Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-05-29
The Cotton Trade o the Cotton Ports

The Cotton Trade o f the Cotton Ports
New Orleans is thoroughly alarmed
about the falling oil in her cotton trSde
1t is certainly time. For years the per-
centage Of the cotton crop handled ny ner
factors has steadily deere ased, although
the production of the territory naturally
tributary to her mas stea Oily increased.
New Orleans is just as good cotton
market AS she ever was. There is plenty
of capital there for handling cotton, and
the congresses cannot be surpassed. The
factors are Obliging, and every effort Is
made to give satisfaction to those who
cOnsign cotton TO them. The cotton
| planters have only one fault to find with
New Orleans. 1t is that the factors, COM
press owners, stevedores and others who
have IA part in the handling OF cotton,
the profit there is in it,
The charges for handling cotton in New
Orleans, and for advances, were at one
time enormous. They are still very
heavy. although they are much lower now
than they were few years ago. The
cotton planters patronize New Orleans
only so long as they are compelled to.
When they have a chance TO transfer their
business to some other place they do so
without much hesitation.
AT lastthe New Orleans cotton handlers
have walked up to the fact that if they
don't want to lose all their cotton trade
they have got to handle cotton as cheaply
as it is being handled in interior towns.
They can do this, of course, but they OBJ
ject strongly to giving up the big profits
they have been enjoying so long
The first thing they propose to do is TO
find out what the least cost of handling
cotton in the interior towns is. Having
done this they will undertake to make it
to the interest of planters TO send their
crop directly TO New Orleans
The New Orleans factors have on sew
eral occasions undertaken to secure re-
ductiOn of the cost of handling cotton in
that city. but have always failed, because
Of the refusal of some of those interested
in the business to submit to a reduction in
their charges. Finally, however, those
who have stood cut for big prices have seen
that the planters do not intend to give
away all that is proft in their crops, and
finding they cannot get what they want
are showing a disposition 10 take what
they can get.
New Orleans without her cotton trade
would not amount to much. Within the
last few years her imports and exports
have fallen off many millions of dollars
annually. Neither her wholesale nor re-
tail trade is anywhere near as great as it
was, because st. Louis and Chicago have
gone into her territory and have almost
captured it. 1t IS highly important,
therefore, for New Orleans, if she hopes
to maintain her present commercial i'm
portance, that she should hold on to her
cotton trade, and to recover, if possible,
what she has lost of it.
Other cotton ports are not much better
off than New Orleans is so far as their
cotton trade is concerned. Savannah,
for instance, has lost much of her cotton
trade and it might be advisable for those
engaged in the cotton business here to
follow the example of New Orleans, and
take steps looking to the reduction of
the cost of handling cotton here that would
prevent our cotton trade from going to in
terror points or other ports. OF course, il
anything OF this kind is attempted all
who are interested in the handling
Of cotton must consent to reductions
in their charges before there can be any
hope of success. Savannah, being almost
without manufactures, is largely depend
ent for her prosperity on her cotton trade.
There is only one way to retain this trade,
and that is by making it to the advantage
OF planters to send their cotton here.