The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-01-07
OUR SUGAR MART.
10 the Editor OF the Democrat:

TO the Editor OF the Democrat:
You have already been good enough In
your Issue OF the third instant to publish @
communication OF mine under the above head,
In which The subject Of tho present system OF
weighing sugars and gauging molasses on the
Ievee In New Orleans ls briefly discussed. 4
said there that my object WAS to draw public
attention to this matter, and that might
follow It farther, Il you thought tit TO open
your columns to Its eonsde ration. In pur~
suancs OF this now propose, with your per-
mission, to touch upon the conditions OF sale
Of our sugar and molasses when brought
upon the levee, and To show the disadvantages
under which the seller laburs.
| The period OF sale for our ''sweets' may be-
said to iast practically, only six months
| from tho middle OF October TO the middle Of
| Aprtl-and. In fact, this Is only actually true as
tosugars, n0lasses, owing TO It's fermanting
| tendency, being disposed OF at an earlier date
| As u result of this restricted period OF SALE
| and also because most planters have early
maturing obligations to meet, sugars and
molasses, as soon as the rolling 10 fairly I'M
der way, are shipped TO- New Orleans wisn ~
| nearly triple trs present available space now
allottetaon the tsyee, theirs Was not sufficient
room for the PACKAGES. But since then, what
With authorized and unauthorized encToaefl-
rnents Of rsilroads and their depots, of leases
to steamship companies and leases 10 private
Iarties, aDi finally, most objectionable and
intlefsnsiblsof ALL since the appropriation on
misappropriation of one~balf the remaining
ppaee TO tho sugar shsts, 1t may be said that
the area for the uutraf1mflsd and Tree sale OK
'tswsets" is miserably deficient.
L gay nothing here OF the laInsntabC con-
d1tion of the Isyee, OF lbs defective drainage
It's neglected repairs, its mud, Its holes re-
sembHng at times rather q SsrbOntan bog
/ than HI DpBu 1usrt fof barter and sale Those
are considerations for municipal ears. hui.
as II all these drawbacks were not enough.
It ls Ordained that oil sugars and Tnt,lass0S
that have been exposed for gale on the teyee,
and remain unseli for twenty4four hours,
shall ineontinently be transferred TO the s,ugar
sheds, thereby suSjecting them to expenses
for drayage, and also to the tariff OF charges
establishes by the Hugar Shed Company for
this quasi waTehOu5ing.
This Ia, indeed. DiEing "Pflann ON Us sas
Once rolled iuto the inferno ofsshs sugar s1ed.
aud lost In Its capa3ious nav, buyers BOOK
sskanos at che PACK q 1es and the seller mostly
submits to decline On the outside price. so
aware are buyers OF the disad va1staKes OF th6
sugar sheds to sellers, and Of their dislike TO
sllUw their lots to go under thsna, that it Is
an everyday practice Of theirs te hold on In
their bids undi the close OF business hours.
when sellers, rather than accept the shed
dilemma, accept the other horn, and submit
to g shaving on the price OF the dsy.
Thus, them. stands ths case: A body oT
planters, mostly needy, many Impoverished,
Gus shipments to market, Hud, when their
products reach the levee, that they must ba
dusnped into IN entirely Inadequate space
filled with holes always and with mud nOst~
ly; that they must be weighed or guaged by
officials, swOTrrto justice, III you please, but
by the custom of the mark peTmitt6d or
forced to give every advantage TO the buyers
thas they must pay on each package for
weighing or ghagiHg D sum out OF proportion
Ito the value OF the servios, that for the time
being the stIgGF aud mosasses EsC5Ene ats0rE
OF public property. whence every irresponsi-
Bile tramp holding an aut,ur may draw one or
"a dozen samples from hogshead, or, with 8
palette take out from each barrel from y
pint to o quartef moiasses, while aerowd OF
filthy beggars hang around To piea up anu
profit by this ssnseess waste .aDd chat, final
~, and as the crown O3 all, they must run
the risk OF being still further 'rauicted In
damages" II they do not 'agree with their
adyersaries quickly while they are IA the way
| with them" ia That tbsy must SEQ their pack
ages disappear Into the guilt OF the sugar
sheds IL they do not take such price as the
shrewd buyer may choose TO offer.
| 1 have thus briefly presented what may De
| called "The Case or the Planter" not, Indeed.
with that foree that Ii merits, but In the hope
| OF awakening serious consideration Of an i'm
| portant business Interest Strange as ii may
| seem, ! doubt II the parties most Interested,
the planters themselves, are aware of the ez-
| tent to which they suffer. There i5 such d
thing as having SO long Submitted TO an abuse
as not TO feel It's chain. the sugar factors.
| too, OF New Orleans are, IL not as greatly
| yet deeply concerned In the correction OF these
abuses, and as they are on the ground, are
cognzsnt OF them. are many OIL them men or
marked energy and Intelligence, We may nat
| urally look to them for encouragement and
assistance in our efforts to free ourselves
from these heavy burdens.
| And here beg to say hat | trust the dis
cussion OF this question will come up at the
meetings of the Sugar Planters Association
numbering among its members not only
planters, but sugar factors and buyers.
| NY object is TO awake attention and Discus
sion. III there be tU0 sides to this question l.
trust that the other side will let itself be
heard, either In the columns OF the daily
journals or at the meeting OF the association.
For the present / refrain from suggesting
any scheme or plan by which sales OF sugars
and moiasses may be made IN more
satisfactory manner. That such O scheme
can be devised, believe; but q general and
fuller expression OF the views Of all parties is
desirable and solicited. These once pFesenked
the ground will be cleared for examination by
q competent committees and for report adj
vising discreet future action. PLAINTIFF.