Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-11-10
To Cotton Planters ana Shippers.


The cotton exchange met yesterday
afternoon and adopted the following ad.
dress TO cotton planters and shippers:
MENPH1s. November 8, 1871.
To Cotton Planters and Shippers;
The undersigned committee, having in
charge the protection of cotton coming
to this market, respectfully suggest to
planters aud shippers, and especially
those who send their cotton TO Memphis
by river, that their interests impsratively
require that greater care be taken in the
matter Of protecting shipments while at
the landings, together with more ade-
quate provisions for enabling boats to
receive cotton on board in good order at
such landings. The recent unfavorable
weather has demonstrated that a large
proportion Of the cotton coming by boats
reaches our landing in wet condition,
and is more or less injured from that
cause, while much of it is badly dam
aged by mud, through which the bales
are dragged or rolled in getting them
aboard. These are the principal evils
to which we desire to call your atten.
ton, and for which We beg to suggest q
remedy. An article so valuable as cot.
ton. aud which is so easily damaged, is
certainly deserving of a degree of care
that would be accorded to merchandise
Of far less value. Did the bales consist
of hay instead Of cotton, they would be
handled with more care and greater at.
tention paid to placing them on board
steamers in merchantable order, and yet
the entire value of a bale of hay is often
less than the damage to a bale of cotton
when rolled over in mud and water.
This evil should not exist, and can be
avoided it parties in charge of landings
will provide suitable sheds for the pro-
lection OF cotton from the weather while
awaiting shipment, and devote the labor
and expense necessary to grading the
landings and providing a wooden road.
way OF skids, or otherwise, down the
bank to a point easily reached by the
stage plsnks of the steamers. The labor
and expense incurred will be trihing
compared with the amount saved every
season to planters aud shippers by the
protection thus afforded. With these
suggestions carried out, masters of boats
3 be reasonably required to receipt
for cotton in good order, our fac
tors can demand its delivery here In
like condition, all unnecessary damage
will be avoided, and common carriers be
held to a rigid accountability for all in.
jury to shipments sustained while in
their care. Without some such action
as herein indicated, the interests of
planters and shippers will continue to
suffer, especially to shipments made
during bad weather, and for which dam
age the carrier should be held RESPONSE
BILE according to law, which requires
merchandise to be delivered in the con-
dition indicated BY the bill of lading or
railroad receipt. We would again earn.
sstly urge upon the owners OF cotton in
the interior the great importance Of
keeping it, while in their possession, pro.
tecled from the weather. Surely an
article costing so much time, labor and
money to produce is worth taking care
Of The annual loss to the crop of this
district, as we'll as Of the United States,
amounts TO an enormous sam which can
readily be saved if the crop be accorded
the same protection that is given to every
other product of our soil. Respectfully
submitted. J.. 7. HILLsMAE, Chm,
H.. G. HAMPsoN,
c. B. CLARKE,
WV H. GooDLETTE,
WV FRoLIoH,
]. Il. BLACK,
J.J. BusBY,
JoHS 7. BURR,
a.. A. MONTGOMERY.