432 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



Virginia were destroj^ed, g'iving Nevv- York their market. The salt then 

 inspected amounted to 7,200,391 busliels. The liabilities of 18G0 were paid 

 off, $400,000 divided among- the manufacturers, and a dividend of 40 per 

 cent, on- the capital of $IG0,000. 



The next jear prices were still higher, and 9,053,874 bushels w^ere sold. 

 The Salt Company paid $400,000 to the owners of the manufactories, and 

 divided 231^ per cent, upon the capital of $160,000. 



In 18G3, apprehending- tliat salt from West Virginia, Michigan, and other 

 sources might come upon the market, the company directed the manufac- 

 turers to reduce the quantit_Y of salt for the season. But this order was 

 subsequently modified, and 7,942,383 bushels of salt were inspected. The 

 company, after paying $400,000 to the proprietors, divided $304,000 — 190 

 per cent, upon their capital. 



Thus, during the last three years the enormous amount of 24,196,648 

 bushels of salt has been manufactured at the Onondaga Reservation; for 

 which the manufacturers have received$61,200,000; and then again, in the 

 capacity of stockholders in the Salt Company, have realized in addition 

 $748,000. 



The following quantities of salt have been received at this povt from 

 Syracuse during the present year: 



RETURNED BY WEEKS. 



2d week in May, pounds 3,316,300 



3d " " " 871,000 



4th " " " 1,277,100 



1st " June, " 420,300 



2d " " " , 1,703,400 



3d ■ " " " ; 1,997,700 



4th " July, " 874,200 



Making 196,240 bushels. 



The revenue derived by the State from these springs — one cent per 

 bushel — amounted, for the last three years, to $241,966.48, of which about 

 $125,000 has been expended for salaries of officers at the springs and car- 

 rying on the works. There were efforts made in the Legislature in IS60, 

 1862, 1863 and 1864 to procure an increase of the duty, but they were 

 unavailing. 



The salt manufacturers assert before tlie legislative committees that 

 their recent prosperity has been due to their control of the market by the 

 destruction of the Kanawha salt works, and tlieir facilities by their combi- 

 nation to procure fuel at lower prices, to be employed in their manufacttre. 

 Tiiey insist, further, that when the rebellion shall have been suppressed, 

 West Virginia and the salt works of Sontliern Oliio must obtain the market 

 in tlie valley of the Ohio> and that the manufacturers of Michigan will be 

 able to divide if not to monopolize the north-western trade. It should be 

 remarked, however, that proposals from Hocking Valley in Ohio, and Sagi- 

 naw in Michigan, to divide the Western States into districts, one for each 

 company to occupy witiiout competition, were refused. Whetlier the appre- 

 liension of losing the western market Vv'ill induce the Onondaga manu- 

 facturers, at a future day, to accede to such an arrangement, we cannot 

 tell. 



