The Phosphates of America. 75 



way cars standing on a track parallel with the canal. We have 

 been informed that the actual capacity of this plant is 300 tons a 

 day, and that a car-load of twenty tons can be raised, washed, 

 dried and loaded by it for market in forty minutes at no greater 

 cost than that of the river pebbles. We have, however, considered 

 it necessary to accept this statement with due reserve. 



The custom so long prevalent in South Carolina of imposing a 

 royalty upon all phosphates removed from navigable rivers or 

 streams has redounded so much to the profit of that State that the 

 Florida authorities have decided to avail themselves of a similar 

 method of taxation in order to swell their meagre revenues. A 

 law regulating this kind of mining was accordingly recently passed 

 by the Legislature and has now been signed by the Governor. 



Under its provisions the Governor, Comptroller and Attorney- 

 General are constituted a board of phosphate commissioners, which 

 board shall have the management and control of all phosphates in 

 the navigable waters of the State. The board will appoint a phos- 

 phate inspector at a salary not to exceed $1,500 per annum, who 

 will act as its executive officer. 



On all the phosphates taken from navigable waters within the 

 application of the law a royalty of 50 cents per ton will be col- 

 lected when the phosphatic material analyzes "fifty per cent, or 

 less, and not to exceed fifty-five per cent., bone phosphate of lime ; " 

 75 cents per ton for " material analyzing over fifty-five per cent, 

 .and not exceeding sixty per cent.," and " $1 per ton for every ton 

 -of phosphate rock, etc., analyzing in excess of sixty per cent, bone 

 phosphate of lime." 



Account is to be rendered to the board of commissioners and 

 payment of royalty made to the State quarterly. 



The State grants the right to persons, either natural or corpo- 

 rate, to mine the navigable waters of the State within certain well- 

 defined limits, in no case to exceed ten miles by course of stream, 

 for a period not to exceed five years, preference being given, how- 

 ever, to riparian owners and to those who have commenced to 

 mine in good faith before the passage of the act. 



The bill further enacts that no person or persons shall be per- 

 mitted to mine the bed of any navigable water of the State until 

 he or they shall have first filed with the board of phosphate com- 

 missioners a bond, with good and sufficient sureties to be approved 

 by the board and in such sum as the board shall deem proper. 

 Mining must begin within six months from date of contract and 



