The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-09-20
MR. WILLIAMS TALKSBACK.
Some Things for the TuTpentine Pro-
duCeTS TO Think About.

ton to Stop Shipping Old Boxes An
Ill-advised Measure and Wholly
Unwarranted Under the Circumstan-
ces-His Views of What Should
Have Been Done-Why williams &
Co. Sent Out Their Circular-rhe
Effect on the Market.
The sensation among the turpentiue
men on account of the issuing of cireu-
lar by J. p. Williams & Co. to their Gus
toners advising them to continue work
ing all old boxes which could be worked
at a profit, contrary to the resolution of
the Turpentine Producers General Asso-
citation at its meeting in Savannah Aug.
10, has not yet subsidized. The last issue
of the Operators News was devoted al
most entirely to Mr. Williams and his ac-
tion was variously commented upon and
! criticised.
Mr.. Williams is not disposed to bear tame
~ the attacks which are being made upon
him His disposition is to fight back and
| he fights hard. He has been gathering
! some Information lately about the manner
in which the operators observed the reso-
| luton, and also some points about those
| who have been attacking him, and others
whom he believes to have instigated the
attacks. He is ready for the fray and is
| prepared to give those who have attacked
him as good as they send.
MR.. WILLIAMS POSITION.
Mr.. Williams was seen by MORNING
| News reporter. Among other things he
said that he had information showing
that majority of the operators had not
| observed the resolution TO cease chipping
old boxes on Aug. 26.
Il have no hesitation in saying said
he, chat on Tuesday, Aug. 20, the day
before which our circular was issued,
there were fully 20 per cent. of the oper-
ators who had not ceased chipping old
! boxes"
What is your opinion about that reso-
ton of the association, anyway" he was
asked.
Il think that that resolution was an ill
advised measure, that it was radical and
entirely unwarranted under the circum-
stances
Was it in your opinion necessary to
adopt any measure, the object Of which
would be to cut off prOduction?"
WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE.
Eyes, l believe that the general asso-
citation should have passed resolution
advising the discontlnuance of the work
ing of all third and fourth year boxes i'm
mediately, where it was practicable to do
! so, and that in no event should more than
one more chipping be made upon these
classes of boxes except in instances where
! operators had nothing but old boxes TO
work. The operators should have been
| advised of the resolution through the sub
! associations The resolution should
also have advised the dis
of all second year boxes as soon as it was
practicable to do so, and in this manner,
leaving the discontinuance of the work.
ing of boxes entirely with the sub asso-
Citations. This would have brought into
| requisitiOn every conservative power of
| the sub associations TO effect this desir-
| able end and the factors would have re-
enforced them by advising all operators
who were not members of the sub associa-
! tiOnS to observe as near as possible the
| provisions contained in these recommen-
dations. Had that course been pursued
there would have been a general OBJ
| servance of the resolution and the
association would to-day have stood
strong in the estimation of all connected
with the industry.
But the resolution as passed was so
arbitrary in its provisions as to make it
| impossible for many operators to be
governed by it and many have done
as men will always do under
| similar mstances-exerciSed the pre-
rOgative of their own Judgment. The
resolution has had the effect of working
some hardship upon those who did OBJ
serve it,
WHY THE CIRCULAR WAS SENT OUT.
"What decided you to send out your
circular advising operators to continue
working old boxes?" Mr. Williams was
| asked
LAS have before stated" he said, 81
| believed that the condition of the turpen-
tine farms in Georgia, the products of
which we were receiving, was such as to
| Justify the sending out of the circular as
a temporary eXpedient. The information
which l had was from only few points
in Georgia, and the reports were very I'M
favorable. The telegraphic reports from
South Carolina We're of most alarming
character. l inferred that the area of the
storm included the whole turpentine belt
of Georgia. Upon my return home from
New York, after making investigations l
found that the condition in the turpen-
tine belt of Georgia was not so bad as
had thought, and we therefore issued
our weekly circular on Saturday, Sept g.,
requesting all our patrons to discontinue
working of all boxes except virgin
Your action has been much criticised
has it not2N was the next question.
LOOK AT THE FIGURES.
II have read several communications
and interviews criticising my action in
issuing the circular and in what ] have
said with reference to the influence of the
!
years AS to the issuance of the circular
on Aug. 2S l would do the same thing un-
der similar circumstances. AS to the re-
suits which have been accomplished by
the association in reducing production
and thereby advancing prices during the
last two years, ! would simply refer any
DISTINGUISHED observer to the comparative
receipts at this port and the prevailing
prices which have obtained for
spirits and rosin in that time. The organ
ization has been in existence for two years
and it has continued steadily to grow in
strength, and last spring it was stated
that fully IS per cent. of all the operators
were either members of the sub-associa-
tiOns or affiliated with them. During the
first year of the existence of the organi-
zatiou we had a crop of 277, 600 casks of
spirits, or 10000 more than had ever been
shipped to Savannah during any previous
year 1t was apparent to the mind of any
one tn at the low prices prevailing during
the winter months were brought about
directly by over-production. The associ-
alton mapped out their work for this
year, and the receipts showed considera-
bic falling of up to about July. During
July the receipts were $500 casks,
which were 3, 900 casks more than were
| received durino the rracpdiuar Jl1lv yvhen