The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-09-05
Bank Clearings $18,OOO,OOO Over
Last Year.
Healthy Increase in Exports-Cotton Receipts Show
Slight Failing Off, Though the Years Cotton Trade
Fairly Satisfactory-Naval Stores and Lumber
in Good Shape-Manufacturing Interests
Growing-Ports Facilities Bet
ter Than Ever Before.

The story of savannahs trade year
just ended, and of the one newly open
ed as told in this and succeeding col
umns this morning, is one of encouc-
agement and hopefulness. 1t is a mar
rative we'll calculated to strengthen the
Savannahian' civic pride, and more
firmly ground his faith in the city; for
it shows beyond the peradventure of
a doubt that the founders of the cor
poration builded well, not only for
themselves, but for posterity. Already
great, Savannah is destined to be
greater, and to figure in the CONNER
cial history of the country in the front
ranks of the leaders.
The business history of the port and
city has been one of progression, es-
pecially during the last third of a CEN
tury. In times of prosperity Savannah
has moved forward; in times Of adver-
; sity she has dug her toes into the soil
: and refused to give back" That is to
say. she has made the most of good
times, and declined to become dis
heartened but held her own in hard
times. 1t is gratifying to say she has
not known hard times recently but is
enjoying an era of prosperity the end
/ of which is not yet in sight or reck-
oning That this is so is clearly indi-
Gated in the relative number of EN-
ployment wanted" and help wanted
advertisements published in the Morn
ing News. In last Sundays issue, for
4 instance there were FIVE help wanted"
ads. for every employment wanted
showing the demand for workers
greater than the supply. Otherwise
stated, there is work for everybody who
wants it, and jobs left over. That, to
be sure, is a happy condition.
Savannah's increase in bank clear
ings for 1899 1900 was something phe-
nomenal, owing to the appreciation in
value of cotton, naval stores and other
commodities. 1t was so large that many
persons feared highwater mark had
been reached, for some years at least.
AS a matter of fact, we did not in 1900
1901 touch the percentage Of
! the increase of the preceding year, by
a lonx shot; nevertheless the gain has
/ been of most gratifying character,
amounting to more than $1S,000,000 for
1890 OF over 1S99-19O0 This. in the
! face of what many business men antic-
ipa-ed would be a decline in total
: clearings, is a most pleasing circum-
Stance and a cause for congratulations.
Had there been a decline, it could cas-
lily have been accounted for on the
score of lower values of our leading
commodities: but since it has turned
out 10 be an increase, and such a
healthy one. there can be only felici-
tations on the fact that we have done
exceedingly well-better than we had
anticipated.
In the matter of cotton receipts, we
continue to be considerably better than
a million bale port. During the season
Just past we fell a few bales below the
record of the season preceding, not
withstanding the last crop totaled
larger than the one before it, The ex-
PLANTATION is not far to seek, and is not
to be found in any waning of the popu-
larity of Savannah as a cotton port. 1t
lies in the statistically shown eircum-
stance that the increased production
was wholly in the Southwest, principal
ly Texas in the territory of the Gulf
ports. This cotton could not, except
through artificial stimulus, flow out
through the port of Savannah: and no
such stimulus could be brought to bear.
From this ports own legitimate terri
tory the flow was through the natural
channel-Savannah, and the total re-
ceived here was on a parity with the
crop. AS matter of fact almost our
whole deficiency was made up of sea
islands. the crop of which was short,
as is shown in detail and by statistics
elsewhere.
The cotton year. on the whole. was
very good and satisfactory one to all
concerned. The majority of the mar
keting was done at the high
er range of prices. thus afford
ing the growers remunerative returns
for their years labor, giving them
money with which to discharge their
obligation and purchase necessaries
and luXuries, and make collections
easy from interior and other mer-
chants. Cotton producers, furthermore.
were generally left in very good shape
for the new season.
The perfect record of the city in
financial matters remained intact dur
ing the past year-never a bank fail
ure in Savannah, a plenty of money
available for legitimate business pur-
poses, and all money institutions in
excellent shape. The special article
under the financial head goes into de-
tails, and will be read with interest by
the business community. II shows
that in the financial world this city S
reputation is deservedly of the high
est and best.
The exports for the twelve months,
70 ms will be seen in detail in a table be-
low, showed the very substantial in-
crease OF more than $500, 600
There is no better guage of a cityls
prosperity and the hrmness Of lis
business basis than the prices Of its
real estate. To say that Savannah
realty is strong" places II conserva,