Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-06-21

| of licensing cotton plckefs, ana Dy the want
| of a river police, cotton in considerable guam
titles being stolen from vessels and con-
veyed in comparative security to the other
side of the river, and the attention OF the City
| Council ought to be called to these facts. 1t
| is also much facilitated by the late hours into
which work on the streets Is prolonged, Con-
| eerted action is required to stop this evil II
| sellers would decline to deliver and buyers to
| receive cotton after four O'Clock p. M, and II
| presses would close their gates to all drays az
| half-past six O'Clock, the desired effect would
The most effective steps which can be taken
\ against theft must, however, be directed
/ against the receivers of stolen cotton. very
| high license on junk shops and pickeries would
| be of some avail, but an engagement on the
/ part of the members of this exchange not to
sell loose cotton or repacked bales for, through,
or to anybody, nor buy from, through, or for
| anybody but members of the exchange would
| be more efficient. as it would make the pos
! session of loose cotton by itself almost proof
| of having received stolen property.
Much complaint has been caused by the
/ sandy and dusty character of many Savannah
| shipments. Your committee positively deny
/ the absurd accusation as to intentional whole
| sale admiXture of sand on the part of planters,
| which have been published to the world, and
! still they are forced to acknowledge that
| there is some ground for these complaints. In
| some of the sections tributary to savannah.
| by reason of the light sandy nature OF the
soil and of the small size of the plant, heavy
rains or high winds must fill the open bOlls
with sand, and the impoverished condition of
l.ductiOn of new gins, which would clean the
cotton from such impurities. Unfor-
tunately, neither sellers nor buyers have
Disseminated sufficiently against cotton
thus produced. Buyers have paid the
same price for it and put it into the
same marks as cleaner cotton of similar APP
pearance. Naturally, sellers finding this to be
the case have sold clean and sandy cotton in the
same lots, and farmers finding that they got
no remuneration for handling their produce
we'll have grown more and more negligent in
hat ard he rrOV offs "
therefore, instead of decreasing, has increas-
ed, and, as natural consequence, Savannah
shipments of lower grades have become almost
unstable In some markets. One extreme
generally begets the other, and exporters
hereafter will probably be as difficult in this
regard as they have been easy before. Factors
ought to realize that hereafter sandy cotton,
unless sold as such, will be apt to be re-
jectedkr- and they Will probably serve the
interests of their customers by notifying
them to that effect beforehand, thus
avoiding, as far possible, for the future,
one of the principal complaints against Sa-
vannah from the interior, namely: the large
proportion of reflections. Probably it would
be difficult to work in this latter respect an
entirely satisfactory change. Much of the
cotton received in Savannah is grown by
negroes farming on a small scale, who handle
and pack it very carelessly, much Of ii is
bought in the seed by owners of public gins in
small lots, 1t is ginned and packed without
having been properly sorted, and unmer-
charitable bales are the result If factors, in
stead of Offering all bales received by them as
merchantable, would examine at the time of
sampling, and sell those which were found
liable to be rejected on their own merits, re-
jections would be fewer.
Much mischief would be prevented if cotton
were sold in lots of even running quality, or if
in case of sales Of average quality, sellers and
buyers would unite in maintaining the identi-
ty of each selling sample with the bale it
represents until actual delivery of the same
has been made.
Much complaint has been caused by the APP
parent discrepancy between prices Obtainable
in Savannah and in other ports, Ten years ago
a high classification Of cotton prevailed in all
American ports. At the instance of the Ma
tiOnal Cotton Exchange of America a lower
standard was established, which was accepted
by all markets, Charleston alone excepted.
Intentionally or unintentiOnally, this new
class has been modified in the different ports.
In Savannah it has been lowered still more,
elsewhere il has become stricter, SO Savannah
middling to-day about corresponds to strict
low middling in New York, to low middling
in Norfolk and to strict good ordinary in
Charleston. Naturally Savannah quotations
have been low, and naturally they have mis-
led holders of cotton in the interior and caus-
ed them to cOnsign it to other markets. The
adoption of very high standard of classifi-
cation, as high as that Of any other port,
seems advisable, but viii do good only if
strictly maintained. IL sellers will call a lower
grade by higher name, and quote accord
ingly, so as to impress customers with their
ability to secure extra high prices, current
classification will insensibly be lowered again.
however high official standards may be, and
quotations will again fall below those of COM
petIng markets.
