Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-07-03 00:00:00

DOCK COMMITTEE.

This committee met at cne o'clock yesterday ; Mr.
Rankin in the chair. The other members present were—
Messrs. Robinson, Rounthwaite, Chaloner, Lockett, Glad.
stone, Holden, Hubbask, Chilton, Holme, and Littledale.
The Harbour Masters' Committee recommended that
four slides should be placed, at a cost of £l5O, on the
west side of the shed upon the inset quay of the Trafalgar
Dock. The recommendation was confirmed.
The CHAIRMAN informed the committee that it was
necessary to appoint two members, one elected by the
Council, and one by the ratepayers, to assist the Chairman
in revising the list of dock ratepayers.
Mr. Smith and Mr. H Haihead were appointed to per-
form this duty, which will be gone through on the 10th
instant.
A letter was read from Mr. Melcolmson, director of the
Waterford Steam Packet Company, complaining that the
company had received orders t remove from the berth
which they had held for the last twenty-seven years, in the
Clarence Dock.
Mr. LOCKETT stated that at the meeting of the Harbour
Masters' Committee yesterday, it had been arranged that
the company were to remain as before.
At a subsequent period of the meeting, Mr. Malcolmson
appeared personally before the committee, with Mr. Payne.
agent for the vessel, in consequence of having heard that
the arrangement had been again altered. On being in-
formed, however, of the fact as stated by Mr. Locket; he
expressed himself satisfied.
A letter wad read from Kr. M Eroy, in reference to the
Drogheda steamers, complaining that pending his appear-
ance before the committee the previous Thursday, and the
meeting of the sub-committee to which he had been re-
ferred, the west berth of the steamers mentioned had been
occupied by another vessel, contrary to his expeotation
that while the question was still open, no interference
would b 5 made with the Drogheda steamers,
Mr. GLADSTONE : I thought the arrangement was to be
deferred.
Mr. Hoarse : It was understood so last week.
The CHAIRMAN :It did not go quite so far as that. It
was referred to the Harbour Masters' Committee.
Mr. LOCKETT said no arrangement could he made until
the sub committee had co eoihed witr the Harbour Master,
who was at present engsg-d in London.
Mr. GLADSTONE thought in all ca,es where a supposed
injury was contemplated by any alteration, it was due to
the party involved that sufficient time should elapse before
any such changes were carried out as were contemplated in
this instance.

The CHAIRMAN : It certainly would be very desirable
that no inconvenience should be occasioned.
Mr. GLADSTONE : There is no occasion to be in such a
' hurry.
Mr. Ifoutn It was certainly understood that no change
should take place until after the in with the Harbour
Masters' Cmmittee. It is a very serious natter for there
parties.

