Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-10-04
LETTER FROM SCRIVEN.
Some of the EViIs Under which Turpen-
tine Producers Labor.

some OF the Evils under which TurpeD-
tine Producers Labor.
SCARBORO. GA. Oct. 1.-Ed7toF Morn
ing NelrS. We have in this section a Door
crop prospect. but this is nothing new.
There is a similar cry among the people
ever where, and the prospect, viewed
from a farmers standpoint, is certainly
gloomy. Many of our planters are en-
numbered with mortgages on their home
steads, liens on their crops and live stock.
Also notes for fertilizers and home sup
plies bearing their signatures are now
due. 4 few of our farmers not long
since assembled and passed resolutions
to pay but One-half the value of
their notes given for fertilizers.
Now, this l think an unwise step on their
part, and many good reasons can be gwen
for the benefit of the position l take. One
OF the most important is that it will ac-
cOmDish an irreparable injury to their
reputation and good standing among com
mercial men abroad, which will make
them only the more dependent upon the
local merchant, who, having already Sc
cured himself by mortgage or lien. can
dictate terms best suited to his financial
prosperity. The manufacturers of fertil-
izers are, no doubt, aware of the disasters
u. Il
lieYe that amicable arrangements can be
made with them by every honest farmer
who is not able to cancel his obligations
1t is to be hoped that our farmers will not
act injudiciously in this, to them, impOr-
tant matter, but that they will search for
remedies and apply them.
| notice with some surprise that the
operators of turpentine distilleries are at
last beginning to agitate the important
question of a reduction of the price of
labor. 1t is now a late day for them
to attempt to remedy the great evil they
have effected. | will briefly allude to
some of them. Not many years ago
ttrpentine producers visited this section
and located at this place, it Offering great
inducements on account of its admirably
shipping facilities, and the surrounding
country being covered with vast forests Of
yellow pine. Their first step was to deeply
ingTaft in the mind of the land owners
the dilusiVe idea that the boxing Of
timber was not injurious. This, of course
was an easily accomplished task, mas
much as but very few of our land owners
had ever seen tree boxed, and were, of
course, ignorant of the disastrous cOnse-
quences they have since experienced. The
land owners were next persuaded to be-
lieye that the prices offered for the priYi-
lege of boxing their trees were renumera-
tive in the extreme. Among other things
equally as disastrous, this proved to be
farce. Operation next began. and stimuli
taneOusly sprang up great competition as
to labor. The producers at first did exert
themselves, though unwisely, to
avert the increase of wages that
soon followed. Most notable among their
unWiSe efforts was the transporting of
worthless hOrdes of negroes from the
CarOlinas into this and other sections.
Generally speaking, this worthless class
of labor, after becoming indebted to the
operators, abandoned them IN large squads
and went plodding through the forest and
sWampS on their return hOmeward, al
most Oyerrunning the country with va
grants, thieves and tramps, peryerting
the minds of the honest negroes with
with whom they came in contact. The
operators, fOiled in this weak attempt to
keep down wages, abandoned the idea and
no longer eXerted themselves in that di-
rectiOn, but at once turned hungry eye
towards the peaceable and cOntented
African, who sang behind the plow-
handles, and large inducements were
offered him to leave the farm.
Thus it isapparent that bad seasons and
caterpillars are not the only things with
Whichthe planters have had to contend
for the past few years. They have been
compelled to struggle along, assisted by
a class OF labor-and it very scaree-thot
few years ago they would have rejected
at any price, however small but which
they now strive among themselves TO OBJ
tain. The result is the naval stores In
dustrv has flourished and assumed gigan-
tic proportions; but the harvest is being
reaped, and it does not appear to be 50
remuneratiye as at first anticipated, or, in
other words, it is fast making
the impression that figures hare
lied The naval stores industry
under its past and present management
has certainly proved to be great detri-
ment to the agricultural interest of Mid
die and Southern Georgia, and if the
present high wages are much longer per-
sisted in, while the market continues de-
pressed, it must fOreshadOw panic that
will rival on a small scale the great Cali
fOrnia gold fever of which we have heard
and read so much. l think, Mr.. Editor,
the many readers of your paper in Scriyen
heartily indorse the communication of
''Naval Stores," and also the editorial
that appeared in the SUNDAY MORNING
NEWS of the Both ultimo, advocating the
calling of a convention of naval stores
producers by the Savannah Board of Trade,
to discuss the grave question of reducing
the eNOrbitant wages now paid for negro
labor, and l feel that | can assert without
fear OF contradiction, that if a conYen-
tion is called, it will meet with a hearty
support from the naval stores producers in
lHlS SeCllOH. lue ueceSSllleS Vi Iue dSFl-
cultural farm, as well as the tuT-
pentine farm, the saw mill, and
every other industry demand reduction
of the wages paid for negro labor, and
the sooner the desired result is attained,
the sooner disastrous consequences will
be arrested. do not wish to be under
derstOod as desiring to make the impress
sion that the naval stores Industry has
proved a complete failure, in comparison
with what we expected of it, but l do as
sert that many serious evils that might
have been obviated have resulted from its
unwise management, and the farmers are
conspicuous among the principal suffer
ers. There is certainly a remedy, and it
inasmuch as they can easily do so with
out fear of not being benefited thereby.
EPHRAIM SMALL.