The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-11-03

asked about the matter, ''of hauling cot
ton through Savannah to Port Royal and
TO Charleston, and Of seeing cotton that
rightly belongs to us go to Norfolk. This
diversion Of the traffic has been going
on for a long time, and l have been work
ing on some plan to put an end to it. When
a comparison OF the figures is made it
seems apparent what IS responsible for
this state of affairs. With an ocean rate
at Norfolk y to "a cents lower, and Que
at Charleston to cents lower than that
from Savannah, il ought TO be perfectly
clear why the cotton does not come here.
1T is not the purpose to wage any war
on the ship brokers'" Mr.. Conner contin-
ued, in any legitimate business, but sim
ply to insure to Savannah and to the rail-
road lines which are striving to build up
this port a proportiorate rate as compar
ed with other Atlantic ports; TO insure to
Savannah rates TO foreign ports which
will bear the same relation TO her natural
advantages as the rates from other ports
bear to their natural advantages"
The rates to be given Savannah through
this line of ships, will, 1t is believed, in
sure TO the port not only her full proper
ton of cotton but of all other products
"a well. 1t will be remembered that some
time ago extensive repairs were made on
the old grain elevator at the Central rail-
road wharf with a view TO securing ives
tern grain shipments through Savannah.
Now that the direct line IS an accomplish
ed fact, President Conner will take the
matter up with the Central railroads
western connections, and there is little
doubt that arrangements can be made
for foreign shipments Of grain through
Savannah. Savannah has every other ad-
vantage for making shipments of western
grain, bat the proper ocean rate. The rail
distance to some of the western grain
centers is considerably less than to New
York or to Norfolk, and with the facili-
ties for loading, and an equitable ocean
rate, there Is no reason why Savannah
cannot, and will not, get her share of
this business.
There was much INTEREST taken in the
visit of Mr. Marshall Stevens manager
of the Manchester ship canal. whose OBJ
ject was to secure a direct line of steam
ers between Savannah and Manchester.
Mr.. Stevens object was to make a fight
on Liverpool in behalf of Manchester and
his proposition was that his company,
and the ships employed, would assume
two-thirds of the risk, If the railroads
here would assume the other third.
Mr.. Conner saw Mr.. Stevens on the oc-
caslon of his visit here, and had consid-
cradle talk with him on the subject He
told Mr.. Stevens IL his company desired
TO put on a direct line of steamers the
railroads here would do all in their power
to aid them. The Central railroad, he
said, would receive from and turn freight
over to such steamers at the Ocean Steam
ship wharVes on exactly the same terms
and under the same conditions as it is
received from and turned over to the ships
OF the Ocean Steamship Company. But
when 1t came to the other part of the
proposition, Mr. Conner said he did not
see why Savannah, or the railroads CEN
tering here, should go into any fight be-
tween Liverpool and Manchester or take
sides with either one against the other, nor
was there any reason, he said why the
railroads here should assume one-third of
the risk that such a fight would entail.
While he said he was ready to aid Mr..
stevens in any way possible, he was not
willing to do 1t on partisan lines against
any other port.
The success of the direct trade move
ment through this unexpected source will
undoubtedly be a surprise, almost as
great surprise perhaps as it will be a
benent TO the port and it's industries.
Up TO the present time direct trade has
been sort of ignis fatuus, a chimera
that only the distant future was expected
TO develop. But now it seems not onlv
to have been established, but established
IN the best possible way, as an independ-
ent and distinct corporation which will
be controlled by natural, and not by any
artificial conditions.