Thibodaux minerva. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858, 1855-07-28
The Sugar Market.

The Sugar Market.
1t is to-day that convenes at the Court House ir
this place, a convention of the sugar planters O
| the Lafourche and adjacent parishes, for the pur
pose of taking into consideration the propriety o
establishing Sugar Market at Algiers, on the op
posite side of the Mississippi river from New Orleans
There are many good and valid reasons why q
measure Of this kind should be duly considered by
those who are engaged in the culture Of one of the
chief and most important staples of the South; a
staple which requires and actually has invested,
larger amount Of capital than any other branch Of
industry; yet one which yields much less percen.
tage on that capital than either of the other two
important staples-cotton and tobacco.
1t is fact eminently worthy Of note, that up to
this time, the planting community engaged in the
cultivation of sugar seems to have been wholly in
different as well as blind to their own interest, in
having so long suffered themselves to be imposed
upon for want of some mutual understanding
among themselves to shield them from the in
fuences of a market controlled in whole or in part
by set of spectators, who at the business season
Of the year watch its fluctuations and profit by
every possible contingency that might in any wise
depress the price of sugars to make small ad-
vance, by purchasing Of the regular factors who
may be forced, or would prefer to sell rather than
be put to the trouble of storing, which is attended
with no trifing expense to the planters. There
other reasons which often have the tendency to
cause Commission Merchants intrusted in the dis
posal of sugars, to be rather more easy in their
terms than they would otherwise be were they diff
ferently situated; and the first is the regulations
which compel all sugars and molasses landed on
the Levee in New Orleans to be removed in thirty
six hours after they shall have been unloaded from
the vessels. No other commodities if we are cor
rectly informed are subjected to such strict port
rules 1t is almost unnecessary to say that this re-
quirement has much to do with the steady price
of sugars; for as we have before said, the factor
will frequently prefer selling at less price, rather
than be compelled to store. 1t must also be borne
in mind when sugar is left exposed to the weather.
it has very evil effect on it, destroying the grain
as well as changing its qualities and detracting from
its general appearance. 1t should also be remem-
bered that sugar left on the levee is attended
with considerable expense for watching, tarpaul-
ms, cooperage, ETC., etc.
Now to obviate all these charges, wrongs and
inequalities, when compared to the more favored
products-cotton and tobacco-it stands the sugar
planters in hand, to devise some plan or plans to
bring about change. They have, in our opinion,
hit upon the most efectual one that they could
possibly adopt by transferring it to Agers. We
are fully aware that the merchants will at first op-
pose measure of this kind; for it will have the
effect of depriving them Of sundry little items in
the way of charges, acceptances river risks etc.,
etc; but they must "grin and bear it" until they
shall have become accustomed to this new order of
things. We haven not the least doubt but that they
will contend that buyers will never consent to cross
the river for the purpose of inspecting the sugars
and making their purchases. Quote Shakeepear to
them. Tell them that, Sin time the savage bull
is made to wear the yoke" Act well your part,
and you may rest assured that things will eventually
rebound to your best welfare. s-..
But We have not yet done. Once the sugar
market has become permanently established at
Gretna or Algers, it will devolve upon the Ope-
lousas Railroad Company to provide cheap and
ample accommodations for storing. The company
have sufficient grounds for the erection of large
commodious fire proof ware houses, which besides
bringing them in money for storage would insure
them the transportation of the crop to MARKET
thereby producing them two-fold revenue; and
relieving the planter Of the expense of river in
surance, and many other minor charges. which in
the aggregate amount to no inconsiderable sum by
time the crop is entirely disposed Of
The CHoLERA.-This fearful malady which
has been raging with considerable virulence for
some time back, on the Lafourche, about