The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-12-01
OUR COTTON TRADE.
INTERVIEW WITH }. H.
LAPIrTE. ESQ, ON ITS FUTURE.

man recently published by the DEMOCRAT,
having attracted much attention and general
desire having been expressed for further In
formation upon a subject so directly affecting |
our cotton trade our reporter called upon
Mr.. John B. Lafitte president OF the Louis
lana Cotton Tie Company, when the follow
ing conversation ensued:
Reporter Mr.. Laftte your connection
with the recent improvements In COMPRISING
cotton, as shown by your position as pres-
dent Of the Louisiana Cotton Tie Company, |
and by your several communications pub |
Hsbed at various times, lead us to believe
that YOU can furnish much valuable informa-
ton upon this important subject, provided
YOU arc willing to be interviewed.
Mr. Laiitte am q ute willing to give all
information Of public interest, reserving to
myself the privilege Of asking you to with
draw such questions as refer to private inter-
| estS only.
| tion would be between your own company
| and the one referred to by Capt. Gilman?
| Mr. Iafitte-The only connection would be
| the granting by the Louisiana Cotton lie
| Company Of the exclusive right to use, within
| certain limits the patents owned or controlled
| by them, in consideration of the payment OF
n royalty of five cents per bale upon all cot
ton handled by the new company
| RepOrter-DO you approve OF inc piitilS
| proposed by Capt. Gilman
| Mr. Tafite-With one exception / approve
| If All the plans and specifications; in fact, at
least one Of them was OF my own Suggestion.
| I disapprOye Of the proposition 10 ADVANCE
money upon cotton stored with the company,
rs such capital could only be employed for
about six months in the year. The other ad-
yantages offered would be sufficient to control
the business, and am confident this feature
will be eliminated from the plan.
| IN inUDTSp
estimate Of the saving that would be elected
by the proposed improvements
Mr.. Lafitte-I differ with him rs regards
Some of the ITEMS as for instance the rate OF
compressng, which he has placed un-
necessarily low; and the saving in drayage
estimate at twothirds instead OF total say
ing. as estimated by him. His aggregate 49,
| however about correct i some time since
made n careful and moderate estimate, which
. showed a gain Of 50 40 per bale, equivalent to
s.. 758 787, upon the cotton that passed through
our city last year 80.
3 Reporter-Do you think this would add
. largely to our receipts OF cOttonf
= Mr. Lafitte-In these days Of sharp compe-
| tition the cheapest route between the pro-
Queer and the consumer Will inevitably COM
} mand the trade, and this saving would, !
5 think give to New Orleans in the course OF q
< very few years one-haf OF the entire cotton
! crop New Orleans at one time handled neaTi J
i that proportion, and the country naturally
. tributary to US now produces Inucn larger
per centage Of the entire crop than it dld al
| that time Take Memphis rs an example; We
| now receive less than 20 per cent OF the Mem
| phis shipments; we should and can command
80 per cent Of them.
With iron barges the freight from Memphis
| would not exceed fifty cents per bale, {
q rate that would defy competition from rail-
] | roads to the Atlantic seaboard; ana Win iin
o nroved methods of handling and com pressing
q cotton our local charges and ocean tre1ghts
J. | WOULD be as low as from the Atlantic ports
b The distance is an item against u.s. but TIM
!. would be compensated by greater dlspatci
1 in obtaining cargoes. Besides this, cottol
- | shipped direct from this port commands
higher price i'm all European markets thai
V the same cotton IL shipped via an Atlantl
g port -
9, parent, why is it that the proposed compan,
y has not already been put in Operationi
= Mr.. Lafitte-Smply for the reason tina
= have heretofore declined to enter into the al
= rangement The effect OF the formation @
4 such n company would be to greatly depre
II | ciate the value of all property now devoted u
J. the storage Of cotton, and | have been vi
II willing to be party to this. unless u be force
IS Reporter have you not by this refusa
y preJudiced the interests OF your own STOCK
10 | holders?
X Mr.. LafitteI have, temporarily. | hav
20 Thought that those now engaged In the hanC
of ling of cotton would ere this have recoe
lg nized the fact that their own Interest
. could be promoted by making the sam
D. terms with my company. as offered D
~. the proposed company, but In this hav
been disappointed.
Js Reporter-Am to understand that all II
advantages to accrue to our commerce 1rol
the new company would have been secure
Ill by an alliance between your company al
re our Cotton Press Association
Ia Mr. Iafitte-Not to the same extent, or,
n .i least, not Immediately; but we would hay
81 avoided the large addition 70 our upprodu
tive real estate and eventually such q con
,e- pany as it is now proposed to establish Woul
of necessity. have sprung into existence.
Reporter Please explain yourself mo
fully?
IN presses in operation in this city. Under u
ng proposed plan eight presses, duplicates
and in addition to, the Champion, would ST
= flee for the entire business of the port, ana
think it needs no argument TO prove that
lch nine presses can do all the Work IL Would
,h- done at less cost than with twenty-slX, pa
ed ticularly as n full force OF employees ana
esS borers must be kept on hand during the emu
year9 Besides this, there are tWenty-tN
,,..n | firms or companies engaged In the CUISINES
at These firms or companies represent probaD
ks | thirty-five persons, who must be supporter
an the business Here again there would DC
ow large saving There would be the same eco
ese omy in every item Of expense. ii the Wht
asst business was in the hands OF one company
.so Reporter Please explain how such COZ
om pany as the one proposed would eventual
!, Of have spruag into existence a.
the Mr. Lattice consider it settled TACT IN
, in at no distant day the Mississippi and it's tn
utares will swarm with iron bargeS ana 10
boats. l have had over twenty years
rne perience as agent and manager of steambt
fines. some Of which included barges, an
-, assert without fear of contradiction that tn
an furnish the cheapest means Of transportati
for all bulky or heavy articles OF moder'
to value. Not only the gram traue Oh the NO
ner west, but the tobacco trade of Kentucky q
ur- other States must return TO us 50 soon rs IL
ers barges are introduced in sufficient numbe
see Tobacco is bulky article, requiring extens
storenouses for its accommodation; our pr
emit cotton warehouses, improperly cal
or presses, would with slight alterations be
Y ad inirCDly adapted for the storage OF this GO
a at modify. :.
eet. III Is also Wen hHoNu W OH .He"S. Iii
Ices tobacco trade that our climate ls pecu..la
who favorable to that article. TOBACCO slIpl
via this port holds out better In weight, 3
the quality when landed in Europe exc
eas- that of identically the same article SNIP