The Savannah morning news., 1901-08-15

That Occupy the Attention of the
Gathering-Constitnt and BY
Laws Committee VIII Report 10
General Convention at Jackson
willie Sept. 11-Una nimous in Favor
of Curtailment of Production.
Jacksonville, Fla, Aug. 14.-Fully
fifty turpentine operators, representing
stills, gathered to-day at the Grand
View Hotel for the purpose of making
the first move towards an organization
of the industry that will, it is hoped,
embrace practically all of the distillers
and eventually the factors in the states
of Georgia, Florida, Alabama and the
Carolinas.
While the object of the organization
is to unite for the improvement of the
industry, the burden of the entire
meeting was the discussion of the labor
question and the curtailment of pro-
duction.
Although the call issued by w. W.
Timmons of Tifton. Ga, only contem-
plated operators, there were few fac
tors present, who took part in the
meeting, and the cooperation of the
factors and commission men was urged
as necessary and important. Although
hesitating to call themselves a trust,
the members present freely stated that
combination and concentration was
their object, and Chairman Covington
openly asserted that he believed the
time was coming when the matter of
handling naval stores would be in the
control of a single firm with the COM
mission men acting as the agents of
such a corporation. He said that he
Believed such an arrangement would
be a blessing to the operators and that
the latter should take the initiative in
forming an organization for their pro-
lection and invite the factors to JOIN
them.
The meeting was organized tempor-
arily by the election of d. A. Coving-
ton chairman and A. Pridgen secre-
tary. The chairman outlined briefly
the objects of the operators in coming
together and called on those present to
make their views known as to the
needs of the operators and the best
plan to secure what was needed. A
committee was appointed to draft
constitution and bylaws to be submit
held at the Board of Trade rooms in
this city Sept IL. A ciruclar letter
will be sent to every operator in the
Southern States.
The principal features discussed
were the labor question and the cur
taiment of production. The general
sense of the meeting was to try and
secure the consent of from 75 to 80 per
cent. to cut no new boxes for year
This, ii was believed. would help
prices and also bring labor to terms.
Unanimous for Curtailment.
1t developed that the meeting was al
most unanimous in regard to the cur
tailment of production as means of
advancing prices and prolonging the
life of the industry. But regarding the
wage question, there was a serious diff
ference of opinion as to the best means
of regulating the matter. f. G. Lay
ton of Bayard, in expressing his opin-
ion, said:
"It is time something was done. We
are paying too much for our labor, ana
the more we pay the less we get for it.
We are cutting too many boxes, more
in fact that we can work. / am will
ing to agree not to cut another box for
a year."
II. A. McEachern, acting in the dual
capacity of operator and factor. said:
I'VE all know there is trouble. We
are searching for a remedy. The
trouble is that we pay too much for
our labor and get too little for our tur-
pentine. BY curtailing the output we
can stiffen the price, but to do this eff
fectively we must have the loyal CO.
operation of from rs to 80 per cent. of
the operators in the naval stores belt.
The factors are just as anxious as are
the operators to better the condition of
the naval stores industry" Mr.. Nc
Eachern advocated the permanent or
ganization of a central body with
branch organizations in each territory.
He believed that this would bring
about good results.
H. F. Warren did not favor the entire
prohibition of cutting boxes for one
year.. as he thought enough boxes
should be cut to give the negro turpen-
tine hands enough to feed themselves
on.
Those Present.
The names Of those present at the
meetings were:
A. y. Covington of Bristol, Fla, ID. G.
Crenshaw Of Lockhart, Fla, ID. r.. Ed
wards of Lawtey, Fla, d. c. Layton,
Bayard, Fla, o. F. Wilson of Vain
wright, Ga, J. r. Suggs st. Johns
county. Fla. B. F. Mccall, Fairbanks,
Fla, Il. W. Milliken, Waldo, Fla, M.
l.. Moore, Waycross, Ca. H. A. Nc
Eachern. Mutual Naval Stores Com
pany, Jacksonville. Fla, A. A. Keefe,
Dunellon, Fla, w. w. Milliken, DO
than, Ala, r. o. Moore, Leslie, Fla.
S. b. Pearce, Cecil. Ga, A. II. Parker,
Kissimmee, Fla, T.. A. Farrell, Pier
son, Fla, r. j. Bishop, Ed
ridge, Fla, James e. Daniel Lu-
raville, Fla, r. c. Skinner, Pottsburg,
Fla, A. NJ. Chandler. Valdosta, Ga,
]. T.. Fender, Valdosta, Ga, ]. ID. Rem
froe. Mayo Fla, b. G.. Lastinger VAL
dosta, Ca, A. S. Mcmillan, president
Mutual Naval Stores Compay, F. M.
Carter, Lebanon, Fla, A. II. Lane of
Lane, Knight & Co., Pinemount, Fla,
j. S. Crombie, Oakland and Zellwood,
Fla, j. S. Herrin, Withlacoochee, ia,
d. j. Herrin, Olustee, Fla, J. A. An
derson, Kissimmee, Fla, ID. G. Malloy,
Clyde Fla, II. II. Warren, Fargo, Ga,
L. Horn, Starke, Fla, T. +. Byrd, Dun
ellon. Fla, w. ]. Sanderson of West,
Varnedoe g. Sanderson and the Plant
City Naval Stores co. of Plant City,
II. v. Covington of A. v. Covington &
Co, w. b. Myers, Verona, Fla. ]. T.
Peacock of West e. Peacock and J. T.
Peacock, Valdosta, Ca, G. M Up
church. Upchurch, Ga, A. Pridgeon of
Lake Park. Fla, j. g. Powell, Hunter,
Fla J. w. Hinson, Mayor. Fla, and
#. c. Mcconnell, Russell, Fla.
Several favored cutting down the
price of boxes to / cent with corre-
L.. Ef4s-