The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-06-20
FIVE SHIPS TO NEW YORK.
sAvANNAH's INCREASED SHIPPING
FACILITIES.

philadelphia Making Vigorous
Protest Against the Withdrawal of
the savannah Line of Steamers.
Talk of New Line Being Estah-
Iished-What Savannah Merchants
say About the New Service to New
York.
The merchants of Savannah do not seem
TO be making any vigorous protest against
the Ocean Steamship Companys with
drawal after July of the Savannah Phil
adephia line of steamers.
Talk comes from Philadelphia of the
Savannah meschants being highly indig-
nant over the company's action. but in
quries fail to discover the complainants
Philadelphians have it that the influence
of competitors of the Central has caused
the coming change, and feel that their
city and that section of Pennsylvania is
to be greatly injured by the taking off of
the City of Macon, the one steamer
now plying between Savannah and
Philadelphia. Their grievances are being
aired in the newspapers and efforts are
on foot, it is said, to induce the steamship
company to rescind its action. That this
will be done there seems to be little
chance, and, from the expression of sew
eral shippers who were seen yesterday, it
is apparent that there is no particular eff
fort to be made here for the maintenance
of the direct line to Philadelphia
The route that will be used after July l,
is regarded as very satisfactory There is
to be no increase in rates for either pas
ed by. the Ocean Steamship Company's di-
rect line. Such an increase, in fact would
not be allowed as it would be contrary to
the articles of the freight and passenger
association. The service to be afforded
promises, too, to be as effective and quick
as that now given. The route from Savan-
nah will be via the Merchants and Min
ers' Transportation Companys steamers
to Baltimore and thence by canal or rail
to Philadelphia.
The Ocean Steamship Company will
maintain an agent at Philadelphia to look
after it's business. This agent will be Mr..
Carroll Smith, who has already been ap-
pointed.
Insurance agents state that the new
route will not cause an increase of rates
on merchandise. 1t was thought that pos.
sbly this change would cause
an increase, but from the state.
ments of the insurance men it is evil
dent that this is not the case. Some
thought the transfer at Baltimore from
or to canal boats or cars, would entail
greater risk, and that the companies
would tack on higher rate. The assur-
ance of the agents to the contrary is
relief, and cotton, lumber, etc, may be
shipped without increased Insurance.
An indisputable aid to Savan-
nah and this territory is
recognized in the Ocean Steamship Com
panys increase in the New York service
after July /. Five ships instead of the
three will be run and there will be five
saiiings a week. This more extensive SER
vice is not only welcome as an invitation,
In it's greater facilities, to shippers who do
not ship via Savannah, but equally as well
come because of the company being then
able to handle the freight it now carries
with greater dispatch. Cotton shippers,
particularly, have complained of delay ex-
perienced in getting the staple to New
York, but the new order of things will
completely remove the POSSIBLE
ity of any cotton having to remain
over. The increased facilities will bring
Savannah into greater prominence as
shipping point, and cannot but prove of
advantage Norfolk, via the Old Dominion
Line, does an immense traffic with New
York. 1t is the terminal point of three
large railroad systems, and 1t is from
these that the port gets its large ship
ments. The Old Dominion Line has six
sailings a week 1t is not doubted that
by the increase in the number of vessels
on the Savannah-New York line that this
port will be brought into closer competi-
ton with Norfolk as a shipping point.
Much of the territory legitimately Savan-
nah's has heretofore shipped to Norfolk,
and it is believed that after July l a large
portion of the traffic will come to Savan-
nah.