Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-03-27
NAVAL STORES.
Some thoughts Applicable to this In

CuStFY.
GUYTON, GA. March Pas the first
of April is near ut hand the commence
ment of the new year in the turpentlne
industry perhaps few words on this
subject Will be read with interest, es-
peeially by the manufacturers of spirits
and rosin The demand for this product
has been so great during the past three
years that prices reached figures that
would have been quite remuneratiye TO
tne producer if the cost of production
could have been kept down.
But the fancy prices caused so much
rivalry and competition among the manu-
facturers that rents, labor and everything
pertaining to the cost of production reach
ed figures that swept away the imaginary
pl o1its. Hundreds OF men, totally mex
peTienced in the details of the business,
excited by the fabulous prices, invested
their all" soon to become rich. The older
factors, fearing the coming evil Of over
production, would refuse this new BUSH
ness and advise their customers not to cut
many new boxes. This caused the open
ing ofseyeral new naval stores commission
houses and a competition among the COM
mission merchants, and money was ad-
vanced with much liberality.
The new operators, knowing their in
competency, would hire most any man
that came along and tell him that he knew
all about turpentine and could control
fifty or sixty hands. A bargain is made.
this new wOodsman being paid hand
sOmely for his knowledge and influence,
and money is advanced to pay expenses
of hands. Said wOOdsman then repairs
to the farm of some old operator, informs
the hands Of the bonanza he has struck,
treats them to drinks, tells them that his
man is going to pay &c. per box for cut
ting, cuts a smaller box, and pays of every
Saturday night, and that he Will pay their
way to the new place. The darkey does
not hesitate long, as he is probably in
debted to his present employer, and leaves
without notice and generally at night.
The smile of satisfaction is quite appa-
rent on the naY operators face when he
sees his man approaching with his host of
hands; but his c0untenance changes just
a little when his wOOdsman taps him on
his shoulder, takes him aside, and informs
him that he will be obliged to pay l =
cents per box for cutting, as that is the
price that everybody is going to pay-and,
of course, it is agreed that ~ cents per
box is to be the price. The producer from
whom the hands has been taken is obliged
to offer some inducement to replace his
hands, and several such repetitiOns causes
much disturbance and excitement among
the labOrers on the different farms.
The work done on these new
places has been generally miserable, and
when old operators would try to have
their work done right the hands would
leave, so that a tendency soon prevailed
to take any kind of work and give as
much for it as anybody else.
The high prices, too, have been very de-
mOralizing to the labOrers, as the more
industrious of them could make eight or
ten dollars by working two or three DAYS
in the week. AS soon as this is made
they stop work and induce all others that
they can influence to stop also, and con-
tend for the ownership of the weeks work
by game of cards, and work is generally
done for that week.
The continued low prices of spirits and
rosin have forced many operators out of
the business, and those remaining have
been forced to curtail their business and
reduce their labor, so that work is done
now much more satisfactorily and cheaper.
Prior to 1881 there was only enough
rosln and spirits made to about meet the
demand, but the high prices paid that
year caused large number of boxes to be
cut for 1881, and the continued high prices
| caused more boxes to be cut for 1888 than
was ever before known. Not only were
these new boxes worked, but also all the
years. But how is It for 1884? Every
thing has taken quite a different aspect.
Only about One-third as many boxes nave
been cut this season as there were last.
and only such old boxes worked as are
near and convenient. The result will be
a marked falling off in the receipts at all
| the ports. TIE receipts Of fine rosin will
be smaller than it has been for years.
And now a few words about heights
and | am done.
In your daily not many months since l
saw, among the many interesting subjects
in that issue, a review of the business of
| the Savannah, Florida and Western Rail-
way, which attributed the success of that
road at first to the large amount of naval
stores and lumber transported over it..
Some years ago when there was a great
depression in the lumber trade, upon the
application of the mill men to the railroad
authorities quite reduction was obtained
in the rates of freight on that commodity.
Now that there is such a depression in
the prices of naval stores, cannot a Beduc-
tiOn be made in the rates of freight on this
article also?
The immense amount of supplies used
on the turpentine farms, the large amount
of travel INDUCED in by its employees,
together with the freights realized from
the spirits and rOsin, help to swell con-
siderably the vaults of the Central and the
Savannah, Florida and Western railroads.
Now, we do not like to be unreasonable,
and only ask that the railroads give us
rates of freights similar to those charged
on lumber, timber, wood or the like COM
modify. Why should the freights on
spirits and rosin be higher than the
freights on lumber, etc?
MANUFACTURER.