Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-05-30
s..annah.s Cnmparative Reeeipts.


Editor Morning Netrs: The editorial
in your paper of oath instant headed "Ihe
Cotton Men in Council presented mat
ter that calls for much thought ana de-
liberation on the part of all who are IN
terested in the business and general pros
peritv Of our growing city. 1t would APP
near that the causes of the comparative
falling off in the receipts OF cotton at the
mort of Savannah can be found IN our
Enthusiastically at our doors. They rest
on the broad foundations of restriction
and selfshness: a denial Of free trade.
such denial may work TO the advantage OF
cotton presses, possibly to the advantage
of certain railroads. which refuse to haul
cotton to Savannah from particular quar-
tiers. because under the pooling arrange
nlents. Savannah ought not 10 hare any
more from that territory! and the cotton
press interests must be fostered by de-
clining to bring compressed cotton to our
port! All this NAV work well for the few,
as does the despised tariff for the manu-
facturers Of cotton and wooden fabrics
iron. steel. etc. ETC., but il works very
badly for the rest of mankind. In the mat
iniuriOusly upon the people and business
Of our city, and the sooner this Is under
stood and the wrongs corrected, the better
will il be for the growing commerce OF
this port.
In a recent communication CORE
spOndent in your paper mentioned as a
fact that the boats running on the SaVan-
nah river. from Augusta to savannah, did
not bring cotton at a low rate OF freight,
1. oil 4
profit. And why? Because they were
paid by the Central Railroad Company
not 10 do IL, in order that said road might
bring whatever was consigned TO our mer-
chants and charge 81 80 per bale instead
of 80 cents. at which the river boats
could afford to transpOrtit. This works a
double wrong: first 10 the merchant COM
peting with the merchants of other cities;
second, TO the commerce of the port, by
forcing much business to seek a market
elsewhere. In the general enumeration
Of wrongs, we should not forget the fact
stated BY you. Mr.. Editor, that our mar
ket has ruled lower than Charleston, Nor
folk. Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York
and Boston by a half to one cent pound.
With this condition OF affairs in our
midst let us for a moment cast our eyes
over the vast extent of rich and produc-
tive territory that ought to be almost
exclusively tributary to savannah, and,
other things equal, viii be, but lrtU not
be if restrictions and elfishness are to
rule the hour and check a full advance
ment OF our commerce.
With a map of the cotton growing
States before US, let us trace a line due
west from Savannah, which Will CORE
spOnd nearly with the thirty-secOnd par
allel of north latitude, and we will come,
after crossing the Mississippi and Red
rivers. very nearly to Marshall, the east
ern terminus of the Southern Pacific Rail-
road, where large part of the bOuntltul
products of the Southwest and of the Pa
cific coast are soon to be delivered, with
thousands and thousands of passengers.
As our port is nearer Marshall than any
other we'll established Atlantic harbOr,
with a growing commerce, it should fol-
low that a liberal share of freights and
passengers brought by the Southern
Pacific would come to us. If we
be left out in this new and great move
ment, it will be largely our own fault.
This parallel of % degrees-the shortest
line TO the ocean-passes through the
heart Of the cotton belt, and should have
freights at every point along its whole eX-
tent, to be delivered first at savannah,
and thence by steamers at New York,
Boston and TO the whole world. To accom-
plish this. IRE have the shortest haul over
land, and ocean steamers of the first-class.
With these advantages over our COMPETE
tors, should we be left behind: Should we
fall off in comparative receipts:
Returning to the far West again over
our short line. we will discover a com
petitOr at almost every step, offering in
ducements to shippers and travellers to
turn aside from the direct-the short line
and 20 with them. At the very begin
ning-as far, far West as Big Sandy and
Marshall-they say come with us through
Little Rock to Memphis and st. Louis;
and from these cities to harbOrs to the
North; or at Cisco and Shreveport, they
extend their invitations to New Orleans
and the Gulf, but not to Savannah and
the ocean. Returning easterly we come
to the Mississippi and Nickburg, where
our friendly comprehensive East Ten
nessee, Virginia and Georgia Road
and the Alabama Great \.
Z. and :. w. Railroads stand
ready to receive all with open arms, and
carry them thousands of miles overland at
cheap rates, if they will agree to turn
aside from the short line. Should the
shipper and traveller resist all the tempta-
ton thrown in their paths at the points
named, and continue directly onward,
when they arrive at Atlanta, or even at
Montgomery, Ala, they will be urged to
take the Richmond and Danyille or the
Kennesaw Route for Norfolk or some port
further north?
With all these facilities offered him, let
us suppose a shipper at Nicksburg, Sell
ma, Montgomery, Rome or Atlanta to have
800 bales of compressed cotton which he
desired to send by rail to Savannah
and thence by steamer North or
10 Europe, and was told his cot
ton, being compressed, was objected to by
steyedores and merchants al savannah
and if taken there at all, nothing would be
allowed fora press work done at in
terror cities or towns! What would be
his answer to all thisy 1t would be in
substance: | will not trouble you any
further in this business, but will hereaf-
ter send my cotton to markets not so fas-
tidiOus as Savannah appears to be, and
over road Of greater length, unnatural
as it may appear
We have endeayOred, Mr. Editor. to
give a clear analysis of the subject, to
make a correct diagnosis of the disease,
leaving the remedy to our intelligent
friends of the Cotton Exchange, not
doubling the success of their treatment;
and we now close with many good wishes
for yourself and the continued prosperity
Of SAVANNAH.
May 18th, 1859,