The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-04-03
BOARD OF TRADES 18TH YEAR
President PURSES Annual Review of
Savnnnah's Business.

The Board of Trade was nineteen
in his report to the annual meeting, re-
ferred to it's usefulness to Savannah.
Scarcely day passes in the
history of the port" he said.
that some call upon its officers does
not emphasize the necessity for the ex-
istence of this body as a constant and
living factor in promoting the COM
merce of Savannah. Under these cir
cumstances it is painful to realize from
year to year the total lack of interest
shown by the community at large, ex-
cept when crises arise that call for
action by an organized body to place
Savannah rightly and strongly before
the business centers of the world. The
real value of this board, 1t seems, viii
never be realized until its dissolution
for want of support comes as start
ling, though natural result to the en-
tire community, because of the sup
port they withhold from it. The menu
bership of a board of trade should be
as broad as the work it is expected to
do and its usefulness will then only be
as significant as the breadth of the
purposes that actuate the men who
support and direct it's energies for the
general welfare"
President Purse reviewed the COM
mercial and industrial interests of Sa-
vannah at some length. THE general
business of the CITY," he said. COM
pares favorably with previous years,
though competition grows sharper and
more aggressive each succeeding year
In the naval stores trade he pointed
to the fact that Savannah continues to
hold, without material change, the
controlling position in this important
branch of the commerce of the South,
and this condition of affairs seems
likely to prevail for an indefinite pc
riod.
marks the largest amount of cotton
received at Savannah in the history of
the staple. In reviewing the lumber
trade President Purse called attention
to the fact that the prices show a de-
cided advance. This is not surprising,
he said, in the face of the known fact
of the complete denudation of vast
tracts of land in territory contiguous
to this port, a condition now attracting
widespread anxiety, not only in refer
erce to the future sources of lumber
supply to provide against this denud-
alton, but also as to the climatic con-
ditions that may result from it.
The rice industry in Louisiana and
Texas was referred to as assuming
vast proportions, causing some anxiety
there as to the possibility of profitably
marketing the immense yield expected
from the next harvest, has been re-
duced to minimum by the general use
of the most improved machinery for
cultivation and at the harvest, and the
yield per acre in faVosed areas, or in
general average, fully equals the re-
suits now obtained in the Carolinas
and Georgia.
President Purse regrets that in the
harbor improvement scheme provision
has not been made for a depth of 80
feet of water.
In reference to the sub-treasury, he
said Bank clearings at Savannah
continue to retain for her the enviable
position she has heretofore enjoyed as
a money center, and, with other con-
siderations of like tendency, should
entitle her to the location of a sub
treasury here"
During the meeting of the board Mr..
John r. Young offered a resolution
which was unanimously adopted call
ing for a repeal of the bankruptcy law.