- The subject was referred back to the Harbour Kaaters'
Committee.
A deputation from the General Brokers' Association
then appeared before the Committee, by appointment The
deputation consisted of Mr. T. A. Bashbv, Mr. W. Heap,
Mr. Henry Cox, Mr H. J. flampelaire Mr. john Pattin-
son, Mr. Lloyd Bayne; and Mr. Clarke.
Mr. Busrzny said, in the absence of Mr. T trr, who had
been unexpectedly called away to London, he had been
requested to state the cause of the deputation seeking an
interview. There had been very serious complaints made
among the brokers generally, that the manner in which
samples were made up in the d warehouses, by which
the brokers sold rico and other articles, did not properly
represent the bulk. This became so very serious a com-
plaint that at last it was found necessary to call a general
meeting of the Brokers' Associatien, at which it was
resolved to send a note to the Dock Committee,
soliciting the interview which had been so courteously
granted. Since then he himself hid had a very
serious case, with which, however, he would not
trouble the Committee, as he had been obliged to put it
into the heeds of his solicitor. The deputation considered
that the sampling, especially of rice, wet not done in the
Committee's warehouses as it should be. The trade had
already declared that they would not purchase rice from
the brokers upon the samples which they received from
the Albert and Stanlay Docks, as they stated they had
been very fsequently deceived, and he much feared they
had good reason for saying so. The trade had declined
doing business upon the samples rendered, until the buyers
themselves were privileged tore-draw. Since the Broker's
Association met they had been considerably al rmed and
urged to seek an immediate interview ; fa. they had re-
ceived samples from the Albert Dook saying they were
samples of different kinds of produce, but they would not
guarantee them. This completely struck at the root of all
wholesale trading, and it naturally gave a great deal of
alarm. It was quite impossible ; business could nof be
carried on in that manner, and the deputation, therefore,
considered themselves bound to come before the Committee.
a -2 1. a vr guoCts, Dy rru,oi.
the fs"l.. 'ties were not rendered which should be rendered
for a proper examination of them. They also complained
of the rendering of accounts and weights, which occasioned
a great deal of delay.
Mr. ROBINSON suggested, that it might meet some of
the objections if an arrangement could be made to permit
the brokers personally to sample rice, or such other article
as might be deposited. He had consulted the Superin-
tendent that morning, and found that there would be no
material difficulty in making such an arrangement.
Mr. FIBAP said, that in every cargo of Arracan rice he
had ever seen, there was a difference of quality of from
is to is 63, arising from the heat of the cargo. Arracan
rice was the most tender of all rice, and heat did it more
harm than water. In all cargoes there would be one
portion more heated than the other, and consequently if
a sample were presented of what was considered to be a
fair average of the bulk, it perhaps did not represent more
than one fourth of the whole cargo. He would therefore
suggest, that the bogs should be put in the warehouse in
piles, back to back, each bag perhaps containing two or
three cwt. Let a certain number, or the whole of the
bags be sampled in the first pile, and the sample put for-
ward as a sample of pile No. 1, in the same manner as
regarded pile No. '2, and so on through the others. The
broker might then sell either the whole, or any part
according to the samples prodaced,
M-. Cox thought there wouli be a strong objection felt
by the buyers to the arrangements suggested by Mr.
Robinson, of allowing the brokers personally to sample.
The Albert and Stanley dock officers were the parties who
ought to take the samples, and be responsible fer them,
being the parties who stood bAween the buyer and the
seller
Mr. HOGBACK thought it a great pity that the brokers
had not brought their. compemt before the Warehouse
Committee. if the reasons mentioned had been stated
before that committee, he thought he might say, as one
of its members, he had no doubt the complaint would not
have become so serious.
Mr. BUFIIEY said, one case which he had, he thought a
most mischievous and bad eve. The difference between
the actual samples, and the samples rende-ed, was 2s. 6d
per cwt. Of the samples rendered to him, by which he sold
at public auction, there was one old rice and another new
rice, and he had no redress. The parties had their coe -
tracts overthrown, and it was with great dffisulty that he
arrested the contract from going out to India. This did
not refer to Arracan rice. The fact, however, that there
might be four or five different qualities in a cargo rendered it
far more obvious that an average a emple would not suffice.
He did not think the case would be met by permitting the
brokers to sample in the warehouses. A small sample
from each bag, or even every other bag, should be rendered
to the broker, and would prevent every possible mistake.
Some of the mistakes which ha I °mired must have arisen
either out of excessive ignorance or excessive carelessness
—in some instances he feared the latter. Somebody ap-
peared to have taken the whole sample out of one bag to
save trouble, and rendered it to the brokers in tha tmanner.
Mr. ROEINSON said, in the instance referred to by Mr.
Bushby, the old and new must have been in the same
condition in the ship. It was the same rice which came
into the warehouse from which the samples were given.
There might have been some complaints of the quality not
being properly sorted, but as to the old and new rice, the
samples sent up to the broker were the rice of his own
shipment. There could be samples taken of each
package without any difficulty. In London the system was
-quite different. A lot of 7,200 bags driest which he im-
ported the other day was divided into 371 lots, on an
average of twenty bags to each lot, which was,
of course, attended with considerable expense to
the owner of the property. The Committee here, generally
sorted the rice accordit gto the marks which it bore. When
rice was shipped in Bengal, A, represected generally the
first quality B, a second quality ; and C, a description in-
ferior still. In Arracan it was shipped generally under
one mark, or vithont any mark at all.
A Member of the deputation said there would be a
strong objection on the part of the bnyers to have the
-samples made by the brokers. At present the buyers had
the security of having the samples drawn by an impartial
party, but if they were drawn by the broker who had to
sell, this feeling of security would cease to exist. In the
ease referred to by Mr. Bushby he (the speaker) was a pur-
chaser, and he did not believe the samples rendered were
part of the same cargo at all.
1111 Av also complained of want of despatch in the
Stsrtley Dock.

After some further conversation the depuation were
assn-ed that the Warehouse Committee would fully con-
sider the suggestions they had made. The deputation
thanked the committee, and retired.
This concluded the general business.