Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-02-09
Snrrestixe Iesolutions.

Suggestive Resolutions.
The New Orleans Chamber OF commerce
last week adopted three resolutions "nicn
are worthy of the careful consideration
OF all the cotton ports OF this country.
The resolutions are: 81. The capacity OF
New Orleans to advance raw cotton one
stage of manufacture by CONVEX ing it
into low number yarn before expectation.
.. Whether the margin between the cost
OF milling yarns here and elsewhere
would Justify the investment necessary
! 20 organize such an industry in this city
on q sufficiently large scale to substitute
the expectation Of yarns for that of raw
cotton. g. To correspond or confer with
the best domestic and foreign authority
upon this subject, and especially to ascer-
tain whether Europeans or other millers
could not be induced to plant in New Or
leans factories tor the advancement Of the
raw material for manufacture into higher
fabrics in their own shops, etc."
The reason for the presentation and
adoption of these resolutions does not APP
pear in the published report Of the
proceedings of the meeting, What
it is, however, is readily under
stood. The receipts Of cotton handled
at New Orleans have greatly decreased
from what they were few years ago, and
there is not much doubt that they will
continue TO decrease. The tendency
seems to be to compress the
cotton as near as possible to the
cotton fields. Very many of the interior
towns of all the cotton States now do
quite a large business in COMPRISING
cotton and it is probable that com presses
will be built In other interior towns. The
advantages of compressed over un-
compressed cotton for transportation are
considerable-so considerable, in fact,
that 1t is thought by many TO be only
question of time when the cotton ports
will be deprived OF the greater portion of
their cotton business.
The cotton will, OF course, seek an out
let at the seaport cities, but the amount
of money which it will leave at these
cities will be small In comparison with
what it once left. Last summer those in
terested IN the handling of cotton at New
Orleans held a number of conferences
with the view of discovering some way Of
recovering the city's cotton business, or
at least holding what it has. The result
OF these conferences was not encouraging.
Savannah and Charleston and, in fact,
all OF the cotton ports, are as much inter-
ested in this matter as New Orleans. If
these cities lose their cotton business
they must have something to take its
place. New Industries must be estab-
lshed to afford employment for their
population. Savannah is perhaps little
better off than any of the other cotton
ports, for the reason that she has a large
lumber and naval stores business, but If
she loses great deal of her cotton busi-
ness it cannot be otherwise than that
there will be a surplus Of labor, unless
new avenues Of employment are opened.
The city 10 growing quite rapidly. To
be convinced of that fact it is only
necessary to notice the number of dwell
ing houses being erected. The increasing
population requires increasing business
to sustain it.
The New Orleans Chamber of Commerce
resolutions contain a suggestion which
may deyelopIntO something practical. If
upon inquiry it should be found feasible
to change the cotton which comes TO this
port into low grade yarns before exporting
it, an industry might be established which
eventually would afford employment for
thousands of people. Ii the business of
handling cotton declines there will neces-
sarily be a great deal of unemployed CAPT
tai here. What better use could it be put
to than the establishing Of new industries
in the city? The result Of the New Or
leans inquiry will be looked for doubtless
with almost as much interest here as
there.