The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-10-07
RATES OF THE PORTS.
SHIP BROKERS EXPLAIN SAVAN-
HAa'S POSITION.


, Blame Laid on the Railroads.
C The article in yesterdays MORNING News
with regard to ocean rates from Savannah
as compared with other neighboriug ports
was read and discussed by the cotton men
with considerable interest, as it is indeed q
vital question in the city's export business.
Several ship-brokers were seen yesterday
aud talked freely, though they were not
willing to be quoted on the subject for va
rious reasons.
Some of the statements in the MORNING
NEWS were agreed with and others dis
agreed with. 1t was nothing, they said,
that Brunswick made a cheaper rate for a
certain ship than Savannah or Charleston.
Savannah brokers frequently have to do
the same thing when caught in a similar
plight.
LOSING ON THE SHIPS.
The brokers are losing money now on
the ships they havo in port, they said, be-
cause the cotton is coming in so slowly,
and are making rates below the cost Of
their charters in order TO secure cotton.
As to the matter of competition they said
they now have all the competition they
| want, as the coast lines to New York Balti-
more and Boston have cut into the rates
and are taking a large portion of the for
! elgn cotton coastwise, reloading on foreign
| ships at the northern ports. The one grand
obstacle, the brokers agreed, in the way of
making q lower rate was the labor
problem, which they have to contend with.
On this subject leading shipping man
said:
THE LOADING CHARGES.
The stevedores at Savannah charge SIS a
day and only put in seventy-five bales a dav
70 gang OF five men. Each man gets IS
for. his days work. and the header or boss
of the gang gets Sc a day. II they finish in
half day they do no more work that day.
Sometimes gang will only put in
sixty bales day, however. By
the rules which govern the steve
dores' association negroes are only
allowed to work gang for gang with white
stevedores
This prevents any more negroes being
employed than white men and keeps the
number Of men in the business down to a
certain limit. When there is scarcity of
men to load ships this often causes great
inconvenience, as no more negroes will be
allowed ID work than white men and there
are not enough white men to do the work
NO ORGANIZATION AT BRUNSWICK.
mo such societies exist in Charleston and
Brunswick, and the shipping men can en-
ploy any labor they please in any amount
they please.
"In Norfolk the stevedores get So so a day,
and white and black are employed at the
pleasure Of the shipper. The worst feature
OF the business here is that the majority OF
white men employed are not natives OF the
city or the country.
They come down here from Quebec in the
fall, remain here until spring working at
big wages, aud then 90 back to Canada "a
spend their money.
They keep the master stevedores from
employing negro labor here, though"
Cannot the business men regulate this
labor questions" the broker was asked.
IF we attempt to employ anything but
union labor" he replied, 1.-THE result is a
general strike and paralysis of bushes.
Tor the time being There is bound to be a
revolt against the present system some
day. 1t will be great deal of trouble, but
it will have to Gomez
WHY IT COSTS.
Another prominent broker and cotton mar
corrOborated the statements of the first II
every particular. There is no doubt be
said in concluding his statement, chat thiI
stevedore WORK is the hardest kind OF worl
and that IL requires skilled labor. The sea
son is short and the men should be vel
paid, but the fact remains that Savannah i,
paying higher price for this class OF worI
than any neighboring port, and that we art
hampered by restrictions that do not pre-
vail elsewhere. The negroes were yery
/ foolish to enter into the agreement the7
made with the white union to work oulI
gang for gang.
"There are hundreds of negroes in Savan
nah who.could be employed at this work il
the winter, and who could do good worl
but for this law made by the union. Fo
: many reasons we would prefer to emplo7
white labor, but in the hight of the season
when there Is a demand for more worI
, than can be done by the white longshore
men and an equal number of Colored long
shoremen, we do not see why "
should be debarred from employing NOR
negro labor, Ships are frequently com
PEELED to wait on account Of the scarcity O
labor.
"There are only about POO white long.
shoremen residing in Savannah. The res
: come down from Quebec in the fall"
TEE RAILROADS HELP, TOO.
, Tho railroads al5o make a termina
charge of 25 cents Per bale on cotton at So
vannah." continued the broker, "tha
is not made at Charleston anC
Brunswick. They are good deal t
blame for the discrimination agains
Savannah in the matter Of cottoI
! receipts and they are beginning to realiz
that II they want TO bring cotton to Savan
nah they must make concessions at boil
ends The lines leading into Savannah hav
been very stiff with their rates for se7era
! seasons past. They claim that a certain
; rate has been fixed and is observed by al
J the railroads, while the fact is that otbe
: lines frequently make cuts or give rebate
, in order to secure cotton. These are tn
two principal things the shipping mel
have to contend with at Savannah, tn
| labor and the railroads. Both will have K
make concessions, and the sooner the bette
for all concerned
THE CHEAPEST VESSELS.
"Why," said the broker in conclusion
: ''the cheapest vessels that have been char
tored at this port this season are at the rat
Of 9 81 Of penny pound or At cents PEI
hundred, and to-day we are taking 4
cents to Liverpool and Al to Breme1. Yot
can see whether the ship brokers are gettine
> rich or not. The rates on charters are tn
same for all the ports No one port has tn
advantage Of another in this respect"
The statements of the brokers are worthy
of serious consideration by the business mel
of Savannah. Not only all classes OF cottoI
men and all financial interests Of the city
but the railroads and the laboring men ar
interested in increasing Savsnnah's cotton
receipts to as large al amount as possible.
Three Things 10 Rem ember.
Hoods Sarsapnrilla has tho most MERIT
Hoods Sarsaparilla has won unequsleC