The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-03
IIIvBER DIRECT TO EUROPE.
,vayNAH LOSES A SHIPMENT OF
100000 FEET.

..,nah shippers Have Contracted
send 1t Through Adjacent Ports.
rcrminaI Charges and Other Elk
-.onses Prevent Their shipping
r..ou.b savannah-Shipping Men
vo+ Looking After the Lumber
T..do-They Have Another Million
-. "a Go. and Would Send 1t
q,brough savannah If They Gould
Cot the same Rates Here.
Droninent Savannah lumber firm has
.,st stoned a contract for the shipment of
,oanoo1 feet of Georgia pine lumber by
.,opers through adjacent ports to vari-
.,,s European ports. mostly on the CONT
INT For business reasons, the firm does
viva the names of the ports through
a.h;h the shipments will be made, but
IS Savannah could have had the ship
-o,ts if the same facilities and rates
IA heen offered. which have been offered
elsewhere.
rb.,ra are two features in the announce
mont of this large contract. In the first
nl,,ce il is the beginning of direct trade
r,,o,.snoent of lumber to European ports
~ steamers. and on a large scale, from
-,,,tbern norts. to which the product is
adiocent Mobile took up the movement
sometime ago, and is now successfully
.or,ratine with New Orleans, and with
GREAT advantage in distance Savannah
orgbt 70 be able, it would seem, to COM
,o,o successfully with either one of them,
n M the lumber men say they are practl-
Fl oonv shut out from making such ship
nsnts through this port, on account OIL the
4 b,,h charges they have to pay here.
n In the second place Savannah should
a hove secured the shipments, it is claimed,
nd could have done so if the proper con-
dtions prevailed here.
Jam afraid the conditions here will have
% bo altered" said one of the gentlemen
i,tsrested in this contract, before we can
make such shipments on an extensive
s,ola from Savannah. We have been
81 shining most of our product coastwise
heretofore. and good deal of it has gone
n to South American ports, but now we have
finally made arrangements to put large
sbinments by steamers into European mar
kets.
you can readily see the Disadvantage
under which Savannah labors from lit
tie comparison. Say, for instance, ship
ments Of lumber are to be made through
Pensacola and through Savannah, the
product originating 100 miles from these
ports respectively. can put that lumber
free on board a vessel at Pensacola for 81
per 1000, while to do the same thing in Sa-
vannah would cost me at the lowest esti-
mate 50 per !, 900, and perhaps a little more.
in this l include the freight and handling
al the shipside. Here we have to con-
tend with terminal charges, wharfage and
the like from which Pensacola is free. The
Louisville and Nashville railroad win place
our cars there just where we want them
free of cost, while here the transfer charge
Isl a car, and if it is to be taken from the
Savannah Florida and Western TO the
Central wharf or vice versa the charge is
$50 per car. 1t Is the same way in Bruins
& wick as in Pensacola. There the roads
vii. transfer a car from one wharf to an
other, a distance of eight miles, without
ary charge.
Every time the lumber is handled here
and which, of course, increases the cost.
It appears that Savannah is so engrossed
with cotton and naval stores that it pays
little attention to smaller and lesser
Ihlngs. l make the statement now that
we have another 1000 900 feet of lumber
10 ship in the same way If Savannah will
give us the same rates and same facilities
that we have secured at the other ports
10 which have reference. But the trou-
nNh To fv.1a xrysft
and even though l had a cargo waiting
10 go through this port to a European
port would not know who to go to for
Inc purpose of making arrangements.
me great trouble is the business is
diverted by excessive charges. l would
oe glad to see the business go through
'nis port, and the shipping men here
could get it if they would only realize
mat they are not living in the CO.'S or 70's
mere IS no doubt about the fact that
man has to do two or three times as
luch business now as he did fifteen or
"ehly years ago, to make the same
mount OF money, but many of the bust
ess men here do not appear to have real
yea That They had rather load one shin
thelr old established rates than to make
smaller profit and load three or four
The same trouble practically exists
DoK upon their terminals as adiuncts to
transportation business, but the term
dis are separate and distinct money
9SMns scneme as the comparatively ex-
ollant terminal charges show. We have
ese Things to contend with in very few
mer ports, and, Of course, we have to
n Ine ports where we can get our bust
nanaled at the lowest cost. Com
uatVely speaking, l do not know Of
place where the wharf property is
valuable and the terminal charges
TSher' IMAM is the case in Savannah
me gentleman In question Is a NDromi-
n' iuin herman, and several others con-
.iS IN the opinions he expressed. It
sta5 appear from the situation, as
eu: mat the matter is one to which
ehtlon should be given, Just as was
ie IN tne case Of cotton shipments. and
hme dGuple' wherever it may be, properly