The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-09-12

I
port, or otherwise the business Of loading di-
rect steamers will leave this city entirely.
and this port will lose a large portion of its
export trace, and we most Of our business IN
loading foreign steamers.
We quite appreciate that with the existing
rules OF the two labor organizations that you
cannot stow cotton for lower rates than you
now charge with any prottt TO yourselves but
| we woul ask that you use your influence
| with the two societies TO have the seventy
i've bale law done away with or some other
rules so modified that you win be able to
charge us less for slowing. AMI that we viii
be able TO compete In the interior for cotton
with the ports above named, thus pi o Getting
the business OF our city and giving you and
the longshOremen more work to do other
wise we Will be forced to protect ourselves
and the commerce OF this port which will
necessitate our employing labor that will do
the work Mt reasonable and equitable rates.
Very respectfully,
J. F. MINIS & Co.
WILDER Co.
RICHARDSON 81 BARNARD.
STRACHAN & Co.
To which they replied:
savannah, Ca, Feb. 10, 1874 F. Minis g.
Co. " llder & Co, Richardson & Barnard
Strachan Co.: Gentlemen-By your request
we have been TO see the presidents of both
the societies and men in general, and have
thoroughly explained the matter laid before
us to them, and their answer to us was that
they had previously given their answer, and
still refuse to make any changes Very re
81 ectully, JOHN REILLY
GRAHAM Bros,
POWERS s. MAGE.
The longshoremen have never shown anv
inclination 10 assist the brokers when
occasion required. Four seasons ago.
when there were more steamers 10 port
than could be loaded by the longshore-
men, under their rules, which require the
employment of an equal mum Der of white
and black gangs in each ship, and all
white gangs available being employed the
hrolFnra hnfOra n ~
of the white and colored societies and re-
quested permission to employ more col
ored gangs for the time being thus to avoid
paying demurrage. Their request was
refused, and the brokers had to pay de-
murrage on several vessels.
On damaged cotton, burnt or wet.
which has to be shipped OF deck. the
longShoremen have demanded full wages
although the cotton has simply to be put
on deck by hand and not screwed
After many efforts the brokers have
succeededed in turning considerable ship
ments of phosphate through this port.
Now steamer taking large quantity of
phoshate puts her down pretty deep in
the water, and it sometimes happens she
cannot till up with even a light cargo like
cotton. In such cases there would be
plenty of room for the cotton taken, and
no necessity to screw IL in, but for sim
ply putting this cotton away by hand.
the brokers, under the longshCremen's
rules, must pay full prices, just as if the
cotton had been screwed.
All their efforts have come to naught
The brokers realized that there was but
one thing TO do, and that Is load their own
vessels with non-union labor. A start
was made, and the reduction in loading
charges of about 20 cents per bale enabled
the brokers to load thirteen steamers
after March Is, which they could not
have done without this reduction.
From March to September the brokers
had no propositions from the boss steve
dores or longshOremen, and therefore
proceeded to make arrangements TO have
their work done by other parties Having
spent thousands of dollars in the pur-
chase of new screws and implements and
prepared themselves for the season, upon
the arrival of the first steamer, the union
men, without first communicating with
the brokers, proceeded to intimidate the
men employed by the brokers and at
tempted TO prevent their going to work.
which resulted in a riot
The brokers have nothing to conceal
from the public in fact, they want them
to know the exact condition of affairs,
which in few words is simply this The
longshoremen have been getting per dav.
four men each So, one header s., which
constitutes gang, and seventy-fve bales
is the limit of their work, under their
rules refusing TO do more The adjacent
ports have no limit as to the number of
bales and pay lower wages. 1t can.
therefore, be readily seen that if boats
are chartered at same rates as the neigh
| boring ports and Charterers have to paw
more for loading them, they cannot give
as low rates to get the cotton. The truth
| is, unless the cost of loading is reduced
| the cotton business Of this port will be
crippled, as the exporters will send their
| cotton through the other ports, where
| the freight is cheaper. On all sales they
are now making they sell with the op-
! ton of shipping from Brunswick, Port
| Royal or Charleston.
/ An impression prevails that the re-
! ductlon in the cost of loading steamers
| and ships, which agents or brokers insist
| on, is intended 10 swell their own profits.
/ This is not so. They require this re-
! duction in order to be enabled to compete
! with neighbOring ports, and the differ
! ence OF about 20 cents Is sunk in the rate
/ of freight. At the reduction they are
| enabled TO secure a legitimate share Of
! the business for this port Had they to
| employ labor on the terms prevailing
twelve months ago the bulk of the bust
ness would be diverted TO other directions,
! as difference of ] cent per 100 pounds
or about 3 cents per bale, will frequently
! divert cotton from the leading interior
! points TO other ports
| We, the brokers of Savannah, make the
| foregoing statement as the true condition
OF affairs existing at this port
j. L. MINIS " Co.
| SrRACHAS x Co.
RICHARDSON Il BARNARD.
WILDER a Co.
MR. KEENAN's EXCEPTIONS.
Mr.. Thomas Keenan,, an ex-president Of
! the beneYolent association, was the next
! speaker He said That he aroso IN Contra
/ diet that portion OF the brokers state
| ment which said that the longshoremen
| had refused to come TO the assistance of
the brokers on occasions when more ships
! were in port than could be supplied with
! an equal number of white aud colored