Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-09-17

2
And the spirits for about ..-.-..-..-. 800 90
Value total sales from one crop. 1900 90
Take now 1893 %. the cost Of produc-
ton. from this gross amount Of sales, and
we have only net profit Of S6G % for
virgin crop Of 10000 boxes for one season.
Old or second and third year boxes will
not do this we'll If a man have an
orchard comprising ten or fifteen crops,
and makes this year five or SIX hundred
dollars. he viii be doing remarkably well;
vet out Of this amount will have to come
his taxes, the support Of his family, the
interest on his money, and his expenses
10 and from Savannah, besides losses in
CURED by the death Of mules, and the de-
probation Of his property from use, etc.
Against this credit, too, must be placed
his risk Of storms and fire and bad
seasons and inefficient labor.
Now. according 10 this exhibit can
manufacturers continue to give the eXOr-
bitant wages now paid for labor: 1t is a
generally received saying that capital
| controls labor, but at present the latter is
mistress in the turpentine industry.
Railroad companies, iron producers,
telegraph companies, and manufacturers
the world over regulate the wages Of their
employees according 10 their dividends.
I But turpentne manufacturers have
adopted the contrary course. While
spirits and rOsin have declined steadily
labor has gone as steadily up.
do not pretend to say who is RESPONSE
bic for this anomalous state of facts. /
only suggest that it is time for those who
have to run the annual risk Of storms
and fire and bad seasons and low prices,
TO reduce, if they can, the cost Of making
spirits and rOsin.
Turpentine locations are hard to get
now near railroads, and those to be had
are held at fancy prices. Spectators
have commenced TO deal heavily in the
production, and can "bear' or "bull'' the
market to suit their purposes, thus plac-
ing the handicapped manufacturer many
times in distressing predicament.
Much Of the best timber has already
been boxed, and yet to carry on a bust
ness Of twenty-five or thirty ''crOps" it
requires a good many thousand dollars
more now than it did when the pines Of
Georgia were almost in virgin state, and
prices ranged high
The wages Of wOOdmen, stillers and
cOopers have been cut down, but the great
bulk Of money which goes to box cutters,
clippers and dippers has increased in
volume.
believe in paying well for efficient la
Dor, but ! am opposed to giving more for
it than what it produces will bring.
good hand will chip over crop Of 10000
boxes in three days, thus aggregating
only twelve days for his months work,
for which he with unerring regularity re-
ceves S2j, more than 81 a day.
No other class Of laborers are paid 50
eXorbitantly, and as we are approaching
another bOX-cutting season, | suggest
that only one cent per box be paid in fu-
ture. At this price fair hands will aver
age 81 80 a day, much more than can be
made on railroads and at mills. If more
than this be given, those who have con-
sidered a failure only as a remote contin-
gency, will regard it next year, this time,
as a terrible reality, for should wages
keep up and prices down, there will be no
money for manufacturers Of turpentine,
in the year Of grace, 1884