The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-07-07
MAY MOVE OFF BAY STREET.
WHOLESALE GROCERNMEN TALK
OF LOCATING ELSEWHERE.


Specializing. storage and Demur-
rage Eat IN Their PrOnts-RniI-
roads TO BE Asked for a Union
Freight Depot and Greater Ware
house Facilities Capt. Purse
Transmits the Letter Of the Mer-
chants 60 Council With one Of His
own. Urging the Necessity of En-
Inrged Railroad Facilities on
River street.
VIII the wholesale grocery merchants
OF the city remove from Bay street and
will they build warehouses in immediate
proximity 20 the railroad tracks or VIII
they secure the building OF such ware
houses by the railroads.
This is a very Important question, which
has been discussed among the merchants
for the last several days or two weeks.
perhaps They are nor satisfied with the
present condition OF affairs. gated as
they are on Bay street. Thelr~1acil-ties
for the prompt handling and delivery Of
goods at present are entirely inadequate,
they say and Savannah is further behind
IA this respect than any nelghbOring COM
petitors, even Of the third and fourth rate
class
What the Savannah merchant pays out
Tor the handling Of his goods 10 and from
his place OF business and in storage and
demurrage 10 the railroads goes 10 the
profits OF his competitors in neighboring
cities, where the situation Is different
When business was good and profits the
same these losses were not severely felt,
but now that business IS done on less
profitable basis these things have become
matters Of great Importance.
The dissatisfaction Of the merchants
has taken shape in a letter addressed to
Capt. b. G. Purse, commissioner OF the
Savannah Bureau of Freight and Trans
portation. The letter sets forth the mat
ter clearly and briefly:
Savannah Ga, July j. ls5.-Capt ID. G.
Purse. Commissioner. Savannah Bureau OF
Freight and Transportation, Savannah,
Ga. Dear Sir; owing TO the narrowing
down OF our territory brought about Dy
the freezes ia Florida and other causes.
and reduced margins OF prout due 10
sharper competition nearer home, We md u
absolutely necessary to do something to
Offset these untoward conditions We are
not paying eNtravagant salaries, and 10
reduce them our employees would not have
enough left for moderate living expenses
and their usefulness be destroyed.
Our chief disadvantage Is the expense
OF remaining our kouQHs WHICH, DMluB
10 the fact that our railroad depots are
at the opposite extremes OF the city, Is
something enormous. ana places as in com
petition with our home markets, with
which we have to compete over our entire
territory, at an alarming disadvantage as
with Augusta, Macon, Atlanta. Americus
Albany. Brunswick and Jacksonville, at
some of which points, the stores or ware
houses being located on line or lines of
railroad, they have no such expense, and
which expense, as borne by us. Is, I'm IL
eelf, handsome profit on the business we
DO
OF but little less embarrassment TO us
IS the matter of demurrage and storage,
in that We are held strictly TO the de-
murrage rules recently promulgated by
the railroad commission of Georgia, with
storage charges almost prohibitory, es-
pecially on grain, hay and mill stuffs
We, the undersigned wholesale mer-
chants, therefore. respectfully ask that
you confer with the various railroad com
pgnies entering the city looking TO the
establishment Of a union freight depot, or
the building Of suitable stores or ware
houses, adapted to our business, on the
line OF the railroads, and urge upon them
the necessity for the uniform enforcement
OF the demurrage rules at every termini
OF their lines
Those OF us who are now occupying
stores fronting on River street are una
HE TO ship our goods direct from our
stores for the reason that we cannot get
proper facilities. As matters now stand.
10 attempt II means a delay of As hours
or more, which delay would result in the
loss Of our trade.
The letter IS signed by the following
firms: Smith Bros, Herman & Kayton,
Fawcett Bros, Ellis, Young * Co., J. 4.
Williams 4 Co, West, Wigs a Co, Pea
cock q Hunt Naval Stores Company, Sa-
Nannah Naval Stores Company, Hunter,
Pearce & Battey, Savannah Grocery
Company, A. b. Hull & Co., NJ. Fersts
Sons 4 Co., a. Ehrlich & Bro 4. LET
fer a. Son w. ID. Simkins. George W.
Tiedeman x Bro, Henry solomon x Son,
7. J. Davis, Kavanaugh & Brennan and
James NJ. Dixon x Co.
Capt. Purse at once recognized the let
ter as an argument for the opening up
and extending the railroad tracks on
River street, and he has forwarded the
communication to the city council, with
the following letter of his own:
Savannah. Ga, July 1, lS96-The Honor
able the Mayor and Aldermen of the City
of Savannah, Savannah, Ga: Gentlemen
- have the honor to place before your
honorable body the accompanying peti-
tion filed with this bureau to-day by the
wholesale merchants of Savannah. You
VIII be as surprised as this bureau was
upon hrs1 reading ii, but upon reelection
realize that 1t is but the natural drift
OF things in our present condition
To put this in execution, as necessity
of the situation, would mean the diminish
ing in value of a large amount of Valu-
able property now yielding profitable re-
turns TO the owners.
IL
either the storehouses of the merchants
must go 10 the present tracks of the
railroads or these tracks must be con-
nected with the storehouses of the mer-
chants. The former would impair the
value of much taX-bearing property with
out giving anything in return. The lat
ter would add largely TO the taxable
values without doing violence to any To-
calities, and that latter is capable, in the
judgment of this bureau, of simple and
easy accomplishment by the completion
of a line of track or tracks upon River
street for the common use of all lines
now here or that may hereafter seek en-
trance into the city on either its eastern,
western or southern boundaries
Therefore, ! have the honor to urge that
the movement to open and dedicate River
street to this purpose be given the utmost
expedition.
Meanwhile. as it is the duty of this
bureau, under this petition, the matter
will be taken up with the railroads cen
tering here looking to the construction of
such warehouses as will accommodate
the wholesale trade of Savannah, if IL
cannot be accommodated in any other
way. Very respectfully. Your obedient
servant. d. G. Purse,
Commissioner.
Capt. Purse, when seen by a Morning
News reporter. expressed surprise at the