The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1918-08-16
Washington Sees Good Season Ahead;
Miners Urged to Push Rock North
by Rail During Summer

continued indications here that there
lis a prosperous season ahead Of the
phosphate mines of South Florida,
and that general fertilizer interests
will be safeguarded and promoted un
der a systematic policy the lack of
which caused hardship in the industry
last season.
The licensing of the Florida mines
and arrangements for the movement !
of phosphate rock are two of the out,
standing features of the fertilizer
situation. Licensing of the fertilizer
dealers by the fertilizer board with
J headquarters in the United States de-
,partment of agriculture IN co-opera-
ton with the United States food adj
ministration is progressing encour-
agingly and those in charge report
that most of the more important con-
Germs are now licensed. All Of the big
phosphate mines in South Florida
have received their licenses.
A circular letter was sent to all the
manufacturers and dealers and the
application blank contains such in
} formation that when the work is COM
pleted it will mean pretty c0mpre-
hensive census of the fertilizer in
! ldustry.
Circulars have also been sent
Throughout the trade giving the gen
} leral regulations governing the impor'
Itation, manufacture, storage and dis
tribution of fertilizers and fertilizer
ingredients. All persons handling not
only fertilizer ingredients but also
by products, is expected to apply for
la license.
Wouldn't Give Farmer Dealers Price
While the fertilizer industry is
pledged through the convention at At
I lantic City and by individual feeling
to live up to whatever regulations the
U. S. fertilizer board and other gov
> ernmental agencies say is necessary
Ito win the war, yet strong protests
! are being made against the proposal
] OF the federal department reglrdiIs
I sales to farmers at the same price
| as to dealers.
Just as the war industries board
has been calling the various indus
tries into conference and outlining a
u program and policy that the govern
ment wants the industry to follow
thus getting the trade to agree to gov
lernment control to system of price
fixing and to location of supplies
SO has the fertilizer board been oper-
ating on the fertilizer industry.
AS a result of such proposals, the
attitude of the federal fertilizer board
lnow is: The Chemical Alliance
| Through its committee on fertilizer
! has agreed that when sold for cash
| Tor marketable security fertilizers
! shall be sold to organizations of farm
! ers in 30-ton lots at the same whole
! sale price and of the same grade a.
| sold to the dealers. The fertilizer
| board assumes the position that tn
| government has not forced this. TIL
fact is that it was far from volun
:! tary act on the part Of the trade AM
that vigorous protests are beinI
made.
. Frankly, the fertilizer men ga
they will swallow this dose II neces
\ sary to win the war, but they do nc
I yet see it is.
III The matter is not decided by an
means for there are several point
that have still to be settled in cor
SI ference. There are awaiting th
III return OF the federal fertilizer admir-
4 Iistrator, William Wallace Mein, frol
I'll the Pacific coast.
Sl Inspected Potash Production
II Mr.. Mein, the federal fertilizer az
ministrator, and F. W. Brown, chit
I'll of the office Of fertilizer investigation
ii U. S. bureau of soils, who is on II
III ipter-departmental board in charge
II fertilizer resources, are now on tri
al to the coast on a tour of inspectio
u of the government potash plant
Summerland, CAL. where the highe
Sl grade potash is being recovered fro
ii the giant kelp weed. They will all
II visit several large commercial plan
> in the same area.
Il One OF the important objects OF Il
ri trip which has thus far been Ike
III secret is that on their return trip TIN
81 will look into the commercial pos
Ill bilities of the allunite field in u
Ill and be prepared to make report
ri to the practicability Of developing
Il to meet the present emergency +
a. war supplies,
. By unanimous vote, the conVenti'
at Atlantic City adopted reso!uti
- nn-oy;ro tha recommendations ma