The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-09-05

ers this morning a concise review of the
commercial operations of the city and port
of Savannah for the trade year of 1895,
ending Aug 81 last The facts have all
been gathered with care, and compiled
in a manner to show concisely the bust
ness movement. There were deficiencies
in certain lines of trade and increases in
others. These were all set forth plainly,
in order that the business men may see
precisely where they are att and govern
themselves accordingly.
Considered from a strictly statistical
point of view, the year was fairly sue
cessful one. The total value of trade, as
is shown by the appended review of items,
and tables, was considerably more than
the total for the year preceding. The
statement of bank clearances. which is
an indisputable index to the trend of
trade, shows an increase of $S,0OO.00O over
the season of 1S94-95. which is approx
rnately the amount of increase of the
value of last years business.
Considered more in detail, 1t will also
appear that the year was attended with
a fear measure of success. Cotton re-
ceipts fell off But while the volume of
cotton was smaller, it's value was some
100000 greater. Having planted for a
smaller crop. the farmers reaped the ben
efits of a higher price for it, and were
enabled to make prompt payments TO the
merchants and others who had made adj
vances to them. This made collections
very good in all lines Indeed. the COM
parative ease with which collections were
made was one of the most pleasing feat
ures of the year. 1t enabled the taking
of profits although small, in all branches
of trade, whereas failures to collect
would have entailed losses. Thf defi-
cheney of cotton receipts, therefore, while
it reduced the total of tonnage sailing out
of the port and may be otherwise re-
heoted in the business of the year was not
a bad thing for the city, the port, or the
section.
There was no improvement in the baling
of the crop Of the past year, to speak of.
Nevertheless there were very few cotton
fires on the South Atlantic coast, and none
at all on ship board at this port. This
would seem to show that the baling, which
a year ago, was suspected of all sorts of
bad things, was not so much fault as was
thought.
Sea island cotton planters and factors
had very satisfactory yea. Their ideals
were not all achieved, to be sure, but
they found a ready market for their goods
at fair prices and made some money. The
sea island planters come nearer having a
monopoly of their crop than probably any
farmers in the country. The area in which
the cotton can be probably produced is
limited; no other cotton has been found
that can take its place with entire salts
faction, and the demand for it is constant
ly increasing. Egyptian cotton comes the
Of - 60. Iafva rfR n
the sea island, but it is only a substitute
at best, and is not used when the genuine
stuff can be had to advantage. Sea island
factors report better collections than they
have known for long time, and say the
outlook for the crop of the current year
is good There may be some shortage
from first estimates on account of the dry
and hot weather. But the prospects are
that the staple win be good and clean.
In naval stores, the movement was just
the reverse to that of cotton. The supply
of cotton decreased and the prices went
up; the supply Of naval stores increased
and the price went down. The volume
of naval stores handled was considerably
greater than that of the year previous,
but the value of 1t was about the same.
The increase in quantity just about bal
anced the decrease in value. This was
one of the disappointing features of the
years business. At the beginning of the
season, with a considerable flourish of
1rumpets, the announcement was made
that the production was to be greatly cur
tailed, in order to force the price up.
But there was a bad slip-up somewhere.
with the result that the greatest crop on
record was sent to market, and the price
of spirits turpentine went to the lowest
notch ever touched in the history of the
trade that Is, p cents a gallon. The new
season opened with prices only a little
better. But the operators recently held
III. 4
do this year what they thought they
would do last year; that is, reduce the
production TO the point where the supply
will be near enough to the demand to
force prices up to living rate. The
project TO build storage tanks in this
city seems to have died OF hamilton, and
the only thing left for the operators to
do is to hold their surplus in the shape
of sap in the trees.
The improved condition OF the farmers
in the Savannah territory is illustrated in
the falling off in the grocery and provisions
trade, and the increase in the clothing,
hardware, furniture and building supplies
trades The farmers year before last rails
ed their own provisions TO a greater eX-
tent than ever before. They had their
barns fun of corn, peas and potatoes, and
their smoke houses fun Of meat, conse-
quently did not have to send to the city
for supplies for their horses and hands
When their crops We're sold they had
little something left over with which to
replcnish their wardrobes, their stocks of
farm implements, which had been allowed
10 run down, and 20 build houses and fur
nish them. The hardware dealers. espec-
tally, had n good year Of IT, They made
good collection. and probably did as sat
isfactory business, all told as they have
done IN a long time.
The Savannah fertilizer factories had a
good year. They increased the value Of
their business more than three-quarters
OF a million dollars. Their goods are the
equal Of any in the market, and find ready
sale in the territory they might legiti-