The Yazoo Whig and political register. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1840-1842, 1841-07-02

COTTON

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is landed and reshipped al New 0rleans2
II was done SO last year because it was the
wear before, and will probably take the same
course this year because itdidlast. lfthere
is better reason than this, have never
heard it stated and am quite ignorant OF Il.
Do you know, Mr.. Editor, or do any Of
your correspondents know, Of any other dis
trict, city or country except the State of
Mississippi, which has a trade with the
ocean amounting to one half the commerce
Of this State, with safe sea navigation at its
own shores, which conducts its trade through |
the agency of an intermediate port where all
its imports and exports are landed and re-
shipped2 dot believe there is another in
stance of the kind in the commercial world. |
If we sustained no other loss than the |
mere necessary expenses consequent upon
landing and reshipment, this alone would
be amply sufficient to induce us to break off
the trade and use the advantages which Ma
ture has put in our reach, and conduct our
own trade independent of an, agency at
New Orleans. We make ourselves tTibu.a-
~ to New Orleans when we have the same
advantages of navigation which they have.
The question of the practcability of con-
Quoting our trade through an agency at New
Orleans is one ofmere dollars and cents, and
the difference in the cost Of getting Mssis-'
sippi cotton to market by this mode and
direct trade should be fairly inquired into.
Freight from the ports in this State on the
Mississippi river, to the Northern or Euro
pean markets is generally, when freight is
plenty, about twenty-five cents more than
from New Orleans. The average excess Of
freight alone, may therefore be fairly esti-
mated at seventy-fiVe cents bale, conse-
quent upon a mere landing and reshipment.
Marine Insurance is subject to a similar de-
ductiOn but in greater proportion.
Loss of time while the cotton remains in
New Orleans before it goes upon the salt
water, FIRE insurance at New Orleans, all the
routine Of 'drayages,' Storage 'labOur' and
the like are wholly unnecessary at New Or
leans, because the same items of expense
Onsuch as will answer like purposes, have
again to be sustained by the same cotton.
IL is no answer to this argument TO sal
that most or all Of the Mississippi cottor
which goes to New Orleans goes there fol
sale, because whether sold or not the plant
or has to sustain all the expenses necessary
or unnecessary, until it gets to the market
il all the items Of expense are not deducted
from his New Orleans sales, the purchase
pays them, and the deduction is from tn
price. fit was customary for the cotton {
undergo another similar set of expenses a
some other intermediate port, although
was after the planter had sold it, he woul
nevertheless have to sustain the expense
for the cotton would then of course sell fo
that much less. Hence the necessity an
advantage to the.planter, Of such an arrange
ment in the trade as will facilitate the tran!
portation from the first shipping point to tn
final landing, in the shortest time and at th
least expense, whether the cotton is in hi
hands all the time or not, and it is quite in
material TO his interest at what time or plac
his ownership ceases.
The foregoing items of expense will |
mount generally to about. 50 so a bal
which is a dead and unnecessary loss TO I'll
Mississippi planter, but it is by no means Ii
most important loss which he sustains
consequence OF his cotton visiting New O
leans. His greatest loss is the damage ar
actual waste Of the cotton. These iten
are difficult to ascertain precisely, but the
are known and acknowledged TO be We
great Most persons who have taken son
pains 10 examine, and have written upon Il
subject or otherwise given their views, es
mate the direct loss and damage to the CO
ton bales at New Orleans and consignme
upon Steam Boat Shipment there, at d
cent pound. This is a heavy loss-fo
dollars bale, or more than million and
half Of dollars upon the crop. This estima
Of one cent pound loss is, think, fol
sustained by publications on the subie
which have occasionally been made IN NJ
Orleans. Many we'll informed persons
Iieve il TO be much below the actual 10
sustained
The Outrageously wasteful manner
which cotton is handled in New Orleans d
ring the cotton season could scarcely be e
ag6erated Many times il lies for mont
exposed to the rain, and the stealGge Of
host Of vagabonds, the lower ter of bal
nearly or quite buried in mud. /, IS wal
ed over by ten thousand passers by as
common side walk believe il IS custo
ary for the cotton samplers each 10 sell 5,
eral bales In the course Of the season. Il
cotton thus obtained constitutes as Ia
understood, Their salary. We all know Z
hemp bagging when exposed % wet
dampness wil soon rot: consequently
handling Of cotton "a New Orleans, after
has been there a short time literally strips
Of what Is left on III This neilherimproi
the sale OF the quality of chat which is o
side. Many times cotton which is shpE