Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-11-09

greater facilities are being OHered from
YEAR to wear for enabling our factors 70
lessen the charges for handling cottoh-
Durine the past season additional ware
boISas have been provided by the Ocean
Steamship Company, which are IN direct
contact with the railroad tracks, by which
cotton Is discharged from cars 70 ware
house. lessening expenses and risks
sixth. IL was claimed that the low
standards Of our grades upon which quo
tations were based. diverted cotton from
this market. Your board were instructed
l. have standards prepared asslnilaIln=
those of other competing markets. ms
has been done. but IL IS claimed oy many
that this market is still a quarter grade
to low. consequently the objections as
first urged Is not wholly abated-
Acting upon the suggestion ana RECON-
EendatiOu 81 the committee tue Railroad
Commission have ordered sheds y De
.-rected al all depOts within the state,
fsr the protection Of cotton from lnciehl-
ent weather. This Is progressive move.
This port has long enjoyed the reputa-
ton Of being comparatively free from what
f. known ON the other side Of the Atlantic
Il. country damage" and with this order
properly enforced, together with the Ia
cillties for protecting the staple1rom bad
weather in our midst. viii enable oaVan-
nah 10 preserve her well-earned reputa-
ton.
Although We have IN our city a we'll
Organized and prosperous Board Of Trade,
which will 10 doubt at the proper time
give. through its reports. facts and figures
in detail in reference 10 the commerce OF
this port legitimately belonging To it. yet
we caunOt refrain from touching upon
one or two Of the leading articles in which
you no doubt all teel an interest. In re-
ference 70 rice, it i subject Of regret
that the toll Of the husbandman Will
not meet its reward this year so tar
as this cereal is concerned. The Yleld
has been poor as TO quantity, but good as
To quality. but prices have been unre-
muneratiYe. The causes for the short
crop were many-a cold. late spring. labor
deficient in quantity and quality, and the
water in many OF the rivers bracklsh. pre-
venting the filling and maturing Of the
grain. The very excellent harvest season
helped 10 some extent the quality OF the
grain. The cause Of the low and dlsas-
trOus prices lies in the General Govern
ment admitting into san Francisco, free
Of duty. rice from the Sandwich Islands.
When the treaty as regards those Islands
was made. but little rice was grown there,
but the demand from the West has stimu-
lated production. and now Chinese
lab0rers are imported into Hawaii Tor
the express purpose Of cultlYatlng rice
for export. until it has reached point
where a. much rice is grown annually in
that small island as Will be received and
exported from this section this year.
In the matter Of naval stores, 1t i a
matter Of qualification and pride with
every citizen Of this city to note the Won
derfuI growth and development OF this
important industry. Ten years ago a
barrel Of rOsin or spirits OF turpentlne
was scarcely known in the commerce OF
this port. Yet look at Savannah to-day
the largest naval stores market Of the
world. This industry, so lately begun,
has brought to our city some Of the best
citizens from our neighbOring States, and
they have brought with them skilled Ia
Dor. large capital and ripe experience.
The receipts of spirits Of turpentine to
date amounts 10 l04.633 barrels, against
=. $50 barrels for corresponding period OF
last year receipts of rOsin 342.I bar
rsls this season. against 24l, OI4 barrels
same date last year. 1t is estimated that
the receipts Of this year will double those
Of last season. The profits on the busl-
ness this season has been small, however,
owing to low prices caused from over
production and heavy transportation
charges.
The work Of improving the river and
hab0r was suspended about lst Of August
last for want OF funds, the last Con-
gress having failed 10 make the necessary
appropriations for this river. the en-
gineers have asked for an appropriation
Of $4,000. and il is confidently believed
that the department having the work I'M
der its charge will indOrse the recon-
mendatiOns of the engineers.
The principal work accomplished and
in process Of completion are: First, the
4 Of
below Fig Island and opposite the
wharyes Of the Savannah. Florida and
Western Railway, which has had the ef-
feet of diyerting water from Back river
into the main channel: next, the cOnstruc-
ton Of wing ietties at the upper and
lower flats. Those at the upper flats
are nearly completed. while those at
the lower are well under way. Great
Improvement in the depth of
water has already been observed.
The depth OF water on the upper flats has.
within the past year, increased two feet.
The engineer in charge claims that vessels
drawing 30 feet can easily pass from the
wharVes to the ocean. and he expresses
the belief that, with liberal apprOpria-
ton from Congress. - feet of water can
be accomplished in the shallOwest places.
II was confidently expected that the
past year would witness the erection Of
the light towers along the river, for which
an appropriation was voted by Congress
during its session of 1880. For a year
the iron towers have been stored
in Charleston ready TO be placed
in position. 1t was discovered
at the outset that the titles TO a num-
bar of the sites were detective
The laws Of the State of South Carolina
We're sufficient to remedy the defect, so
far as the locations on the South Carolina
side Of the river were concerned, and the
Legislature Of Georgia, during its last
winters session, passed an act condemn
ing the necessary land on the Georgia
side of the river, so that for a year, APP
parently, nothing has stood in the way Of
the governments proceeding with the
work of erecting these towers and light
ing the river. except a want OF energy on
the part of the Lighthouse Board. Over
two years ago very liberal terms for the
sites of two Of the towers were agreed
upon. and the titles were promptly made
out and presented to the Lighthouse
Board, and although no question
has been raised about the
titles to these particular sites, they
have. up to this time. neither been passed
upon nor paid for. This apparent neglect
cannot be too severely condemned, and it
behOOves our city authorities to take some
active steps towards bringing to compile
ton this lOng-delayed and necessary adj
junct to our commerce by adopting some
line Of action that will infuse the Light
house Board with a realization of the i'm
pOrtance Of the improvements to the safety
Of vessels passing up and down the river
during the night.
The Ocean Steamship Company has
added another steamship to their already
unrivaled fleet, and it is gratifying to note
Of their SeaWOTthlness; that while the
steamers Of the lines from three other ports
We're more or less injured during the late
hurricane, those of the Ocean Steamship
Company batted the storm in safety, re-
ceiying no injury, and came into port
with their accustomed regularity.
All branches Of trade, both wholesale
and retail, exhibit a most satisfactory
business year. No better indication is
needed than the erection of an unusual
number of private dwellings in all parts
OF the city.
1t is with regret that we are compelled
to refer to the disastrous fire which Oc-
CURED on the 31st ult.. destroying nearly
a halt mile square of buildings; but three
DAYS after the ground was being surveyed
and staked off for the purpose Of re-
building the burnt district, eyincing
the energy and vitality for which our peO-
pie have always been accredited, and we
leel dSSuItu Oudl Win ouCu cAulDlllOu VI
energy success will surely follow.
In entering upon new year, your
Board Of Directors would bespeak for you,
as a body and individually, every success
that could crown your efforts. Respect
fully submitted.
J. II. JOHNSTON, President.
Upon motion, the report Of the President
and Board Of Directors was received and
adopted. and ordered to be printed in
pamphlet form for distribution.