The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-05-15

ting merchandise to remain on the levse after
being landed longer than the law allows. The
petition for relief Was in due time addressed to
the City Council
ELLERMAN 4 &c. g PUT IN,
Elierman & Co., lessees and contractors Of
the whsrves, have also protested against the
keeping Of merchandise on tho wharves, on tho
ground that it deteriorates them. and that it is
against the law.
Now lot us see what Administrator Cavanao has
to say about the matter. In conversation with
our reporter, Mr.. Cavanao says that in the inter
est OF the commercial community he has issued
orders TO DIR. Henry @. Brown, in charge of the
landings in question, to permit freight, after
landing, to remain on the levee as long as the
merchants choose to keep it there, and that there
is plenty Of room for incoming freight.
WITH MR.. BROWN.
Our reporter next interview ID Mr.. Brown. who
repeated word for word the orders he had re-
csived Mr.. Brown added that there is only
one kind OF merchandise which the merchants
wish to be allowed to remain on the landing
beyond the forty-eight hours specified in the city
ordinances, and that was corn, oats, wheat and
other grain; cotton, -four and other produce is
taken away as fast as it is landed,
Acting under the instructions of Mr.. Csvanac.
he supervises the matter and acts invariably on
the following system: lie permits the mer-
chants to allow their grain to remain on the levee
~ long rs there Is room for H. and on the condi-
tion that they will not avail themselves OF the or
dinance allowing them forty weight hours to re-
move their freight should the levee be
crowded and room be required for incom-
ing boats, of whose arrival he is always advised
from Vioksburg day two beforehand
that he has found the system to work admirably
and to be great convenience to the merchants
The latter have always cheerfully answered his
requests, and in come cases they have complied
with the agreement by removing large quantities
of freight within two hours after being notified.
Reporter-"I understand that it is charged
that you have allowed lot of hay, coming from
warehouse, to be unloaded on the levee and
sold there"
Mr.. Brown-"TLat is SO. The lot consisted of
ONE HUNDRED BALES,
and had been stored for twelve or eighteen
months, without being sold. To accommodate
the owner permitted The hay to be put on the
levee, where there was all the room needed for
every purpose, where it was sold at auction, the
proceeds hardly paying for tho carriage and stor-
age"
As to the grain, there now possibly fifty
thousand bushels on the levee, which is not in
the way OF anybody; it is there in contra
vention with the letter of the forty eight hour
ordinance 1t may be said, but as Mr. Oavenac
and myself construe it, the ordinance was in-
tended, in spirit, only to prevent an accumula-
ton Of freight on the levee that might be detri-
mental to steamboatmen and consignees of
other incoming freight. There is plenty
of room for grain on the levee and there
will be no boat here until Thur sday or Friday,
when the Great Republic will arrive l mention
this to show you that am posted-in due time
If necessary, will have all surplus freight away
from the landing to afford all tho convenience
required for the cargo of
THE GREAT REPUBLIC
Or an other boat that may come in.
The fight on the part Of the warehousemen ID
simply to compel consignees to send their pro-
duce to the warehouses, thereby entaing extra
expense omit in the shape of cartage and storage
I refer you to Mr.. Howard of Howard & Preston,
Mr.. West and Mr.. John Hanna for confirms
ion OF what have said.
THE GREAT GRAIN TRADE.
Our representative knowing Mr.. Robert 8.
Howard. one of the gentlemen referred to by
Mr.. Brown, to be one OF the leading spirits of
our mercantile community, chose him to obtain
further information on this important subject,
and paid him visit therefor at his Office on Pow
dras street.
MIR. Howard confirmed in evory respect Mr.
Browns statement concerning the necessities of
the grain trade and the conditions relating to the
storage and removing Of grain on and from the
levee, and he added that Mr.. Cavanao and Mr..
Brown were doing The merchants a good service
and assisting materially our city in regaining the
great grain trade.
We proceed to give as briefly as possible, soma
of the most important relations of Mr.. Howard
on this particular topic.
There are now being made the most active ef-
forts on the part of the
MERCHANTS OF BALTIMORE
and Philadelphia, and even of New York, to di-
vert the grain trade from the Mississippi river,
and their agents are to be met with everywhere
in the Southwest below Louisville, Offering equal
advances with our merchants, and many other
inducements to shippers, IL they consent to ship
to the East by the parallel railroads.
They even return the sacks to shippers. which |
saves the latter four cents buehel at eight cents
per sack Shippers, however, prefer sending their
grain to New Orleans at 'ght cents per bushel, /
as they would have to pay sixteen by rail.
We ventured to ask Mr.. Howard why it was that |
the merchants of New Orleans did not return the |
sacks, like those Of Baltimore. Because" said
Mr.. Howard, s'shipmasters here prefer carrying
1t IN sacks, and in that condition it is far prefer
able for storing purposes than in bulk, and COM
mande better price" Indeed, it would be of the
GREATEST ADVANTAGE ,
to commerce If it were possible to let all the
grain that comes here remain on the levee until
it is slowed away IN the ships which are to take
it to Europe. Considering all this, Mr.. Cava-
macs SERVICES are incalcalable, and any attempt |