The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-10-30
wII,L CorrON urN ACrf

Is % tho purpose OF Tho cotton mer-
chants Of this port 90 continue 20 sub
ma to the discrimination against them IN
the matter OF insurance on cotton7 A
day or two ago We published the state
meut that the insurance rates here are
one sixteenth Of a cent q pound higher
than ga New Orleans. uotwlthganding
tho greater risk from New orleans. u
seems that tho discrimination IL even
greater than we stated. IL ~ alleged 20
be all the way from one sixteenth to one
eighth Of cent pound against this
port
II can De seen readily that such a dis
elimination b. very great advantage TO
New Orleans Cofton buyers there can
afrord 10 give "a higher price for cotton.
Thcy can. in fact. draw cotton from ter
r.tory than leg.tlmstcly BELONG TO savan-
nah on account Of this difference in in
suranco on ocean cotton fre.Ehts.
AMI from what We can learn from ship
pers and others there h. no excuse what
ever for this discrimination The reasons
advanced by insurance men FOR q can be
We published a day or two ago an inter-
view with one of the leading ship brokers
satisfactorily answering tho reasons put
forth by an insurance man
il q the purpose Of tho cotton men 20
continue TO submit 70 the discrimination
without an cnort 20 have the wrong
against this pou corrccted7 m they feel
no particular Interest In the matter them
selves have they no interest In their city?
II we are 20 build up the commerce Of this
port We must have every advantage which
leE1imately belongs to Us. No advantage
that g. withheld from us will be given 90
us voluntarily. n we get 81 we must
night for g.
We cannot understand why our cotton
merchants arc SO indifferent about this
matter. Here s. q chance 20 save more than
thirty cents on every bale Of cotton and
not "a cotton man seems disposed 70 take
step 80 benefit the pom to that extent
Ana the railroads do they not intend TO
DO anything IN the matter7 They. too
are deeply interested. The less the
charges are for moving cotton from this
pori tho wider ibe territory will be from
which they will be able go draw cotton.
We talked about deep water until We
got it. and now We are demanding deeper
water for the purpose Of stan further
lcsscning ocean freight rates But here
is chance for decreasing the cost OF
handling foreign-hound cotton without
the expenditure OF "A dollar. and not
single cotton merchant and not one Of the
railroads bringing cotton here seems dis
posed go utilize s. what has become OF
the public spirit OF our business mou7
Tho time was when the opportunity 10
benefit tho cotton trade Of the port to
the oxtens Of thirty cents a bale would
have aroused every man interested IN the
commercial welfare Of the city 20 activity.
Now nothing but indifference s. apparent
II our commerce IS 20 grow. ~ We are 10
build up a great commercial city here We
cannot afford 20 voluntarily abandon any
assistance which we might have by de-
manding g. We have rivals that are ac-
tive. urciess and viglant. II We rest on
our oars We shall soon ind ourselves fall
ing TO the rear.
That New orleans rates 81 Insurance on
ocean cotton freighis should h. less than
those Of Savannah Is prepostcrous To
sct the matter right 90 have the Insurance
rates Of Savannah placed below those Of
New Orleans. % IS only necessary that our
cotton merchants ana railroads should
make a demand upon the Insurance com
panies for simple justice. Win they do
this or viii they submit without pro-
tesi 20 the discrimination under which
they are now laborInR?