The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-09-10
PORTO RICUS TRADE
PRACTICALLY AT@ZERO WITH sA-
V.ANNAH MERCHANTS.
SAVANNAH-PoRT0 RICO LINE
VARIOUSLY VIEWED BY WHOLE
SALE FIRMS.


Especially if Run Via Cuban
POrts-NIr. Joseph Ferst Takes an
Opposite View on the Ground That
Former Dealings With Porto Rico
Have Generally Been IA LOss-For-
eign Trade Principally with Mas
sau Via FIagIer'S Miami steam
ship Lines.
The building of larger ships by the
Ocean Steamship Company and the
policy of the company to dispose of
talk of movement to run a line of
ships between Savannah and Porto
Rico. There is a belief among some
business men that a stable trade could
be built up with considerable advan-
tage to Savannah.
Considerable activity was noticeable
in this line when the large prize steam
er was offered for sale here some years
ago.
Some discussion has been started re-
Gently as to a direct line between Sa-
vannah and Porto Rico and thus help
the merchants in building up a trade
with the new possession.
Several merchants We're seen and
their opinions varied considerably,
some for 1t and others strongly oppos-
ed to it. There is a steady trade being
built up between Savannah and the
Cuban ports and many believe that the
line could be made paying one to both
steamship company and the merchants
if the vessels took in the Cuban ports.
Believes Line Would Pay.
Mr.. A. S. Guckenheimer of the S.
Guckenheimers Son Grocery Company
said that he believed the line could
be made a paying one, and he also
taVors stops at the Cuban ports. Mr..
Guckenheimer said:
Il know very little about the Porto
Rtcan trade, as our firm is doing no
business there. However, if a line were
esta blished, l see no reason why it
could not be made a paying one and
why a good business could not be
worked up. We are comparatively.
close together and the rates could be
made sufficiently low to make trading
with the island, it seems to me, very
profitable.
I'VE are doing some business at
present with Cuba, and a line could
no doubt be made more profitable if
ships sailed by way of the Cuban portsi
In this way we could build up a rather
profitable business with both of the is-
lands and would not be dependent on
the trade from one of them alone to
make the line paying"
Mr. George w. Tiedeman when asked
for his opinion concerning the move
ment, said:
II can say nothing on that line at
all, as l am not posted regarding the
Porto Rican trade. Hnst what amount
of trade is now being done and what
the possibilities are for building up a
stable trade / do not know, and so can
say nothing regarding the ACCESSIBILITY
or n-advisability of starting move
ment for the establishment of such a
line"
MIR. Ferst Not Favorable.
Mr.. Joseph Ferst one of the largest
Wholesale grocers in, Savannah and
president of the Savannah Wholesale
Grocers' Association, doubts if the estao-
lishnnent of a Savannah Porto Rlcan
line would pay either the company or
the. merchants. When asked for his
opinion he said
There is practically no trade be-
tween the Savannah merchants and
Porto Rico, and there has been no et-
fort recently to branch out in that
line. / doubt if the business between
the two ports could be made a paying
one, especially as there seems to be no
inclination or desire, to build up such
a trade.
"Some time ago many of the mer-
chants laid in a large stock OF rice,
thinking that prices were sure to go up.
AS it turned out we seemed certain TO
lose when a shortage of rice becaIne
apparent in the island, and broker
bought in all that we had at a consid-
cradle profit to us, and shipped it 10
Porto Rico. There were several thou
sand bags of rice sent there from Sa
Vannah alone, but the sudden shortage
was all that saved us from loosing con-
siderably on the deal. There have been
one or two attempts to start business
relations with Porto Rico, but they
have not been very successful. loss re-
sulting in nearly every case. This can
not but have the effect of dampening
the enthusiasm of the merchants for
a trade between the two ports.
Our principal foreign business is
with Nassau, but this is only small
trade. When the season opens we
send our produce to Miami and from
there it is shipped over the Flagler's
Nassau Miami Line TO Nassau. flour
is the principal article which we ship.
The season. too, lasts but a few
months. The reason that this foreign
business pays at all is only owing to
the special rates which we are enabled
to get. BY means of these rates we
can ship our goods to their final des-
tination almost as cheaply as we can
send them to Townsville, and as a
result we are able to- compete with
rival houses located nearer Nassau.
This is the only foreign business which
has paid at all, as far as / know, and
l do not believe that the establishment
of a paying line between Savannah and
Porto Rico is practicable. | do not be-
lieve, either that the local merchants
are anxious at present to branch out
their business in this direction"
Other merchants who were consult
ed seemed to hold the opinion that the
time is not yet ripe for the establish
ment of a Porto Rico line and appear
ed to doubt that it Would prove a paw
ing business even if there was q united
effort to build up a trade. There APP
pears to be a branching toward Cuba
but as yet Porto Rico trade has not
been received very favorably by Sa-
vannah wholesalers.
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