Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-02-20
1hnml,er nf Commerce.

z HNAEEHa 10 the JlAiitEG5 % 1tNLtAstt, pre-
scented the following, which was read and
adopted:
ADDREs5 or THE NASHVILLE CHAMBER or
COMMERCE TO THE COTTON PLANTERS OF
MIDDLE TENNESSEE, NORTH ALABAMA
AND NORTH GEORGIA. -.
One Of the objects of our association is 70
foster and enlarge Agricultural produe-
| lions OF every description" To do this We
must, IL possible, Find purchasers at re-
munerative prices, with little cost to the
| producer" To effect this on the article Of
! cotton, it becomes our duty 10 bring the
manufacturer Of cotton goods TO buy the
raw material a. directly of you as the cir
cnmstances Of the case will allow.
/ We believe that 80 long as the produc-
/ ton of cotton in the United States, does not
| exceed one and half million bales, there
can be no necessity in your seeking mar
| ket for your productions through the COM
mission merchants Of New York, New Or
leans, or any other point beyond Nashville,
at an expense Of six to eight cents per
pound 10 yourselves, and an additional ten
per cent. 10 the cotton interest, in the way
| Of extra freights and commissions and
twenty per cent. in damages from handling
| and exposure That properly managed,
there should be no greater difference in the
| New York and Nashville markets, than
/ the mere transportation. That the present
difference is mainly attributable to our
mode Of handling. That by the present
mode, the entire cotton crop is placed in
| the hands of mere spectators, managed
and controlled by New Orleans aud New
| York, forcing shipments to those points
greatly to your own and our injury.
The experience of the past five years. in
| which the manufacturers of cotton goods
have lost an average of 20 per cent. on the
/ raw material from concealed damage and
false packing, has shown the necessity and
| interest Of the manufacturer to buy as
| directly Of the producer as practicable. But
so long as you place your crop in the hands
| of New York and New Orleans merchants,
! thereby forcing the entire production ofthe
country to those points for distribution, Cat
a useless expense 10 the planter and spinner
| of not less than 80 per cent. on all Tennes-
see cotton, we cannot hope or expect the
manufacturer TO buy Of you direct.
II is scarcely necessary we should re-
| mind the planter that his former pres
| tige is lost that American cotton is no
longer king" and that it has now be-
come the imperative duty of all cotton
planters TO work together for the common
good that every leak may be stopped,
every useless extra abolished, and as near
as practicable, bring the manufacturer to
his door, Save this 20 per cent. loss from
concealed damage, 10 per cent charges for
extra freights and commissions, together
with the six ccntsper pound, now demanded
as difference in price between legitimate
market, and forced one, all caused by the
present roundabout way of getting to the
manufacturer.
We do not propose to remedy the evil
entirely at the present for that can only be
| done by the building of factories in our
midst, but we can greatly improve the pre-
sent state of affairs by simply selling every
| bale Of cotton that comes to this market at
/ public auction, under the auspices Of the
| Chamber of Commerce, at a specified place
and appointed hour, daily, during the sea-
son.
Giving the planter the privilege Of re-
iecting any sale.
Requiring the planters name marked
| distinctly on every bale that fal5e-packing
may be traced and good handling rewarded.
Requiring every bale, when sold, 10 be
weighed by a sworn public WelgheT, ap-
pointedby the Chamber for the purpose
There can be no fairer way to prevent
combinations, collisions or frauds, in the
cotton operations Of Nashville, than a bona
fde sale by auction, conducted by the Secre-
tary of the Chamber Of Commerce, and
understood by everybody. ...
We believe this mode will, in the end,
take the cotton ont of the hands of New
York and New Orleans commission mer-
chants; bring genuine buyers, manufac-
tureTs or consumers, If you please, 10 buy
your products at your door that you will
have ten bidders where you now have one,
and that the manufacturing and cotton in
terests will be greatly benefited by the
change.
There are manufacturers of cotton be.
tween this and New York to consume more
than five times the ordinary receipts at
this point, many of whom, il properly in
vited bv fair trade and equal competition,
would give as much for cotton here as in
/ New York, for reasons heretofore given,
besides finding a market for their goods.
We can hardly hope the great benefits Of
our proposed system will be felt or aC-
knowledged in day, or month, or perhaps
in season, but we are convinced a fair
triad will not fail 10 satisfy every intelligent
planter, that il is the only mode by which
| lac can hope to get the full market value in
a fair market.
Our commercial prosperity depends
mainly upon the productions Of the earth.
| Nohr interest is our interest. Your in
creasing wealth is good fortune to rs, aud
unless remuneratiye prices can be had for
your productions, our trade mus! cease.
/ Hence this card.
To further this object we propose 10
adopt the folio wing tarii Of charges:
Our present law allows producers to sell
/ their own products in this market without
| license. Those bringing their own samples
| TO the Chamber at Change hours" with
/ out the Intervention Of a merchant will be
required 10 pay a chamber fee Of twenty
five cents per bale for selling. No other
| charges when sold from wagons or from
depot The seller however, will be re-
anired to deliver ut the warehouse deslg
mated by the purchaser, and pay for weigh
ing and tagging.
The charges when sent to store, and
placed in the merchants hands, where no
advances, acCeptances, or other obligations
| are made, will be fifty cents per bale each
| month for storage; twenty-five cents per
| bale for weighing and tagging (lnCluding
| government thdtktNs twenty NV WINS Pei
! bale for marking and shipping; fifty cents
/ fa7 making out bills and collecting, inclu-
ding sampling and exhibiting sample at
| Chamber of Commerce.
All taxes, except merchants tax, firein
surance and repairs extra.
All cotton 10 be insured if remaining in
store over night, unless otherwise instructed
| hy the owner.
| All cotton TO be weighed 10y public
wegher, whose duty it shall be TO see that
every bale is IL order, and where repairs are
required he is 70 repair at the expense of
the owner, unless sold otherwise.
| When advances in cash, by acceptances
or otherwise are made on the faith of the
crop in prospect, or in hand, OF where BONDS
| are executed hv the merchant for the gov
ernmeut tax, il shall be legitimate aud
proper cor the merchant 10 charge two and
a halfper cent. commission on all advances
or aCoeptances, and two and hall per cent.
| commission on all sales, in addition to the
above charges leaving off the charge for
making out bill aud collecting.
ii. III. HARRISON,