New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-12-04
THE PICAYUNE AND THE SHIP
OWNERS.


ping agents and ship captains, was published
in the Bulletin yesterday morning The
purport Of this card was to the effect that
from this time forward the subscribers
would neither advertise in the Picayune nor
have the paper sent to them on subscription.
As no reason was assigned for this extraor'
dinary demonstration of illwill, there was
no little speculation ON the streets as to
what it all meant. No one can doubt the
right of these gentlemen to take such papers
as they may wish to read, or send
their advertisements where they deem
their Interests require such action, provided
they pay their bills promptly. But men
tention to favor or disfavor newspapers, or
any other branch of industry, with a
flourish of trumpets, unless they have some
motive for making their private business
public. It was apparent on the face Of the
card that it was intended to call the notice
of the public to the fact, which no one really
cares much about, that they were displeased
with our ancient neighbor. and wished to
draw from him some of their liberal pat
ronage.
Further inquiry satisfied us that the
foundation for all this tempest in the port
was an article published in the COM
mercial column Of the Picaysne on the first
instant. The ship captains took offense at
the views Of the writer, and evidently hope
to make tho paper change it's course or pun
isA it with loss of patronage, for its opinions
on question purely of public policy and
mercantile usage. This smacks of dictation,
and we are much mistaken if our friends
the seafaring men gain any advantage by
their attempt. The press should not only
be free. legally, to publish the views Of its
writer's, but there is propricty that no
social or business disadvantage should fol-
low the freedom Of debate.
As to the averments in the article com
planned of, they have been made time and
time again by all the Independent journals
of the city during the past year. Business
men complain Of the very things the Pica-
yune complained of. and competing cities
St. Louis, Cincinnati, Chicago, Savannah,
Norfolk, Charleston, and even Mobile and
Galveston, observe with satisfaction, our
evident determination to stand in ourOwn
light. Here is a wrong to be righted; an
error to be corrected; an obstruction to
suggests remedy which we do not approve
of. But it is only suggestion. 1t may be
amended, postponed, laid on the table or
adopted, just as the public may choose; but
the mover should not be Outlawed for
bringing it before the people. Any other
proposition, looking to the same result,
might be adopted, and would be likely to
receive the assent of the Pieayune. For
we take it our neighbor will cheerfully help
forward anything calculated to remove the
main difficulty. 1t is not, probably, welded
to any obstinate theory on the subject, nor
the proprietor Of any patent invention for
reducing freights to reasonable price.
But as an honest public journalist, on the
lookout for wrongs in the body polite, we
hold that there is nothing in the article of
| the Picoy,.nc to create so much resentment
| as is exhibited by the ship-owners in the
withdrawal Of their patronage, and the
rather ostentatious announcement of their
concerted action. We give below the arti-
Gle and the "card:"
| THE SUPPLY OF SHIPPING.
There are at present on the berth and IN
thirty barks, twelve brigs and twelve
| schooners. The tonnage is az follows:
| Steamships engaged in the foreign trade, or
running to New York or Philadelphia, 49,,
! 265 tons; sailing ships, 72, 500 tons; barks,
16, $50 tons; brigs, 3240 tons; schooners, 1900
| TONS At three bales of cotton to the ton,
the supply Of tonnage is now sufficient to
| transport 3l3, 900 bales Of cotton.
| According to the latest mail dates there
are on the way to this port S steamships,
! with capacity of $500 tons; 49 ships, with
| a capacity of 60,270 tons; 20 barks, with
capacity of II 600 tons; and brigs, with
capacity Of 1920 tons.
| Total on the way, &c, 800 tons, sufficient to
| carry 24l 900 bales of cotton.
The total supply Of tonnage in port and
known to be on the way here is therefore
ample to transport 554 900 bales of cotton.
or nearly half the amount to be forwarded
from this port during the present CONNER
cial year.
But few of our readers, probably, have
| ever noticed the wide difference between
the rates of foreign freights which prevail
here and those current in New York
The New York Shipping List OF the
| twenty second, quotes the sail rates for cot
ton from that port to Liverpool at a a 932d
| by sail, and " a 09-16d by steamer. The sail
| rate here is Slid.
The rate of freight from New York upon
| a bale of cotton weighing 450 pounds is,
therefore. 81 2502 "a by sailing vessel.
The same bale Of cotton can not be shipped
by sail from this city to Liverpool for less
than 81 68. The rate from this port is
double the outside rate from New York.
On ship of 1850 tons the excess of our
rates above those from New York equals
$s625, or $6 30 y ton. Our port charges
may be heavy, but they certainly do not
Justify such scandalOus rates of freight. 1t
is not to be wondered at that vessels can
afford to lay for five or six months waiting
for a cargo when they can get such rates of
freight, nor need it be q matter of surprise
that our foreign trade does not increase.
Exorbitant ocean freights have driven, and
will continue to drive produce into other
| channels.
This extra charge Of So 30 in gold upon
every bale of cotton is sufficient, in great
many cases, to turn the scale against this
ward to New York overland. We lost
several thousand hogsheads of tobacco from
| high ocean freights from this port last year;
and if We do not regard the interests of
| commerce moro considerably, we shall
| soon discover that the cotton trade, too, is
gone from US.
1t would perhaps be good policy for the
City Council to levy a heavy tax upon
every vessel which remains beyond a certain
| time at our wharves; such q tax as would
compel masters to accept the ruling rates Of
freight, load with dispatch and put to sea.
There ia no reason Whv we should furnish