The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-09-15
Lumber.


With the exception of the continual de
crease in the prices and the falling off in ship
mentS there is very little business to record
in the history Of the lumber business during
the past year. In fact the history of the
trade seems to have been the same from year
to year during the past three or four years
and the low values Of the last year have CON
unued to fall this year, until they seem to
have reached rock bottom.
For the past five or six months prices have
been lower than ever before in the history of
the trade, and up to date there are very few
signs Of any Improvement In fact so dull
has been the season that number OF con
Germs in the state have had TO go into the
hands of receivers in order to tide it over
1 he financial stringency caught the lumber
men right IN the midst of one of their dulleSt
times, and it has gone harder, perhaps, with
them than with any other industry. They
have had to handle their product with less
money than they have had in former seasons
ana at the low prices, which have been preVa-
lent this has been exceedingly difflcult
The lack of any energetic demand has prob
ably been as largely responsible tor this con-
dltlon OF things IN the lumber trade as any
thing else. The statistics show that the ship
ments from this port alone during the pc st
hscal year are about 20 00,C00 feet short of
what they were last year, and the decrease
has been general along the coast as well as
foreign. The South American republics
which have been among the largest patrons OF
TINS market IN times gone by, have expert
enced little or no improvement in financial
conditions during the past year, and the large
decrease IN thelr patronage has been seriously
felt savannah. of course, handles the bulk
OF the product OF all the mills in this section
OF the state, and so enormous falling off in
the shipments in one year must, OF course
have its effect on the trade
For several years preceding this however
there was gradual Increase in the amount
of lumber handled here, probably amounting
TO l219 per cent, for several succeeding years
This is said TO have been due to the CONNER
clal advantages OF this port over other ports
and also TO superior banking facilities But
these superior facilities have been of little or
no advantage in these hard times. Other
ports and other markets have experienced
the same drawbacks, however and none of
them haHe done better proportionately than
savannah. Both the decreased volume Of the
business and the lower prices have had the
effect OF largely reducing the receipts of
the product, and competition, which is ALWAYS
keen, especially on the South Atlantic coast
has not been without its effect
Last year the midsummer business, which
was 30 per cent. larger in volume than that of
the preceding summer, made up, to some ex-
tent, for the decrease during the first part of
the season, but during this summer there has
been a steady decrease instead OF increase
ana the usual set OF to the dull season has
been found wanting. The increase last sum
mer was due, largely, to the large number OF
crossties that were used in the construction
OF northern railroads, but this year the build
ing OF railroads, as well as everything else
has been slack.
The poor showing made by the lumber trade
during the past year was powerful argu-
ment before the railroad commission when
an increase in freight rates was asked for nv
the railroads OF the state. While rates on
other classes OF freight were increased some
what, the rate ON lumber was allowed to re.