Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-09-27

II tao,ins IN look as If it were only
question Of time when the cotton ports
would lose the main part Of their cotton
business Notwithstanding that the acre
ace in cotton is increasing every year.
and the average crop is constantly grow
ing larger, the money that the handling
of cotton leaves at the cotton ports Is
rapidlv growing less. At this port, at
New Orleans, and. in fact, at all the cot
ton ports. many Of the great congresses
are idle the greater part Of the season.
OF course when the congresses are idle
there is a vast number Of persons Idle
who depend on handling cotton in one
shape or another for a living. Even those
who have employment, with the eNcept'on
Of the screwmen. do not have II contihu-
Ously during the season. and they 90 hoi
ind their work as remunerative as II once
was.
his said that at New Orleans there are
great congresses which have not been
used for several years. Property that
was once worth hundreds Of thousands OF
dollars il now comparatively worthless
because it produces no revenue. Inc
same is true with respect TO other cotton
ports.
The raports show that the ports receive
about as much cotton as they ever did,
nut they receive it already compressed.
III is uut i'm shape for its final destination
40 the interior towns, and Is shipped on
/ through bills OF ladinE. All that the ports
get ont Of il is. perhaps, little drayage,
z because
the railways dump the cotton on the
wharves 50 near the vessels that there IS
no need OF drayage.
The truth Is that the business OF hand
linz cotton is undergoing a great
change. Gradually the towns near where
/ the cotton is produced are getting control
~ tho cotton. They have congresses,
warehouses. factors. samplers, weighers
and BUYERS. In fact, they are fully equip
ped for handling cotton. 1t Is more con-
yenient for the railroads and STEAMBOATS,
10 carry compressed cotton 10 the sea-
board. and as they are adopting the pTac-
tice Of charging freight according to TIE
weight rather than by the bale, !. As prob
able they encourage the comprising OF
cotton near the place Of production.
The factors at the ports are to some eX-
tent. perhaps, to blame for the change
which is taking place in the cotton bust
ness. To a marked extent they nave
| ceased TO advance to planters, and there
| fore do not control the crop. The country
merchants now do the advancing. They
are near the planters, and furnish sup
plies rather than the cash. The factors
at the ports advance money to the coun-
| try merchants. but they DO not always
| get the cotton of the country merchants.
| Tie cotton goes wherever it will yield the
most. freights and everything else being
| considered.
| OF course there will always be some I'M
| compressed cotton that viii find its way
10 the cotton ports, but the indications are
that in a very few years the amount will
not be large. Many Of those who now de-
/ pend upon cotton to afford them a living
| will have to turn their attention 10 some
| thing else. The average number Of bales
a year received at the cotton ports will
| continue to increase. but the amount OF
| money which cotton leaves at these ports
/ will continue TO decrease.