The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-26
MANUFACTURING IN SAVANNAH.
Some Interesting Suggestions in Re-
spcct TO -.

Editor Morning News: A gentleman of
your city mails me marked copy Of your
issue of Feb. 6, where, upon page six,
under heading Produce Cane Syrup" you
republish matter written by me a year or
two ago for the American Agricuhnrist,
and asks. What would you recommend
for the benefit of our city Savannah 10
greatly build it up and increase the pros
perity Of all classes, as our main depend
ence (the pine forests) has been shipped
away to such an extent that we must
have something in their stead to keep US
going, and cotton shipping has also began
to decline and grow less?" If you have
anything to do US good, know the Morn
ing News would gladly give it proper pup
licaton, and believe our entire population
would fully appreciate your efforts 10 aid
them"
The question is a broad one, involving
much time and space to fully answer in
proper detail, and then perhaps not very
satisfactorily. IL is an Old saw that The
Lord helps those who help themselves,
and Savannah must first impress her peo-
pie with the logic and fact that by their
own efforts they will have 20 do most OF
the up-buildng. Pine lumber, cotton aud
naval stores have been the factors in her
prosperity, ali three Of which are upon
the wane, especially in the matter Of the
former and latter. as evidenced by the
numerous operators in both lines who have
removed to Alabama, Florida, Mississip-
pi etc, because of the scarcity of reason
able priced operating raw material In
blast furnaces, etc. there is no chance by
reason OF want of cheap and unlimited
raw material-as here is our Birmingham
dstrct-while the phosphate or fertilizer
industry offers but small show of being
extensively or probably increased at any
points in the South, consequently cotton
manufacturing and a few other lines are
all that can probably be prohtably done
in coast cities. In certain line Of raw
material Savannah far outranks a town of
about 1890 population located up in the
hills of North Carolina. but which has
ten Q0 successful and profitable plants in
Inc line of manufacturing in operation; the
three smallest ones doing more manufac-
turing than all that is done in chat line
in Savannah, according to statistics,
Much raw or crude material into that
small town by rail and worked up and
shipped out again, of course, to many
markets. and its shipping, marketing and
manufacturing facilities don't compare at
all favorably with those of Savannah, is
what I wrote an interested Savannahian
recently in some correspondence in reply
TO matters under consideration. The capt.
tai Invested in those plants and in their
operation is estimated at about 100000
which is certainly no large amount of
money, and ought to be easy to get up in
Savannah. Coming down to results, If
they be operated as successfully as those
ten 1 mention, the number that the raw
materials to be had cheaper in Savannah,
would admit of the operating of thirty to
forty such plants, but suppose you say
two and one-haIf as many. or twenty-five.
That would add a least 5000 to 1000 popu-
lation, or else employ instead those not
having employment in Savannah, which
Is, of course, the equivalent of increasing
the population by the incoming of opera
tives with their families, as without labor
20 do the idle must move away from Sa-
vEnnah. The operating of these same
twenty-five plants would mean the bring
ing in by rail and by river steamboats, the
raw material thereby affordng employ
ment to hundreds in the procuring and
bringing in Of said raw material, and fur
nish 5000 to 5000 carloads more of out
going freight for railroad and vessel
frelghtage TO the various markets 1t would
be sold in. Those ten Q0) manufacturing
plants 1 refer TO up in North Carolina
are said to pay an average of about six
teen Cf6) per cent. per annum, but the peo-
pie of Savannah ought to be satisfied If
they can reahze s per cent upon invest
ments in such lines land undoubtedly cam,
building up the city and enrlching as it
would all concerned.
There Is no question but what the in
vestment in certain lines of manufacture
ing of about $3.50 900 by Savannahians, and
the proper management of the manufac,
turing ana marketing, would in less than
two (2) years add ten thousand 10000 pop
ulation TO Savannah (unless she be over
loaded with the unemployed, and cause
Il to steadily increase through the in
crease in capacity that is brought about
in such plants.
These lines of manufacturing are ripe
for Savannah land have been for years.
and whenever Savannah gets 'ripe"
enough for them TO give the matter proper
consideration and embrace the opportunity
she is going to "git thar al a rate that
will surprise her and those who have been
noting her indifference to the situation.
Trusting she may early embrace the op-
portunities she has so long allowed to re-
main dormant, to the benefit of her labor
ing people, manufacturers, capitalists,
transportation lines ETC., viii not weary
you further. James +. Slater.
Birmingham. Ala Feb "a 1899