The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-03-29
THE YEARS TRADE REVIEW.
PRESIDENT PURSES ANNUAL RE-
PORT TO THE BOARD OF TRADE.

Their Improvement of the River
and HarbOr Considered and Rea-
sons Given for Urging the Use of
the south Channel in Place of the
Present TOrtuOus North Channel.
The Board of Trades Condition
and the Duty of Its Members I.
Unite to Increase It's Usefulness.
Election of Hay and Grain InsDec-
tor Postponed.
The annual meeting of the Board of
-rade yesterday was largely attended. and
a decided interest was manifested in the
proceedings. The reading of the annual
reports was followed by an interesting
discussion upon the subject of the man
ner and time of electing a hay and
grain inspector, which was finally dis
posed of by postponing it to an adjourned
meeting to be held in two weeks
The chief feature of the annual meet
ing was as usual the report of the presi-
dent Capt. D. G.. Purse. The report in
cludes a thorough summary of the COM
mercal history of the city for the last
year, together with several suggestions
for the benefit of the board and the CITY
Most important among these is the idea,
outlined at some length by the president,
that the best means of securing addi-
tional and permanent Improvement Of
Savannah's channel to the sea, is by Sc
curing the adoption by Congress of a
plan for making the south channel the
main channel from the city to the sea,
instead of the north channel, as at pres
ent
The history of the harbor improvement
which led to the adoption of the tortuous
north channel. instead of the more direct
south channel, was reviewed by Capt
Purse, and the reasons why a change
should now be made and the benefits
which should arise therefrom plainly set
forth
In introducing his report, President
Purse referred to the financial condition
Of the board:
1T is very gratifying" he said, "to
learn that the receipts have been equal
TO the expenditures, but it Is source of
deep regret that our membership is now
at its lowest ebb in ten years. If the
membership were larger 1t would enable
expenditures that would make more at
tractive our rooms and of itself increase
the membership to avail of them. But
from whatever cause this decrease of
membership may arise loyalty to the
board forbids repining over it and it
should stimulate each member, who has
its interest at heart, 10 more earnest eff
fort in doing his part toward increasing
the membership roll.
THE work of the Board of Trade for
the commercial advancement of Savan-
nah is acknowledged upon every hand.
It fills a place in our trade economy that
enables it, while pursuing the various
lines of business activity especially con-
served by it, at the same time, to do
effective service in matters of gen
eral concern for the benefit of the entire
community, and should, therefore, have
The financial as well as the moral and
sympathetic support of every one inter
ested in the welfare of Savannah. Its
membership should be $50 instead of 65
when its power to work successfully for
the common good would be correspond
ngly enhanced. What il has accomplish
ed in the past with meagre support only
shows what powerful agency it would
he, if properly sustained in laboring to
increase and enlarge Savannah's facilities
as a receiving and distributing center, and
In enforcing these advantages upon the
attention of those in control of both the
domestic and foreign trade and commerce
Of the world
In no other branch of her commerce is
savannah realizing the unsurpassed add
Nantages of her market and her improv-
ed river than in the continued control of
the naval stores market of the world, as
evidenced by her receipts and shipments
Tor the closing year Against the compe-
utlon of Florida and the decadence in the
nearby naval stores territory upon which
her market control was originally predi-
Gated, she only loses in receipts of spirits
OF turpentine about 10000 casks, and in
rosin about 40 900 packages, in an aggre-
gale of receipts for the year of about l.
@55'o estimated to April u against 1,453,-
4N IN the previous year. For nearly the
whole year the prices for both spirits and
rosln have been the highest in years, and
so remunerative as to stipulate with re-
heWed energy the production over the en-
ufe naval stores belt in cleaning old and
opening new fields. The advance in prices,
Ielt most keenly in shipments to the Sa-
Nannah market. has had much to do with
mamtainance of the volume of the ship
ments to this port. Our railway lines too,
uayersing the naval stores belt, have done
thelr full duty in UNFOLDING the control of
,le market, by meeting in their usual
broad and business like spirit the Compel
IuVe rates to Florida points If now
good market supported by its railways
Cdh be supplemented by manufactures to
WORK up a part of our receipts of naval
stores for distribution as refined products
u trade, for which most of the shipments
through this port go North, East and
west to be returned to us in such forms.
W. Will be at once in position to success
Iuly counterfeit the Florida competition.
why should II not be in naval stores, as
- rapidly becoming the case with cotton
~ Georgia, that the manufacturing IS
wen as the producing profit be kept in
lac state?
again Savannah passes the million bale
marx IN cotton receipts, practically equal
HnE her receipts at the same date Of last
year notwithstanding the deficit of p per
,eHi in general receipts, and falling off
a. receipts at Galveston of 25.5 per cent;
NeW Orleans, Jag per cent, Mobile "a per
cent and Norfolk and Charleston each 80
+ yer cent. This splendid showing for Sa-
Nnnah is a high compliment to the rail-
"a}s centering here, whose persistent ef-
,oI's' with the cooperation Of the ship
Ping agents of the port, have achieved
"',s envable pre-eminence for Savannah.
Alter referring to the favorable condi-
IONS which had prevailed in the rice
"uQ lumber businesses and the satisfac-