The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-09-11
The Total Of Trade Mounts
Up to Sl23,SOO,OOO.
REVIVAL mall BRANCHES
The Increase in Cotton Receipts Nearly
100000 Bales.

Review OF the Year Covering the
Movements Of and Prices for the Va
rious Staples and Other Commodi-
ties-Rock Bottom Was Touched in
Ise2-'e3, and the Upward Movement
Has Begun-The Current Trade Year
Expected to Show Larger Totals
Than the Last.
savsnnah's business is on the up grade.
Notwithstanding the fact that the business
year which ended on Aug. 81, last, had its be-
ginning in the midst Of a season Of CONNER
oaal depression that was almost worldwide,
Savannah did S'.5000O0 more business last
year than she did during the year before.
During 1928, when the financial crisis was
at its extreme tension, Savannah's business
struck hard pan. and when times began TO
improve business began to improve with
them. This year the total Of trade
shows UP better than for any year
since 1861, which was a record making
year.
At the beginning Of the year 1898 "a all lines
Of business were run on must" basis.
Stocks on hand were kept down TO supplies
for actual demand, credits were limited by
both factors and merchants to their custom
ers, and the whole trend Of trade was TO keep
resources and liabilities within touch Of the
operator. The experiences undergone by the
tradesmen in other sections Of the country
had warned Savannshians to use caution.
Nevertheless. there was no pinching or
skimping. The banks had plenty of money
for all legitimate demands upon them, and
they let the money go whenever equitable ar
engagements were made. The ability OF the
banks Of the city and their conservatism, as
q matter OF fact, had much to do with the ex-
cellent showing the city is able to make at
the end Of the year.
The chief item in the trade Of the port was,
Of course, cotton Of which there was an in
crease in receipts Of nearly 200. 900 bales over
the receipts OF the year previous. This item
of itself swelled the total of trade by some
healthy figures. Nevertheless cotton was
not the only commodity that showed big in
crease. There was a round 81 900 600 added
TO the total for naval stores, although the TO-
tai number Of packages handled was only
about SOL in excess of the total for the year
previous. The difference in the amount Of
money the goods brought, which difference
went into the pockets Of the producers, was
Ilb lIulb Oh IUt ldDOFS Oh the ldGLOfE OF tllS
port to hold prices up
The value OF fertilizers sold last year was
10000 more than for the year previous; of gro
ceries 100000 more; Of dry goods and notions
s500,OO0 more; of clothing 500, 900 more; of
boots, shoes and hats $4,000 more; OF hard
ware $4,000 more; OF liquors and tobacco
100000 more. The manufactures OF the town
not otherwise enumerated increased in value
s500,0OO. The retail trade did Il 900 900 more
business, and the miscellaneous enterprises
added 100000 to their total for the previous
year. The only business that showed a fall
ing OF was that Of lumber, which declined to
the extent of 100000 The revival of trade
was not early enough to create demand for
lumber sufficiently strong TO boost that com
modify along with the others. Building, how
ever, has begun again, and it is but reason
BILE to think that during the year now cur.
rent, lumber will catch up with the process
sion
Fruits and vegetables, provisions, furni-
ture and builders supplies showed no In
crease over the previous year. But neither
Of them showed a decline; each held its
own. There was no increase IN fruits and
vegetables from the fact that the fruit crop
was failure and the western strike spoiled
the melon trade. The trade in provisions did
not increase because Georgia farmers are
now raising their own corn, bacon, oats. etc .
and Savannah would prefer to have it that
way. Furniture is very slow to fuctuate
under almost any circumstances, and build
ers' supplies follow the demand for lumber
Direct shipments to foreign ports of cotton
from this port showed an increase of more
than 10000 bales over the shipments OF last
year, and were, with one exception, the largest
direct exports in the history of the port In
1690|el, the total reached 522 9O5 bales; last
year 1t was 4s7S3l bales. The number of
ocean going vessels that arrived at and depart
cd from the wharves OF the city during the wear
was slS, having total tonnage OF 992, 73j tons
In connection with mention Of foreign
shipments and the tonnage Of the port, it is
well 10 note the success of the river and har.
Dor improvement work. Water sufficient II
float vessels having a draught of twenty
three feet has been obtained and a channe
Of twenty-six feet will be obtained in the
near future.
The summaries that follow give the detail,
Of the movements of the markets and trade
during the year.
Cotton
The season Of 1894 opened under tn,
most Lnfavoraole conditions ever known II
the history Of the cotton trade The pros
pects were gloomy q me extreme. The bus
tness Of the country was hamper6d b. grea
uncertainty that WIS general and was Jus
recovering from the nnanc'a stringenc,
which had demoralized the condition of trad
for months.
The weather at the beginning OF the cottor
season had great deal 10 do VITA the | n
favorable prospects which hung over tn,
market. The conditions were such as pre-
vented the early harvesting OF the crop. art
money being scarce it was rather dirncult L
move that portion which was favored by bet
ter weather. Al the outset there was grea'
anxiety regarding the financial situation, ant
IT was feared that the scarcity OF money
would AFFECT seriously the movement Of tn,
crop
Fortunately the financial institutions o.
Savannah, with careful forethought. hat
prepared for the emergency, and JUS
as soon as the weather permitted the gather
ing OF the staple, there was a suniclency Of
capital 70 move it rapidly to the markets.
Another most welcome circums alce to the
then uncertain conditions was the prompt sale
effected. The demand was so active that Their,
was no dimculty in receiving assistance from
Europe and nom the time the movemen,
started money be ane cay and continued
plentiful during the entire season
There was no disposition on the part o
planters 10 hold their cotton back. hecaus,