Although this report has assumed ccnsid-
cradle length, your committee do not pretend
to have nearly exhausted the subject submit
ted to them for investigation. An effort has
been made to show that changes in all depart
ments OF the savannah cotton trade are nee
essary, and that almost every individual con-
nected with that trade is required to make
some personal sacrifices for its development.
Your committee trust that sufficient public
spirit will manifest itself to command such
sacrifices without which neither their efforts
nor any steps that may be taken hereafter
can prove of practical value
All of which is respectfully submitted,
JOHN NIsBET,
j. l.. WARREN,
II. ~, R0GART
%, q, PURSE,
j. b. WEST.
INCREASING THE TRADE.
The following resolutions offered by the
committee were adopted:
/. Be IL ResOlced, That We view with regret
and serious apprehension the present and
prospective evil Effects OF the pooling system
upon the cotton trade and commercial pros
perity OF our city, and regard its abolition or
decided modification as necessary to our
welfare.
?. That we urge upon our railroad compa-
mics, to whom we are SO much indebted for the
enlargement Of our business. and the promo
ton Ct our varied interests in the past to
grayely consider the injury they are doing by
their present course. and to abandon This
policy, which, with their sanction and sup
port, is dlverting from the ports of Georgia to
other and distant ones, the products of our
own State and the trade which our natural
advantages and geographical position cause
us to claim as rightfully ours.
3. That the President and Board of Direct
ors OF this Exchange be, and they are hereby
directed TO appoint 3 committee of members
of this body who shall he styled 1.-THE Com
mitfee on Transportation Rates. whose duty
1t shall be TO inform themselves and keep the
Exchange thoroughly informed from time to
time OFpSpuf frplObf md oil
changes in freight rates which seem likely
to effect unfavOrably the commercial inter-
ests of this city, and they shall be especially
charged with the duty of devising such
measures and taking such steps as may be
necessary to protect us in the premises. and it
shall also be the duty Of this committee to
compile the distances in miles from all inte-
rior competitive points TO the different ports
IN competition with savannah, giving the
current rate to each port and submit the
same to the Rate Committee through the
General Commissioner of the Southern Rail-
way and Steamship Association, with the
view Of having present rates revised and diff
ferentlal or uniform rates on a mileage basis
established while the present poOIing system
continues in force
Moved that the Board of Directors of the
savannah Cotton Exchange be requested to
give their immediate attention to the usages
prevailing in this market with regard to
weighing and delivery of cotton, and to take
into consideration the ACCESSIBILITY of appoint
ing an Inspector of Cotton, whose duty it
shall be to examine cotton before it goes on
shlpbOard, and II so required to furnish GER
titcates regarding its condition.
WHEREAS, The failure Of the other Cotton
Exchanges tQ adopt as q uniform standard of
I class iilcation that Of the National Cotton Ex-
change, relieves this Exchange of any further
obligation to comply with its agreement; and
whereas, detriment accrues to this port from
its comparatively low standards, inasnuch
as quotations being basedupop said standards
are lower than elsewhere; therefore be it
Res0lgeG, That this Exchange instruct its
Committee on Types to make at once a COM
plete set of new standards based upon q Olas-
sification one grade higher than last stand
ards. That a sufficient number of duplicates
be m2dd 10 furnish each member so desiring
with set, and that the Committee on Quota
tiOns be instructed to quote upon such stand
ards as soon as made,
RsSQ5ces, That the Honorable the CITY
Council of Savannah be requested to establish
a river police to consist OF four men, whose
duty Ii shall be to patrol the river each night,
between the wharves Of the Ocean Steamship
Company and the Savannah, Florida and
Western Railway, and protect the shipping
and wharves from the depredatons of thieves.
WHEREAS, The increase of traffic over the
wharves of the Ocean Steamship Company
mnperatiYey demand larger and wider ave-
nues for facilitating REORGANIZATION
with the city;
Resolced, That the Board of Directors of
this Exchange be instructed to impress upon
the Honorable Mayor and Aldermen of Sa-
vannah, the importance Of opening Indian
street to the canal, and over the canal by a
bridge, to the Ocean Steamship Company's
wharyes before the beginning Of another sea-
sons business.
Reso5ped That the Board of Directors of
this Exchange be instructed 10 petition the
Honorable, the Mayor and Aldermen of the
CITY of Savannah to grant no licenses to cot
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