New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-10-08
Chamber of Commerce.

presented: Charles Strain, General Il. L
Gibson, j. K. Small, Washington Marks, B
NJ. Pond, Alexander Walker, and Professor
, G. For5hey.
The gentlemen named were then duly
elected by viva voce vote, without oppo
sitiOn.
A lengthy communication was received
from the Board of Trade at Mobile respect
ing the construction of ship canal across
the peninsula of Florida.
Mr.. Seixas thought the matter discussed
in the communication were of national i'm
portance, and that the chamber should re
Ter it to the committee of improvements
1t was so referred.
Mr.. Kennard said he doubted the policy
of committing the chamber detinitiyely to
the plan proposed, and suggested recon
sideratiOn OF the reference, and that the
communication be referred to the delegates
to the National Board of Trade.
Mr.. Cranweu favored such reference, and
it was so referred.
Mr.. Highly from the committee on the
Fort St. Philip canal, made verbal report
to the effect that the committee had com
| pleted the preparation of all necessary
! documents to be presented to the National
| Board of Trade. Among other things he
SAID the committee had traced the history
of the passes of the Mississippi river for
more than hundred years, and found there
| had been an encrOachment Of twelve miles
upon the gulf in that time.
Mr.. Seixas read an extract from the New
| Orleans Times, stating that drummer of
New York house, while in Galveston,
| in order to Obtain orders, had circulated
| false reports in that city of the prevalence
| of yellow fever in this city. He supposed it
had been done, if at all, by some inexperi-
| enced young man; but unless some notice
was taken OF it other young men, in order
| to secure business, might do the same thing.
| Many drummers work on commission, and
| the desire to make commissions, besides
commencing themselves to their employers,
| was temptation to commit this otfense.
He moved that the matter be referred to
| the committee on quarantine to investigate
| and report.
Mr.. Shropshire moved the adoption of the
following resolution:
ReS0tCed, That a standing committee on
the tariff of mercantile and commercial
charges in this city be appointed to inquire
into and report from time to time, for the
consideration of the Chamber, such changes
as are proper to be made in the tariff and
charges as adopted by the Chamber, Feb
ruary, 1870.
The resolution was adopted and the com
mittee appointed, as follows w A. ShrOp-
shire, G.. D. Fisher and B. +. Glover
Mr.. Munson offered the following resolu-
tions:
WHEREAS, 1t is of great Importance to
encourage the expectation of grain in bulk,
coastwise or foreign, by way of New
Orleans, by reducing all local charges
thereon as tar as possible; and
Whereas, The said trade is at present pre-
ductive of very little wharfage toll to the
city: therefore
ReSo1red, That committee of three be
appointed to inquire into the possibility of
obtaining from the Mayor and Council f
the city of New Orleans an ordinance by
which all river craft bringing grain in bulk,
which shall be exported, and all ocean yes
sells carrying away such grain in bulk,
shall, upon declaring on oath the amount of
river and ocean tonnage SO employed, be
entitled to drawback for all wharfage
tolls on so many tons as shall be employed
in the transportation of bulk grain on every
voyage Of such river craft or ocean vessels;
and the committee shall report them to the
chamber.
Captain Burdeau thought it probably
useless to make this application, as the
wharf dues constitute about the only cash
revenues Of the city. He was fully per
suaded that something should be done to
reduce the expenses on bulk grain. He
thought the City Council had not mani
tested a proper appreciation of its ability
to aid in enterprises of this kind, and
would, for the reason stated, probably re-
fuse to rebate the wharfage tolls as prayed
authorities to grant the company which he |
represented some special wharf privileges |
necessary to their trade. and of general i'm |
p0rtance, but that they had been refused, |
Notwithstanding his company had Pomo |
ised to make improvements on the levee |
amounting to more than $4,000.
The resolutions were adopted, and the |
chair appointed the following committee: |
J. T. Bronson, j. T. Burdeau and George |
Martin
Mr.. Putnam offered the following resolu-
ton:
WHEREAS. In all the leading sugar mar
kets of the United States the tare usually |
allowed on all sugar in hogsheads is twelve |
per cent, in the city of New Orleans, n
which it is ten per cent on all the crop of
Louisiana sugar; and
Whereas, Buyers who seek this market
to purchase Louisiana sugar do so with a
positive loss Of two per cent, and in too
many instances an actual additional loss
ranging from ten to seventy pounds per
to whomsoever may empty the
hOgshead against them, which facts operate
to the direct injury of the sugar planting
interest of Louisiana at large, particularly
when compared with the more favorable re-
suit foreign sugar, by which there is
gain in barreling of from ten to seventy
pounds per hogshead; and
Whereas, We believe that the sugar plant
ars OF Louisiana are as honorable and honest
men as exist anywhere, who would not seek
any undue advantage in tare or otherwise,
md that the loss in the weight of the empty
is due not so much to them as to
he manufacturers of the hOgsheads who
ire not affected by the injurious conse-
Iuence Of over heavy packages; therefore,
De it
Resolued, That in the opinion Of this
Chamber it will greatly c0nduce to the best
interests Of every sugar planter ia this
State to change the present custom of ten
Der cent tare, and establish instead thereof
ctual tare of twelve per cent tare; there
ore we recommend to the sugar plant
rs of Louisiana and the sugar factors
II this city to unite in establishing
y common consent a uniform Gus
ON of actual tare or twelve per
ent tare, and that until such uniform
ustOm may have been established either ;
y combined action as above named, or by
legislative enactments, it is especially re-
commended to each and every planter to |
ave every empty hOgshead weighed, and
he actual weight marked on each hogshead
4 legible figures before it is filled, as they
will unquestionably derive an advantage t
rom so doing in the enhanced prices their
ugar will command when the mind of buy /
RS is relieved of the positive loss of two
er cent and a prospective loss which they
an not correctly estimate; and that we re- /
pectfuIly suggest to the sugar factors of T
bis city the Importance of calling the. at
antion of their constituents to this subject
and advising them as they may I
eem best.
Mr. Kennard said his information was \
hat the planters were very much opposed
} the twelve per cent.