The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-04-11
FRIDAY. APRIL II. 1918.
TO CONTROL POTASH.

TO CONTROL POTASH.
Are Americas infant industries, born in the
travail Of war, to be left to die, while Germany
RECEIVERS their business?
That fate is about to befaI one Of them-the
potash business-unless the government steps
in to rescue it, according to officials Of the U. S.
Bureau Of Mines.
This year farmers have been doing without
potash, because Of the high prices. They were
told that German and French potash would be-
gin to arrive in this country this winter. For
eign potash is much cheaper than domestic pot
ash. so the farmers waited for it-and they're
still waiting. The normal demand for potash is
abou. 100000 tons year. This country pro-
'duced only $4,000 tons-about q quarter Of the
demand.
American business men have invested $751;
100000 in potash plants out west to produce an
American supply Searles Lake, CAL, and .
Number of small lakes near Alliance, Neb., con-
tain enough deposits of potash salts, such as
potassium sulphate and potassium carbonate, to
supply the United States for SO years. In Wyo-
ming, too, there are large quantities Of leucite
rock containing 10 per cent of potash.
The principal difficulty. however, in the way
OF the development of the industry lay in the
high cost of production and the long freight
hauls at high rates. Foreign potash used to be
shipped ballast, at extremely low rates. There
fore the price Of American potash was thirty
times that of the foreign product.
The invention of means whereby potash can
be produced q by-product Of other industries
helped materially in development Of the indus
try during the war, but it didn't cut down the
price. Cement plants, blast furnaces and other
Industries began to develop by-product potash
production. Experts figured that when the wal
IL - = -
per cent of the potash needed.
The price Of imported potash, as sold to man.
ufacturers Of mixed fertilizers, before the wal
was between 80 cents and 81 per unit.
During the war this price jumped to Sc. Re
Gently it has dropped back to $3.50.
Could American users Of potash afford to pay
that price for domestic potash?
The answer is found in the fact that the pot.
ash plants Of California and Nebraska are closed
and their investment Of millions Of dollars il
going to waste.
Plans were made to produce high-priced chem
icals as by-product Of the potash business, an6
take the chemical business away from Germany
These plants, too, have been suspended because
Of the closing of the plants.
When the world gets back to normal, French
and German potash win begin to ballast vessels
again, and it win be offered to American farm
lers at relatively low price.
The Bureau Of Mines has plan to offset this
competition and protect the infant American in
dustry. It presented its plan to the late lament
Cd congress. but like lots of other good plans il
died on March a.
This plan is for law which viii provide that
when an American buys quantity Of foreign
potash. he must also buy certain proportion OF
American potash. If the American production
equals Is per cent Of the total American de-
mand, then Is per cent of the potash he buys
must be American potash. AS American pro
suction increases, this percentage win increase
also.
Thus the average price paid win be somewhat
higher than the price Of German potash, but it
VIII Be much lower than the present price Of the
domestic article. and the mines experts figure
that the farmers can stand the difference. The
NV would be enforced through system of Ii
7c1sc control of ell potash dealers.