Evening star., 1922-03-26
FATE OFPOTASHINDUSTR
INVOLVED IN TARIFF BILL
Plants Erected During War Now Closed
Because They Cannot Compete With
German and French Producers.

farmer uses only from 40 to so pounds
of potash to the ton Of fertilizer.
With a duty OF 2k cents per pound,
F, as proposed for the first year, the
| cost of potash per ton of fertilizer
| then would be increased by from 81
| to $3.50.
| The proponents Of the tariff duty
asserted before the Senate finance
committee that the cotton farmers US
ing fertilizer would have their cost
increased by only 30 cents per acre
! They contend that this could not in
crease the price of cotton in this
| country. With reference to tobacco,
| the supporters OF the tariff say that
it could not increase the price of to-
bacco more than 3-10ths ofsa cent per
pound.
| WHAT 1T WOULD ADD
TO COST OF POTATOES.
A witness appearing against the
tariff asserted that. il levied 1t would
cost the farmers producing potatoes
in New Jersey, where they use a
great deal of potash in fertilizer.
| about 2 cents per bushel Of potatoes
| raised.
These increases in costs due to the
proposed duty on potash do not ap-
pear to be excessive. But the farmer
in this country has been hard hit by
the fall in prices, and it is not un-.
likely that he would object to any
increase in his costs, no matter how
small. On the other hand, the Ameri-
can farmer has felt the pinch due to
the failure OF the German potash
supply during the war and the very
high prices for potash which were
recorded here during the period
when very limited supply was to
| be had. II a big American produc-
J tion can be built up within five years,
as the producers claim, sufficient to
meet practically all the needs OF the
farmers. and at the end of that time
the American made potash csh be
sold for as low prices as the German.
then the American farmer may be
willing to see this plan carried out.
At present the German and French
potash is sold here for about 81 cents
per unit OF potash, which means, in
plain English. 90 pounds OF potash.
a unit being 1 per cent Of short
ton. The American producers figure
that they can produce and sell 1t at
$1.15 per unit. The 2k cents per
pound tariff duty will bring the price
of the imported article up to that
figure, they say.
AMPLE AMERICAN SUPPLY
AT END OF FIVE YEARS.
The claim OF the American pro-
ducers Is that within the next five
years they will have developed meth
DDS Of production to such an extent
that potash can be produced as
cheaply here as in Germany. In Ger
many the potash is obtained from
mines deep under the surface In the
United States large supplies of potash
are found in the brine Of lakes in
California, Nebraska and Utah, as
well as in the rock in other states
and In the sands extending from New
Jersey down part of the Atlantic
coast. The geological survey has es-
; timated tie supplies Of potash in
the United States undeveloped as vast
and capable Of caring for all the
needs Of this country for many hun
dreds Of years to come. For instance.
in Searles Lake. Calf. it is. es.i-
mated there are 100000 tons of
potash. enough to meet the normal
demands Of this country for nearly
100 years. Three thousand lakes
and ponds in Nebraska, varying in
size from an acre to 600 or more
acres. are estimated to contain
enough potash to meet all the coun-
try's needs for twenty years. In
Wyoming. the geological survey es-
Inmates, there are 2o0. 100000 tons of
leucite rock, containing IL per cent
pure potash. or enough TO supply the
country's demands for upward of 500
years. =
CHARGES OF A CONSPIRACY
AGAINST U. s. INDUSTRY.
The American producers are faced
with the opposition of the German
potash syndicate and q similar syn
dicate operating the French Alsace
potash mines. The American pro-
ducers insist that these foreign pro-
ducers are dumping" cheap potash
into the United States in violation
of the anti-dumping laws of Con-
gress. They charge there is a con-
spiracy to run them out Of business,
leaving the Germans and French to
dominate the world so far as potash
is concerned.
Under a contract signed with the
German syndicate by thirty-four
American concerns dealing In potash,
including the big manufacturers of
fertilizer. it was agreed to take from
the German syndicate rs per cent Of
the requirements Of these American
concerns. Not long after the signing
of this contract the same American
concerns made a contract with the
French syndicate for IS per cent Of
their needs. These contracts run un-
til April 80. 49,
The American producers claim that
they were frozen out. They say they
offered to sell large quantities Of
! their potash as low as the Germans
/ offered 1t, just to get rid Of IL. But
they had no success. ..,
lHuerta Here Soon