The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-06-27
BIGGEST CROP ON RECORD.
NAVAL STORES RECEIPTS RUNNING
AHEAD OF THOSE YEARS AGO.

1t Was Thought Then That the Limit
of Production Had Been Reached,
But This Season Bids Fair to Es-
tabIish New Record-The Crop
Up TO This Time Compared with
the Last Two Years-OperatOrs
Realize That Excessive Box CUT
ting Is Largely Responsible for
the Low Prices Prevailing and Are
Talking of Uniting to Hold the
Next Crop Down.
The present year bids fair to establish
new record of production In the naval
stores industry. The receipts of spirits
from the opening of the season on April
l, to the present time indicate that he
crop of 1889 will be the largest ever made
exceeding that of two years ago when it
was so confidently believed that the limit
of production had at last been reached.
That crop was looked upon as something
phenomenal and there were but few, IL
any, who believed that it would ever be
exceeded. 1t was regarded as the flood
tide of the industry, the crop by which
all future years would be compared. But
the crop that is now finding it's way to
market, at the rate of probably over 10000
casks a week at the present time, prom
ises to lay it in the shade. This season,
instead of that of two years ago. win
doubtless be the banner year. Again it
has been demonstrated that the theory that
the forest have been so denuded that the
crops must decline is not well based.
Many thousands of acres of timer have
been used up year after year but untold
other thousands seem to await the oper-
ator and the maximum limit of produc-
ton may even now not have been reached.
At every port, except Wilmington and
Charleston, the receipts of spirits turpen-
tine to date are greater than they were
last year or in 1896. Savannah, Bruins
wick Mobile, New Orleans and Cara
belle, the primary receiving ports outside
of the Carolina ports, show decided ten
dency to run ahead of the largest receipts
of the past Wilmington and Charleston
have been steadily losing ground, in the past
and a falling off at those two ports was to
be expected Outside of the natural de-
crease, too, those sections of the turpentine
belt suffered greatly from forest fires dur
ing the spring months and their receipts
were cut off considerably by that cause.
Charleston has ceased to be regarded with
any interest so small have her receipts
been this season and Wilmington may, be-
fore the close of the season, stand next
to Charleston in point of receipts, all
other ports going ahead of her.
At six of the Ports--Wilmington Charles-
ton Savannah, Brunswick. Mobile and
~ tl,o
in round figures, up to last Friday night
were 164 600 casks. To the corresponding
Friday of last year. which would give one
more days receipts, the total at these ports
was 1874 500 casks and to the corresponding
Friday of 1896, which gave two days more
receipts than credited to --.'s year, the to-
tai was 1874 400 casks. With two days less
to it's credit the receipts for this year are
seen to be larger than in the year OF pre-
vious greatest production. If Carrabefe
were included there would be doubtless an
increase of about $500 more casks In IA
vor of this year, the receipts at that port
being known to be greater by about that
figure than they were two years ago The
first three months Of the year can gener-
ally be accepted as a good indication of
what the crcD viii be, and the first three
months of 1s9S-93 tell very plainly the re-
suit of the unprecedented box cutting OF
last winter AS the operator cuts so shall
he distiI.
Already the producers are realizing the
bad effects of this overproduction, and
there is bewailing of the reckless over
doing of the cutting of virgin
boxes Prices are already lower than
they were at any time during last year.
The market is now down TO 2SR cents,
while the lowest point last year was "a
cents, ana that was not until July. QUO
tations this season are following the same
track that charac terized the spirits tur-
peutne market two years ago. From the
opening of the season, except during the
squeeze at the close of. April and May
when abnormal conditions temporarily
prevailed, the natural tendency Of the
market has hseu downward. This month
this has been very marked. The market
has never rallied since June l and even
now, with spirits Offering at such a low
figure, the market is not strong enough to
Justify the hope of any speedy reaction.
With another month of heavy receipts just
ahead, as July always is, there is not
much on which to hang the hope of an
Improvement of any moment for some
time to come. The operat ors who sold
futures for May-August delivery at 251b
to 26lz cents have apparently reason to
cOngra tulate themselves, after all on
very good stroke of business.
. The necessity of taking some united
steps 10 prevent repetition of the
mistake Of the last cutting season is APP
parent to many Of the producers and
here is already considerable discussion
among them Of acting together to hold
down the cut next winter The damage
done to their pockets by low prices for
spirits and resins this year will Re apt to
force them into some organized movement
TO that end. The reduction in the price
of labor will hep them out somewhat
this season, but the net results Of their
operations are apt to be such as to neces-
state change in the indiscrimnate meth
DDS of working which has been a charac-
teristic of the industry in the past
MAY BE A PUBLIC EVENT.