The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-11-12
PASSED THE HALF MILLION.
sAvANNAH's COTTON RECEIPTS EN-
CEED THAT FIGURE.


vnnnah Getting Her Full share.
saVannah's Cotton shippers Very
We'll Pleased with the situation.
their Splendid Railroad ana
steamship Facilities Enable Them
10 Draw Largely From Fighting
Territory Georgia Crop Cut on
By storm. hut Much Cotton still In
the Fields.
Savannah's cotton receipts for the sea-
on Of 1S9S-99 passed the half million-bale
mark yesterday, the total receipts to date
being $1,000 bales. Yesterdays receipts
were something over 1f,OOO bales. The pc
culiar coincidence about this is that the
half million mark is reached on the same
dsv this season as it was last, only the
receipts to date are over 1900 bales ahead
of what they were the same day last year.
This shows that there is another immense
crop of cotton this year, and that Savan-
nah is getting her fun share of it,
The cotton buyers are very well pleased
with the situation. There will be an H.
O00OO-bale crop" said prominent cotton
broker 10 a Morning News reporter yester-
day, land Savannah will get her full
share of it. Savannah's cotton business is
now in a very satisfactory state Cotton
is coming here from Alabama. Mississippi
Upper Georgia and South Carolina, as we'll
as from our own immediate territory We
are competing successfully in all this fight
ing territory, as we call all this territory
in which we come in competition with
New Orleans and other points,"
The shipper exhibited drafts for cotton
shipped from a dozen points in nearly half
as many different states.
That simply represents one days bus
mess" he said, land gives you some idea
of what is being done. The cotton ship
pers of Savannah are in a very satisfac-
tory position at present. Freight rates
have been satisfactory, freight room has
been plentiful and the railroad facilities
are ample. The increased facilities pro-
vided by the railroads have had a great
deal TO do in drawing cotton 10 the port
This and the satisfactory settlement of
the question of foreign freight rates ac-
counts for the ease with which cotton is
now brought 10 Savannah. The old song
of lower freight rates from Charleston and
Brunswick than from Savannah is a thing
OF the past. On account of the larger
amount of cotton demanding freight room
here than at Charleston or Brunswick, it
sometimes happens that a slightly higher
rate prevails temporarily than at adjoin-
ing ports, but this is simply because of
the demand, and not because of any ar
btrary rate"
"A very important change in the cotton
hNfuff IT.
the marked Improvement In the form of
the cotton bale The changing of packing
boxes has been very general, and uni
versa standard has been we'll nigh reach
ed We have at last arrived at the point
where the cotton bale will cease to be
the unsghtly package which it has been
heretofore The tendency is to a more uni
form bale. The result is a saving to ship
pers enabling steamships to carry more
bales, and making the shipments much
easier to handle"
How about the recent complaint from
Liverpool of country damage?" the gem
ueman was asked.
There is no reason for such complaint,
so lar as Savannah is concerned" he re-
plled The railroads have increased their
shed capacity to the extent that all cot
ton is thoroughly covered. This so-called
country damage is chiefly the result of
exposure. Some such damage occurs to
coastWlse shipments because cotton so
shlpped is sometimes allowed to lie over
ior as much as two weeks at Baltimore
or New York, awaiting reshipment and
suffering exposure to the weather. Cotton
shlpped direct by steamship should show
no damage on arriving at Liverpool !"
The subject of the cylindrical bale was
brought up, and the gentleman was asked
now 1t was that none of these new-style
paes had been shipped through Savan-
nah
Because" he replied, these gins are
located in the West and are controlled
oy trust, which buys up the cotton at
the gin and sells direct to the manufac-
turers. The STANDARD Oil Company is
supposed to be behind this trust. The evil
cent purpose of the trust is to control
the cylindrical bale entirely. Agents of
the trust are sent to the principal for
elsn markets. where they spend months
exhibiting sample bales to the manufac-
turers, and persuadng them that this
Stye bale is better suited to their in
terests than the old-style bale. Naturally
me exporter does not look favorably upon
me cylindrical bale, because it means the
elimination of the middle man.
1t is claimed for the cylindrical bale pro-
Tess that 1t gives better staple and puts
me cotton in more convenient shape for
me spinner to use than the old method.
about 10 per cent. off as the result of
storms and other causes. For the some
reasons the grade of a great deal of The
cotton received here is very low, mean
ing the lowest of low prices for the pro-
Nucer. Georgia raised a large crop of cot
ton this year, and in those sections which
were not devastated by the storms the
Heids were said to be still white with the
staple. Many fields have yet to be picked
Tor the first time.
On account of the low price which cot
Ton is bringing, farmers are not hurrying
me harvest as they might do were the cose
otherWise. The cost of harvesting and de-
hVering to the inland market is estimated
at about one-third the value of the bale.
ana many small farmers, who are already
deepiy in debt, are said to be neglecting
their harvesting because they see there
VIII be nothing left for them when the
cotton is sold.
There is also a scarcity of labor The ne