Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-08-14
4NADE-IN- AMERICA"
POSSIBLE.
POTASH

Potash Is used in making soft soap;
It strikes your matches; helps cure
meat: blasts rock; and, what Is OF
most interest to the American sarmer.
II Is the basis for fertilizers.
The prospect of potash manufacture
in this country, particularly In Cali
fornia, and the protective tariff duties
which must of necessity be given TINS
industry in the future if 1t is not 10
die a-horning, give rise to the ques-
tfon whether this will cause an in
crease in the price Of this article, or
in the price of fertilizers used ny the
farmer. Certainly not, and for the
best of reasons-protection will rem
der the industry successful, ana de.
stroy the German monopol1zation OF
the American market on potash.
The German control of the world
market in potash is classic example
of the manner in which foreign car.
tells" "syndicates" or "get-together
organizations operate. Potash IS
folod in Germany in practically mex
ha,stible quantities. At one time 1t
was oyerproduced, and profits were
cut of. The Prussian government
owned several mines. other German
states were interested and some MIL
ing was carried on by private enter
PRISE. Finally they all got together
and organized five-year selling syn
dictate. which has been several times
renewed and which has formed an ex-
port branch, domestic distribution
bureau and carries on an educational
advertising propaganda spending
s1,5O0,0OO annually to boost foreign
sales. At the time Of it's organization
the syndicate put prices on a proht-
able basis, where they have since re-
manned.
Occasionally an Independent produc-
or would sell outside the syndicate
and then 70 In American manufac-
turers who awaited themselves of such
sales were punished by being charged
Ave per cent more for bagged potash
than other American buyers. They
had to have the potash, the supply
was controlled by the syndicate ana
there was no alternative.
IN June. 1909, new syndicate was
to be formed. There was nttle
souabble before they got together,
AHA for two hours American buyers
took advantage of the CONFUSION ana
booked contracts for from two to sew
en- years at IS per cent reduction IN
mice. At the end of the two hours
tha prime minister of commerce naa
stouped further sales. The ke1cnstag
than passed law declaring potash
to be a monopoly and each producer
entitled to a fixed percentage OF the
total. II he sold more, the over-sale
was heavily taxed. This tax caused
+he cancellation of the American con-
tracts. Since that date American
hnvers have been utterly at the mercy
az the German syndicate in purchasing
potash.
r. at the termination Of the Euro
nean war. Germany finds that this
country is manufacturing It's own pot
ash every tactic known to the COM
marcial genius of that nation will be
diveoted toward killing off cur indus
try. Under free trade, there would
ba a period Of price-cutting which
might temporarily benefit the farmer
IN tina price he paid for his fertilizer,
hut With the destruction OF our domes-
tic industry Germany would again
adopt the old price, or doubtless IN
rreasa It In order to make up for the
iosses of the price-cutting campaign.
And an industry which gave promise
yf freeing us from this foreign mono
toly. reducing the price OF fertllizer,
ana employing American labor at
wages which would insure large pur-
chasing power of the farmers PROD
ucts. would. as have many others, be
stifled by the democratic pet theory
az free trade. Domestic potash is
nossibility-under the policy OF pro-
lection to home industries, and not