The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-08-28
Information Nantad-


! torial article IN the Atlanta journal,
TIE Augusta Chronicle aud the SAvAN-
NAH MORNING News are opposing the
project of establishing a lire or lines OF
steamships 10 carry c1bton direct 70 Europe
instead Of shipping It by raj OF last~lse
steamers via New York.
The opposition Of the Savannah NEWS Is
as easily explaInable as that Of the ChrORi-
cle Savannah has Goa -Jwiss steamers
owned by the West Point Terminal, which
also has hand IN carrying what c0.tO is
shipped by rail 70 New York. The direct
line Of steamships would inlure both, and
hurt the factors Of Savannah as well.
IL would be Interesting 20 know where the
Atlanta Journal gets its authority for stat
ing that the MORNING NEWS is opposing
the project for establishing a line, OF lines,
Of steamships 10 carry cotton direct TO Eu-
rope. We give II credit for honest intentions
and therefore we are forced 20 the conclusion
that it somstimes attempts 10 discuss mat
tiers it does no: clearly understand. In or
der not % mislead its readers, would it not
be better for it 70 let such matters alone, or
st least study them little more carefully
before writing about themY
As a matter of fact the MORNING News
has published nothing that justifies the
Journal IN asserting that the MORNING
News is opposed to the establishing of
direct line, OF lines, of steamships to Europe.
On the contrary, the MORNING NEWS stated,
in the only article which it has had on the
subject, that it would be very GLAD to see a
direct line Of steamers from Savannah or
Brunswick to Europe. The MORNING
News did, however, express a doubt that
such a line, or lines. would be established,
and it gave reasons for its doubt
1t takes large number of Steamships to
carry to Europe the cotton received at Sa-
vannah. This cotton is not all taken TO
Liverpool. 1t Is taken to many ports II
the farmers, therefore, undertook to furnish
transportation TO foreign markets for all
their cotton they would have to own a very
large number of steamships, and these
steamships could not form a line between
Savannah and any one European port
They would have to go to the ports in which
the cotton was sold, and, therefore, would
be virtually tramp steamers.
But what would the farmers do with their
steamships during that part Of the year in
which there was no cotton to transports
Would they send them tramping around the
worldl But to do that the line between Sa-
vannah and Europe would have to be dis
continued for a number of months each
year.
But, perhaps, the Journals idea is that
the cotton would be sent abroad only so
fast as the projected direct line of steamships
could take it, and in that way the steam
ships of the line would be employed all the
time. The cotton, however has to be
shipped as fast as sold, and there are many
things which control the selling of it, the
principal one being the price. When the
price is high the farmers push their cotton
into market
The MORNING NEWS again asserts that it
would like to see line or lines of steam
ships between Savannah or Brunswick and
European ports, but does no. at present see
how such steamships could be supported.
Does the Journal? The MORNING News Is
anxious for information on this point, and
as the journal claims to be the parent OF
the direct steamship line idea, and asserts
that those who do not think the idea "a feast
BILE one are the enemies of the farmers, il
ought not to withhold any information in Its
posse sion. If it has no information and
cannot make it clear that it would be profit
able for the farmers to establish line of
steamships between a Georgia port and a
European port it ought to say so frankly.
1t ought certainly be able to say something
in behalf of its idea Assertions in a
matter of this kind count for nothing. In
so far as the coastwise steamship lines from
this port are concerned, the Nor
| NEWS does not believe that direct line OF
steamships from Savannah to Liverpool, or
any other European port, would hurt
| their business in the least; and
the Journal will perhaps remember that
when'the foolish boycott talk was started
in Atlanta q gentleman deeply interested
in the West Point Terminal Company,
which controls most of the coastwis6
steamship lines, suggested that that com
pany would inaugurate direct trade with
Europe. The Journal certainly owes it t.
itself and to its readers to point out how the
farmers would be benefited by establishing
q steamship line to Europe.