Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-12-16
ARSE|NATE MAKERS
!. PROMISE SUPPLY
At LOWER PRICES

NEW YORK, Dec. 15.-Govern
ment officials. insecticide manufac-
turers and white arsenic producers
announced at conference here
that although a shortage existed in
the south as a boil weevil extermina-
tor, production by May. 1928, would
be sufficient for the planters de-
mands at a reasonable price.
The conference, called by c. R.
Delong, member OF the tariff COM
mission of the department of COM
merce, was adjourned after the
appointment of a standing commit
tee instructed \to report periodically
on the condition and amount Of
white arsenic production and the
manufacture of calcium arsenate.
The committeeman are DR.. B. r.
j Coad southern field agent, bureau
of entomology. department, of agri-
i, culture; G. f. Loughlin, of the geo.
logical survey; Hamilton B. Rush,
I of the American Smelling and Re
filming company; L. l.. Robertson, or
the United States Smelling and Min.
ing company; Frank Hemingway,
land; r n. Chil--lan, of the Chip
man Manufacturing company, New
Z Jersey, and w. .. Tuck, Corona
Chemical company, Pittsburg.
DR.. Coad declared the cotton farm
ers were complaining because they
were unable to procure at a price
within their means. enough calcium
arsenate for the protection of the
crops against the bell weevil. This
+ assertion led to. various suggestions
for sterilization of production and
price, which failed Of adoption on
the argument that it would be I'M
possible to regulate the rule of sup
ply and demand.
Producers representatives said
their companies were making every
effort to increase production, Mr..
Brush, announcing that the Amerl-
can Smelling and Refining company,
was investing 100000 for new plants
in Mexico to produce white arsenic.
FEAR SOARING ARSENATE
PRICES MAY BE PROHIBITIVE
Atlanta Journal News bureau,
403 Evans Building.
BY THEODORE FILLER,
WASHINGTON, Dec. 15.-Here's
story that vitality concerns cotton
farmers who are fighting the boil
weevil and who thought that they
had gained point when TIE senate
killed the proposed tariff duty on
white arsenic. Members of the SEN
ate, and particularly southern sena-
tors, who believed that by defeating
the proposed duty of two cents
pound on white arsenic proposed In
the tariff bill reported by the finance
committee, they would keep the cost
of this boil weevil poison at a low
level, are apparently mistaken.
During the past summer, arsenic,
used in manufacturing compounds
ito kill insect pests and particularly
in the production Of calcium arse
nate, the best friend the cotton
grower has in his fight against the
boil weevil, sold for IL cents
pound. The argument was used that
if the proposed duty was levied up
Ion it, the price of the product would
he increased to the farmer. After
stiff fight, the duty was omitted
and white arsenic was placed upon
the free notwithstanding the
open market for foreign competi-
ton, white arsenic today is selling
lat Is cents a pound. The indita-
=tions are that unless something is
done it will go still higher. The
price of calcium arsenate will have
to be increased accordingly. and the
effect of this will be that many cot
ton growers will figure it is cheaper
Ito let the boil weevil do his worst
rather than to attempt fighting him
with agantly-priced calcium
arsenate.
Corner is Suspected
Former State Senator George F.
Thompson, of Middleport, Niagara
County, New York, who is head of
dhe Niagara Sprayer company, came
here to look into the matter and
left today for New York. He will
attend a meeting there called by the
commerce department to discuss
this question. In the meantime, the
price of the poison is causing gen
eral disturbance in the south, and
Senator Smith, of South Carolina,
had the senate adopt a resolution
directing the agricultural depart
ment to investigate, after the fed
eral trade commission failed to take
action.
The natural suspicion that pre-
walls among senators who have
given the ma tier attention is that a
corner is being effected in white ar
senic. They believe an investiga-
ton will help break it up, if that be
true. There are two chief produc
ers of white arsenic in the United
4 States, the American Smelling and
Refining company and the Ana
conda Copper company. Arsenic is
"a by-product of the manufacture of
copper and lead, and other smaller
concerns also contribute to tho
amount used. Mr.. Thompson's COM
pany is one of the few that has not
protested particularly against the
high price of arsenic, though it
manufactures about 26 per cent of
-tfle 100000 pounds of calcium ar
senate used in this country in
year. He has reasoned that with
free arsenic coming in from Japan
and Germany, the price which the
poison has reached would be an in
: eentive to foreign imports and they
would come in such quantities that
the price would break, leaving a
large quantity of the product on
hand to be sold at extremely low
prices. Other manufacturers, how
ever, did not take the same view
and asked the government to take
a hand in the situation.
! 49,. Record High Price
The price at which white arsenic
is being sold now is higher than
ever before, even during the war
period, and it is declared that the
point which seems to bear out the
theory of market control is that most
All Dal-s