have maintained a close
inonopoly of potash, by means Of the
German kali-Syndikat, which las con
frolled not only the productions hut
also the prices in all markets of the
world The syndicate has generally
been formed for periods of five years.
The last of which expired by limitation
on midnight of June 80, 1909 Between
The expiration OF that syndicate and
7 the formation of the present one, there