The Ocala evening star., 1911-03-16
IMPEDING A GREAT INDUSTRY
Petty Grievances OF n Few People In
Polk and HilI.borough Counties
Against the Immense Phos-
phate Plants


kinds. the railroads. and individuals
exploitation Of the advantages OF in
II yesting capital and making homes in
this state. a certain small number OF
our citizens are stirring up trouble for
one Of the largest industries now here
the mining OF phosphate.
In this industry has been invested
about S35,OOO.000 and on il l. depend
ent not less than $1,000 people. The
phosphate companies spend So 500. 900
annually in Florida most NJ which l.
/ paid ont in wages.
/ Begun in a small way twenty years
ago. phosphate operations are now
carried on on a huge scale Hydraulic
mining has been instrumental in re-
ducing the price OF phosphate rock
from 50 TO 50 a ton. and the benefits
OF this great reduction in price have
gone principally TO the farmers. phos-
phate being entirely consumed in the
manufacture Of fertilizer.
/ II is TO hydraulic mining however.
h that the undertaking campaign start
ed against the mines in Polk and Hills
Il borough counties Is due. This cam
! paign-if the complaints of a handful
OF people can he called by such a name
lis based on improved charges that
the phosphate companies are filling up
the Alafia river and making the stream
unhealthful Both the state authorities
/ and the federal government have been
asked by the trouble makers to take
steps which. if carried out. would
greatly hamper the mining companies
I and in some cases stop operations al
together for a time.
NJ Injury ro Health
/ The state department "f health has
found that the companies are not in
juring the health nr welfare OF the
community concerned. thai appar-
emily the war department. IL any one.
! is the authority that must handle the
matter. This is on the theory that the
Alatia is a navigable stream coming
under the jurisdiction Of the secretary
! Of war. old residents have testified
that the stream Is neither more nor
less naviGable than it was twenty
years ago. and that there i a. much
commerce on il as ever.
As matter OF fact there i more
water. owing to the mining companies
sinking large number Of artesian
wells to insure supply Of water for
their purposes. Furthermore. the mines
! are located 30 To 80 miles from the
head OF navigation on the river. and
such small quantities Of clay and sand
as are washed into il could not reach
the naviga BILE channel.
/ Ii is evident. a. the phosphate COM
panies say. that il * 10 their interest
as well as TO that of the community to
save all the water. letting a. little as
possible flow into the Nlafia and its
tributary streams. Water i used over
and over again and saved from waste
in storage ponds.
As to such complaint aS ha> any basis
at all. the mining companies say that
they are making every effort To flnd a
remedy 10 still further conserving
their water supply ana endeavoring TO
see that such water a. does escape into
the streams will he almost entirely free
from sediment. But tests TO determine
how much solid matter i carried 10y
the escaping waters show that this i
as little as from one-eiChth Of one per
cent. 10 three and one-half per cent.
Attitude Of Companie.
The attitude of the companies has
never been that of corporations indif-
ferent TO the public demands and the
public welfare. They were not even
given a hearing by the HllsborouGh
county commissioners before they pass
ed resolutions TO proceed against the
companies both at Tallahassee and
| Washington. Investigation was imme-
diately begun. however. TO see what
ground there was for the complaint
upon which the commissioners acted.
and plans were at once made to do
away with the cause for local dissatiS-
faction if any was found and remedy
was possible.
The complaints made against the
companies appear To come from a few
families along The river. who tell
stories of how clear the stream used TO
be before mining began. Just what the
companies are expected 10 10 has not
been made plain. They are now max
ing every effort to avoid contamination
Of the stream: they have received a
clean bin from the department OF
health, and If the ''navigability" Of the
Alafiia l. being interfered with the
war department can be depended 10
act in the matter
y number Of boards of trade took
action when the state authorities were
first asked TO interfere and passed res
olutions against such a proceeding. No
action was taken. Now the war de-
partment has il in charge. and il may
be safely left To this authority TO see
tnat the real Interests Of the state are
protected.
II would be great misfortune Il q
few complaints against the muddyin =
of a small stream should succeed in
hamperinC one Of the most importan'
tel