The Savannah morning news., 1901-09-05
NAVAL STORES YEAR
CONDITIONS NOT CONsIDEREDv VERY
SATISFACTORY.
PRICES OF SPIRITS LOWER.
RANGE FOR THE TRADE YEAR SIC
TO 54hc PER GALLON.


ling the Products-Organ izatiOn
of the National Tank and Export
Company-PrOf. Chas. III. Herty's
Experiments at StatesborO to Sim
pIify methods of Mnnufacture-The
Years Range of Prices of Spirits
and Resins.
AS strange as 1t may seem, there is
more than one naval stores factor in
Savannah who holds that the trade
generally would be in much better con-
dition had the high prices around "a
cents never been seen. They hold that
an average price, which would have
allowed operators to reap fair
profits, would have prevented the rash
efforts at overproduction which have
resulted so disastrously to the trade
everywhere. AS it was everybody lost
their heads, liberal advances were
made almost Unfortunately, an enor-
nous crop was produced during the
season ending last March 81, and the
result has been a general demoraliza-
ton of the trade.
IL lIluSl De duIIlllleQ THAT tiC SOiANA-
tions. which obtained in the naval
stores market during the past year were
anything but satisfactory to factors
and producers. About the time the
decentralization caused by the over
production was being felt most by a
drop in prices the cost of practically
everything operators needed advanced
Bacon, lard, coffee. hay, grain of all
kinds, meal, grits, potatoes and other
necessities went up, and as there was
no corresponding rise in the prices OF
naval stores the effect upon operators
amounted to a hardship. Another
drawback was the labor question, and
the inability of operators to get suf-
ficient hands to do their work, or to
retain them after they were employ
ed. Wages have been good, common
hands receiving $40 per month and ra-
tions, and dippers 40 cents per barrel.
The higher wages have not encouraged
laborers to work however, but caused
them to remain idle the number of
days they could lay off without inter
fering with their living. For these and
other reasons conditions were about
as they were in 1888, which will be
readily recalled by the older members
of the trade.
The year has not passed without
profitable developments, which it is be-
iieved will benefit the industry. The
organization of the National Tank and
Export Company, which is building
large storage tanks for turpentine at
the railroad terminals. will doubtless
have a beneficial effect upon the mar
ket. These tanks will have large ca
pacity. Shippers to this market will
have the privilege of storing their sup
plies in them at moderate rates, II de-
sired and will thus be enabled to carry
their holdings until they find a salts
factory market for them. The tank
company will give warehouse receipts
upon which the owners may obtain adj
vances from the banks. The naval
stores operator will have the same
privilege as the cotton planter does In
storing his cotton and obtaining suf-
ficient advance upon it to save him
from the necessity of dumping his hold
ings upon the market. The company
will have tanks at the Plant System,
Seaboard Air Line and the Central OF
Georgia wharves. They will load steam
ers direct from their tanks with great
facility and dispatch.
Prof. Herty's Experiments.
Another important step during the
wear has been the experiments at
Statesboro by Prof. Charles II. Herty
of the State University. He wishes 10
develop what he believes are better and
cheaper methods of manufacturers
spirits turpentine and rosin, ana IL ne
succeeds in demonstrating the economy
and probability of other methods the
result may be a radical change in the
present way of handling these products
The purpose of the experiments is to
ascertain whether there is a better way
of extracting the gum from the tree,
and also as to distillation.
The National Tank and Export Com
many is directly behind the movement
which they believe will result in greal
good to the industry. Not only is II
proposed to introduce better processes
of manufacture, but it is also expected
to enlist the interests and 'co-opera'
ton of the government in the protec'
tion and preservation of the yellow
nine forests of the South, which have
heretofore been cut down without any
thought of their preservation, thereby
making it very probable that the mex
few years will find the forests com
pIetely devastated by producers with
out their having received due com
pensation therefor.
The naval stores interests nave lone
recognized the fact that it is impossible
to get remedial legislation through the
| state legislatures of the South for the
reason that there appears to be no De
sire to enact laws that Will interfere
with the wholesale slaughtering or tim
Der. 1t is through Prof Herty, who Is
one of the collaborators of the Forestry
Bureau, that it is hoped to get recogni-
tion from the government as he VIII
make an elaborate report to the depart
ment on the result of his experiments
II is believed this will arouse suf1cien'
interest to induce the government tc
aid in the establishment of an expert
mental farm somewhere In the turpen-
tine belt of Georgia for the purpose OF
gathering information and utilizing &c
the best advantage the product of the
nine tree While the request for the
Governments aid in establishing such
an experiment station will be based
largely upon Prof. Hertys report, and
the reasons it is believed 1t will show
why government aid should be giver
the importance of protecting one OF the
South's most valuable assets by legis'
lation will also be urged as reason
for governmental cooperation.
Another object of the Statesboro ex'
periments is to do away with the pres
emit way of extracting the gum from
the tree, If possible, by providing some
sort of metallic cup for II to flow in
The present method is to chop in the
side of the tree about two or three fee
from the ground what is known as {
"box." and into which the gum flows
and collects. and is later dipped GU