Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-05-01
The "Come-BaCk" of Naval Stores
(The Savannah Morning News.)

(The Savannah Morning News)
~IGURES for the past naval stores year,
II as given another page Of this issue of
the Morning News, make a very crafty
ing showing both as to the industry at large
and as to Savannah's share of the trade While
prices of turpentine and rosin failed to equal
the unusually high averages of the year be-
fore, still they ruled far above those to which
Che trade has been accustomed in former
times, and sufficiently as to prove profitable
to producers.
The figures for the comparative movement
at Savannah are especially encouraging. The
combined receipts of turpentine and rosin for
the year ending yesterday show an increase
over the year before of about 100, 900 barrels
which is gain of about % per cent. But the
most striking feature is the steady increase
which has been going for the last five
years, each successive year Of this period
showing a steady improvement. The low
point of the depression in the industry was
in the year 191819 and since that season the
volume of naval stores handled at Savannah
has nearly trebled. This will be an eye-opener
for those who four or five years ago bewailed
the industry as being in a moribund condition
Not only is the general rate of production
steadily expanding, but the tendency of the
movement is to revert more decidedly toward
Savannah. The gain made by Savannah Of
recent years has far surpassed that of the
other ports, which is forcibe demonstration
of Savannahs unequaled facilities as a mar
ket and port of shipment. The long list Of
ports of all quarters of the world to which
Savannah has made shipments of turpentne
and rosin during the last season, shows how
widespread are the connections Of Savannah
with all the people of the world.
A favorable development Of the past season
has been the awakening of producing inter
ests to the great necessity for conservation of
the natural resources. looking to permanency
of the supply. Steps have been taken to pro
vide for TefOreStatiOn, and at the same time
to prevent as far as may be the tapping Of
the young trees before they are reasonably
we'll grown. This, together with the employ
ment Of the most economical methods Of OBJ
tanning the crude sap, will go very far toward
ensuing permanenCe.
The outlook is propitiOus for a new season
Of continued prosperity. Under existing re
straints, such as the competing demands of
the lumber interests and the relative scarcity
Of labor it may be unlikely that the produc-
ton should increase to an equal extent. The
rate, however, is expected to be fully main
tanned. In the meantime the worlds require
ments of turLentine, the worlds requirements
of turpentine and rosin will prObablp be mate
rally expanded, as the long work Of recon
structiOn goes on Owing to the reduced Out
put Of previous seasons the reserve stocks are
said to be well depleted so that there will no
doubt be demand for all that be afforded
The naval stores trade, therefore, can look
forward with confidence to the season Of
1925. All the indications are that the new
year will be one of active trade, and at prices
which will be very profitable to producers and
handlers alike.