The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-08-26
TO OPEN WEST INDIA TRADE.
MERCHANTS WILL MEET TO DIS
CUSs COMMERCIAL EXPANSION.

Board OF Trade to Call a General
fishing Connections with Cuba
and Porto RicO-COmmittee VIII BE
Appointed to Correspond With
Steamship Comprehensive Plan
That Seems Most Practicable.
The movement to establish trade con-
nections with the islands of the West In
dies has at last begun to assume definite
form. This morning at II O'Clock there
will be a meeting of the directors of the
Board of Trade.
The call was issued yesterday morning.
In the absence of the president and vice
sary to elect chairman. This will be
done first, and then the matter of issuing
a call for a general meeting of business
men, to adopt steps toward securing
steamship connection with Cuba and Porto
Rico will be taken up. 1t is The impress
sion that a call will be prepared for such
meeting at the Board of Trade ON Mon
day morning. The meeting win be a gen.
eral one, all business men interested in
any way in the movement being request ted
to attend.
Efforts are being made, it Is understood,
TO communicate with the Munson Steam
ship Company, in New York, and get some
definite proposition to lay before the meet
ing. If there is none in hand by Monday
it is believed that the meeting will ap-
point a committee to open correspondence
with that company, and any others which
may be inclined to assist Savannah in the
matter. Several of the men, who are most
actively at work in the matter, are con-
WINGED that the most feasible way to Sc
cure steamship connections that will prove
profitable enough to The owners of the
steamers to insure their continuance will
be to make Savannah a chief stopping
point on the way from New York to the
West Indies
If the Munson Line runs out two or
three steamers from New York city and
will stop al Savannah to take on freights
consigned to any Of several of the chief
trading centers Of the islands, the arrange
ment ii is thought, would prove eminent
~ satisfactory in its results. Whether this
or some other plan is worked up, it has
been definitely decided TO go ahead and
make the effort to get a steamer or two
on from this port
The more the business men think over
the matter and discuss it the more salts
fed they become that Savannah can get
liberal and lucrative share of the trade
of the islands. A number of them have
expressed their willingness and determin-
alton to send out travellers as soon as the
opportunity offers to study the needs of
the trade there, and establish connections
if possible, with the existing houses Of
standing, as well as with the new ones
that viii be speedily established. Condi-
tons will be some time in settling down
and the delay in opening up connections
via work no harm, as the field will be
an open one for a considerable time to
come.
A number of merchants. 1t is said. are
not averse to giving some of their busi-
ness from New York to this port to the
Munson Line, if it viii give satisfactory
arrangements for line to the West In
dies. II is realized that 1t must be a give
and take business, and that the merchants
VIII have to help the steamship line in
every way that is reasonable to justify II
in giving good service to the new trade
arena to the south