The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-10-22
LOADING THE COTTON.
Conferences to Facilitate the More
Rapid Loading of Ships.

Rapid Loading of Ships.
The situation in regard TO the scarcity Of
longshorsmeu TO load cotton ships con
tinues to grow more serious, notwithstand-
ing the fact that the number of gangs
working have been increased, and the total
now is seventy-three, but the number of
vessels TO be loaded has also increased. II
the present statetof affairs continues, there
will be several vessels on demurrage by the
end Of the week.
Matters had become so urgent that the
steamship agents and brokers met at the
cotton exchange yesterday for confer
ence, TO which were invited Mr.. Thomas
Keenan,, the president of the lOngshore-
mems society, and John G. Reynolds, presi-
| dent Of the colored branch Of the society.
There were several of the boss stevedores
present also, and the situation was fully
| discussed.
Capt. James Ward suggested that the
| loDgshoremen's soci ETY. might suspend the
seventy-i bale limit in their by laws as a
days work for a gang, and that the steve
dores pay the men m ore money for working
| to their full capacity. and to utilize all their
time available for work during the present
rush, or until the jam is over. Or other
| wise, to open the boolls of the society, SO as
TO allow all men who are ready and willing
| to work to become me mbers of the society.
These, he said, were merely suggestions
offered as one way out of the difficulty.
After some discussion, both pro and con,
it was agreed that the presidents of the
longshoremen's society and the colored
branch would report back to their organi-
cations, when the matter will be taken I'D
by the executive council of each society,
and the members of the two councils will
meet the steamship age nts at the cotton
exchange to-day, where the questions will
- Fill II = n
thai some plan will be agreed upon to over
come the difficulty.
1t is said that one of tho reasons for the
scarcity Of labor just at this
time is that not many of the
'longshoremen from Canada. have come out
this season, for which sundry reasons are
given, the prime one being the rules of the
societies, which require a. three months
residence here. An objection is raised to
the equality of gangs Of both white and
colored labor in the same ship, that is, in
point of numbers
1t is claimed by some stevedores that
there is no scarcity of labor with them,
that they can get plenty of labor but that
the main trouble is that they cannot get the
cotton fast enough to keep what gangs they
have at their full capacity, as the cotton is
being delivered too slow to them, and there
is considerable complaint about the way
the railroad cotton is delivered to the yes
sells, and that there is a very great lack of
system on the part of the railroad people:
especially in cases where the urgency
OF a vessel under charter is very great
less attention is paid to that vessels needs
than to others not so urgent. In point of
fact 1t is said that cotton, in some instances,
is prepared and ready for delivery for yes
sells that have not arrived, whereas, if the
delivery of cotton was facilitated so that
the urgent vessels would be first supplied
and got clear of, it would furnish that
amount of additional labor which could be
transferred to other vessels and matters
would work much more smoothly and sat-
isfactorly.
The hghterage people say that they fur
nish the cotton as it is delivered to them by
the railroads, and that the lighterage COM
panies have capacity to furnish and are
furnishing more cotton than can be handled
in day with the labor at present en-
ployed, but they have to complain against
the way their lighters are held by the ships.
When they make a delivery of cotton
the lighter is kept alongside of
the vessel sometimes a day or even two
days before the cotton is all taken aboard of
the steamship, and they do not by any
| means get paid for the time of the lighter
They say further, that if the ships would
| only take the cotton aboard as fast as it is
| delivered to them the lighters could be
proftably employed, as there should only
| be a couple of hours detention.
1t is also claimed that theres Is not suf-
| ficient room for the lighters to be loaded at
| the railroad wharves, and that they often
| have to wait and take turns at loading on
| the lighter. The labor question, however
seems to be about the most important lust
| at this time, and is likely to be arranged
| satisfactorily soon.