The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-12-29
THE TANNING INDUSTRY.
The Opportunity and Advantages Sa-
Vallah Offers for 1t.

Nearly a Million Dollars Of Raw
Hides Exported Through Savannah
Every Year-What This Would Mean
If Enough Tanneries Were Estab-
ushed to Handle This Amount.
Savannah is a greater market for
leather and hides than most people sup
pose it to be. Over 5000 bales of raw
hides are exported through here every
year. The average weight of bale of
raw hides is about 500 pounds, so that Sa-
yannah exports annually about %, 0O0, 900
rounds of hides, which at cents per
pound means 100000.
If these hides were tanned here. said a
gentleman interested in the tanning in
dustry yesterday, and the leather ex-
ported, it would bring at least Is cents
per pound, and as there is no loss in tan
ming flint hides, but generally a slight
gain in weight, the amount obtained for
the leather would be about four times as
great, or So, 100000.
Savannah imports annually $4,000 boxes
Of boots and shoes or 100000 pairs At
An average price of 81 per pair this foots
up 81 100000. Estimating the average
weight at pounds per pair gives a total
weight of about $500, 900 pounds, at an
average cost of % cents per pound.
Savannah pays for one-fifth of the weight
Of its export of hides 100000 more
for manufactured shoes, than is received
for the whole of it's exported rawhides.
If these AZ, 900 bales of hides were tanned
here and manufactured into shoes, har-
ness, etc, at the rate of 25 cents per
pound, they would represent value of
nearly S5,OO0,000. In round numbers Sa-
vsnnah receives s., 100000 for rawhides,
hence a, 900, 900 are paid to Northern tan
ners, manufacturers and jobbers which
legitimately belongs at home, providsd
the tanning and manufacturing is done
here.
To tan 5000 bales of hides, said the
gentleman, would require forty tanneries
employing each fifty hands Allowing
an average capital of $25, 900 to each tan
merry, 81, 600, 600 capital would be required,
and this would enable Savannah to re-
ceive $3,500,000 annually for leather in
atead of 100000 for raw hides
These tanneries would give employment {
to 2, 600 hands, at average wages of $3.50
per day. Three thousand dollars would
thus be put daily in circulation for labor
alone.
To tan 100000 pounds of raw hide
would require 1875, 900 tons of palmetto.
To transport this amount of palmetto TO-
600 cars would be needed, or about one
train load per day. Allowing an average
Of 81 per ton freight the railroads would
receive an additional gross income of
Sl25, 900 annually.
To cut and ship this amount of palmetto
1900 hands would be steadily employed
in the interior.
The refuse fiber, after the palmetto has
been used for tanning, would be about
10000 tons, worth $40 per ton for paper,
or about as much as the cost of green pal
metto delivered at the tanneries would
be.
At least so per cent. of this amount, the
tannery man estimates, would be paid
for frieghts to the paper mills, and would
again benefit steamship lines and rail-
roads. If this residue fibre were manu-
featured into spinning or upholstering
fibre here, about 1900 additional hands
would find employments and the product
would be worth $50 per ton, or triple the
paper pulp value.
1t has been amply demonstrated that
leather can be tanned with palmetto at a
cost of 10 to II cents per pound. This
kind of leather sells readily for IL to 20
zcents.per pound. The entire amount OF
raw hides received here would sell just
as easily and quickly, if tanned, as they
DO now, as there is no limit to the sale of
leather A profit of so per cent. on the
turn over of capital is so large that
capital is bound to find its way TO this
new field from some source or other, and
1t is only capital and skilled labor which
is needed. Thousands of unemployed
skilled mechanics would only be too glad
to come here, where they can work the
year round and receive fair wages.