Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1856-03-29
Sugar Planters Convention.

According to previous announcement, made
by Mr.. ]. s. WILLIAMS, chairman of the com
mittee appointed by the Convention held by
the. Sugar Planters in New Orleans, on the
22d and 23d Of January last the meeting will
take place on the 10th proximo; and as yet but
little movement, so far as we have been able to
learn, has been made to render this Convention
as large as the urgency of the case requires it
should be.
We have noticed but little comment on this
subject from our contemporaries throughout
the State, and we wonder that a matter of so
much Importance to the entire sugar planting
community should be thus negleeted--if not
treated with Indifference. There seems to be
but little interest evineed by the country press
in subject which appertains to them exclu>
sively-the very press which should have been
the first to act--and leave j: almost entirely in
the hands ofthose who represent the interest
of New Orleans! Country papers may be
we'll termed the Agricultural press, and, as we
view it, should always advocate those interests,
and not leave it to the Commercial press, the
City papers
| The object of this Convention is simply to
selecta suitable location for a sugar maria
place where our planters can dispose of their
produce without those annoy yances and incon1
veniances to which they are subjected on the
New Orleans levee. 1t has been suggested
that covered platform or shed be erected at
Gretna or Algiers, opposite New Orleans,
where sugar can be sheltered from mud and
rain, and with such other advantages, which we
need not enumerate here, as to make it all that
any reasonable planter could desire for the sale
of his produce. This forms the substance Of
the object of this Convention, and we hope the
| Committee having this matter in hand will lay
it properly before that body. The planter
wants and must have a proper place for the sale
of his sugar, and as the City appears either
unable or unwilling to give them what they
require, why should they not determine and act
for themselves?
1t has been argued by some that the Ioca-
tion of this mart outside the corporate limits
of New Orleans, would, to an extent, be pres
judicial to her interests, and that as citizens of
Louisiana, we should endeayor to promote the
welfare Of our chief City, &c. This, we cont
tend, is no argument against the removal of
the sugar mart, because, in reality, it will de+
tract little or nothing from that city in point of
dollars and cents; and if it should, who would
be to blame for it? The City seems to be in-
different about the matter, and has not, and, it
appears, will not, give them the time or space
for the purpose they require; hence, if the Con-
vention conclude to remove the mart to the
opposite side of the river, who is to blame g.
Certainly not the planter.
Again: we cannot see how or why New
Orleans would suffer by it, as the proceeds of
the sales would necessarily go there into the
hands of her merchants-the planters supplies
would still be bought there-the same amount
of money would be thrown into circulation
there--so that but little, very little capital
would be taken from her Golfers.
Warehousemen, as a general thing, do not
like to store sugar and molasses, as it rots
their floors, and renders them unfit for any
kind of storage afterwards; or if they do take
it, they charge such prices as makes it almost
ruinous TO the planter to allow it to remain
there for any length of time. And besides
this, the storage system is equally objcctionas
bic to the planter, for many reasons.
Buyers would as quickly make their pure
chases at AIgiers, Gretna or elsewhere, as they
would upon the levee or in store at New Ors
leans, and they could be shipped at the same
expense, if not less, than they could be, draged
on The City side, without that trouble and in-
convenience SO much complained Of by both
buyer and seller.
Taking everything in fair and impartial
view, we think the location of the mart outside
the city of New Orleans, whether in Algiers. |
Gretna or elsewhere would be more conducive
to the interests, convenience and satisfaction of
the planter, than the New Orleans leyee; and |
we hope the committee appointed by the last |
Convention will take such steps to bring this |
subject before the meeting in April next, as
will be satisfactory to all that the sugar mart |
should be out of the City.
While upon this subject, we hope our coun> |
try contemporaries win take this matter under
immediate notice, and call attention to this
with such remarks as they may |
think proper, and urge upon the planters Of |:
their respective neighborhoOds the necessity |
of unity Of action without delay.