The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-07-04
SAVANNAH AND CHARLESTON.
What a Special Treasury Agent Has
to Say About the Two Cities.

What n Special Treasury Agent Has
to Say About the Two Cities.
Washington, July S.-Mr Charles A. Ma
catee, a special agent OF the treasury de-
partment, who is stationed at Savannah,
was in this city yesterday on his way to
Virginia, to spend his vacation with his
family. Mr.. Macatee has just completed an
inspection of the customs service in the
various southern states, including North
and South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Ala
bama and Texas. The result of his inves-
LEGATIONS will be submitted to the Secre-
tary of the Treasury in the shape of a re-
port through the chief supervising special
agent Mr.. Macatee says the imports and
exports at many of the southern ports, no
tably Charleston and Savannah, have
shown during the past six months, per-
ceptible increase in business. One of the
most remarkable circumstances in connec-
ton with the import trade at Charleston
and Savannah, is the large quantity of
rice that has been recently imported into
those two cities. 1t is generally supposed
South Carolina and Georgia are the great
est rice producing states in this country,
and that instead of importing rice into
Charleston and Savannah it should be ex-
ported to such an extent that there should
be no occasion for importing 1t there 1t
seems, said he, that the foreign rice grow
ers are carrying the competition in rice
very close to the home of that product. He
says he is not able to account for the i'm
portation of rice at these points. unless it
be that the last rice crop was not full
enough to meet the demand of the trade.
There has been a steady increase in the
quantity imported during the past fiscal
year.
M ATaco4aa saws tho annual ranorfe will
show that there has been a gradual i'm
provement in the ship chandler business
both in Charleston and Savannah. AS a
matter of fact, the data he has obtained
shows that Savannah ranks as the first
port in the United States for the exporta-
ion of rosin and turpentine. Prior to 1878,
Wilmington, N. c.. was the principal port
for the expectation of rosin, but since that
period Savannah has captured nearly all
that trade and to-day, practically, has
monopoly of the roSin exporting trade.
In this connection, Mr.. Macatee says
the sitting from the rosin barrels in the
freight yards of the Florida and Georgia
Railroad Company. are SC. great, that they
have accumulated to a thickness of near
ly four feet. A syndicate not long ago,
proposed to acquire by purchase these ac-
cumulations for the purpose of convert
ing them into lamp black. He cited this
incident to show how great has been the
rosin trade there since 1874.
The annual returns from the cotton IN
dustry will also show that Savannah is
close up to New Orleans and Galveston
as the great cotton export points
in the United States. According to
the statistics Savannah is the third
great cotton port of the world
Cotton is not the only branch of
business in the south that is improving.
but there appears to be a slow but sure
growth in all the avenues of trade
While in Charleston, Mr.. Macatee is fire.
quently brought in contact with Collec-
tor Bryan and the officers of the Charles
ton custom house. He says there is not
a better regulated and conducted custom
house under the government than that
over which Mr.. Bryan presides. The fees
of the collector at Charleston have not
been large this year past, and it Is proba-
BILE that his compensation many not ex-
coed $1,000. The outlook, however, is more
encouraging for the new fiscal year. for
the business at the port of Charleston is
improving, and it promises to improve
even to greater extent in the next six
months. There is a disposition on the part
of the people Of Charleston to break away
from that old custom Of doing the bulk
Of their importation business BY