The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-08-28
PLANS FOR A STEAMER LINE.
MARSHALL STEVENS EXPLAINS
HOW 1T CAN BE DONE.

Manchester and Showing the
Sources From which the CargOes
Would BE Obtained-What the Ca
nal Company Is Willing TO Do 10
Secure such "A Line and What 1t
Expects Others To Do.
A meeting Of the committees Of coun-
ell, the Board Of Trade and the Cotton
Exchange, appointed to arrange for the
reception of Mr.. Marshall Stevens, mana
ger Of the Manchester ship canal, will
be held at the city exchange at noon to-
morrow.
MT. Stevens visit is looked forward to
with much interest by the business COM
munity and although his stay will be
short it is believed that it will prove Of i'm
portance to the city. The importance Of
his mission can best be judged by an able
exposition of the subject by Mr. Stevens
in a letter written by him to Capt. Purse
some time ago. but which the latter did
not choose TO make public at the time. In
the letter Mr.. Stevens says:
Il am in receipt Of your letter Of -,
and can assure you that you may rely
upon the hearty cooperation of my COM
pany, and, indeed. Of ali interested in this
district who trade with the United States.
in your endeavor TO establish a regular
service of steamers to sail between sa-
vannah and Manchester. The elements
for the success Of such a venture are in
deed not wanting. The whole of the sea
island cotton imported into England is
consumed by about fifteen firms of spin
ners, all Of whom have signiAed their
wish to have their cotton, which they
Manchester. Mr.. w. W. Gordon of your
city was present at the meeting Of spin
ners when the resolution referred to was
adopted, and as he has also visited our
docks, he can explain to your board the
facilities we then had to offer, and which
have since been considerably added to-
Three-fourths of all the American cotton
imported into England is consumed at
mills which are within twelve miles of
this city, but unlike the sea island cot
ton, the main shipment of the staple are
not imported by the spinner and the vest
ed interests of Liverpool make II more
difficult for the importing merchants to
open up a direct trade with Manchester.
Shippers from Galveston and New Or
leans are, however, fast breaking through
the Liverpool barrier, and thirteen steam
ers have been chatered this season (seven
has sailed), from those ports to Manches-
ter direct There is to be at least a fort
nightly shipment during the remainder Of
the season from each port.
No cargo of cotton has as yet arrived at
Manchester from an Atlantic
port, but there would appear
TO be no reason why Savan-
nah should not supply a cargo of cotton
every fortnight during the next season, If
satisfactory service of steamers is OBJ
tanned.
A large quantity of naval stores is used
locally. The largest portion of the rosin
imported into this country is used at
places which can be reached with equal or
greater advantage from Manchester than
from Liverpool. Seven cargoes have al
ready been received here by sailing YES
sells. The receivers here would prefer the
more regular deliveries which a service of
steamers would provide, and this bus
mess would soon become a direct one be
tween shipper and consumer.
A good trade can be cultivated in soft
fruit If steamers are equipped with re-
frigerating plant but it would hardly be
desirable to consider this trade at the out
set. Canned fruits can be distributed
from Manchester to advantage as compar-
oranges are available they will find a
ready sale here 10000 tons have already
been landed at Manchester from the Med
iterTanean).
Manchester being the metropolis OF the
great manufacturing district of England
and the nearest port to one-fifth of the
whole population of the United Kingdom
it is naturally well placed for the distribu-
ton of the cotton seed oil, cotton cake
and other products.
Phosphate rock was at one time largely
received in Manchester, but ii was found
that the trade could not bear the cost of
inland carriage. Now, with the canal, the
imports should recommence; meantime
we can do as well as Liverpool in distri-
button. Your fertilizers should bye and
bye find an entrepot here for distribu-
ton.
Mr. Stevens states that Manchester can
furnish as much in the way Of outward
cargo as any other English port, chiefly
in manufactured goods he then dis
cusses the question Of how a regular line
of steamers, such as is desired is to be
obtained, and outlines the following PLAN
THE heroic method" he says would
be to canvass for capital and to build a
fleet of steamers but this does not ap-
peal to me, and will not, 1 think, appeal
to you as a ready manner of starting the
business. 1t would be better, / think, to
obtain the cooperation of an important
steamship owner owning suitable steam
ers, or, failing that. steamers dixie those
which are now carrying the cargo) can
be obtained upon charter, and your To-
cal shipping firms will be able to assure
you that there is no difficulty in obtain
ing suitable tonnage in this way. l do
not think a steamship owner would be
induced to undertake the service solely
on his own account. 1t will, therefore
be better to take 1t that some other in
terest or interests have to take a risk
in the undertaking.
The risk should therefore be minimized
as much as possible. and to this end I
would suggest that arrangements some
thing like the following should be made.
The steamers to be debited to the first
account, either at the net cost Of ,Vorline
them, if the owner is a partner in tn.
line. or at chartered cost, but striped Of
all commission If specially chartered for
the service and no commission to be
earned or charged by those interested
excepting as provided for hereafter.
by arrangement with the harbor author
tiles. the stca ners TO be freed OF port
charges at Savannah in the first account
The railroads to cover In their freight an
costs up 70 and including stevedorinr.
Their through freights for distant tranic