The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-03-14 00:00:00

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

THE MASTER OF THE QUEEN'S DOCK.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOIceTANDARD.

Sin,—lt is said the press is a mighty engine, and so
statements issuing from it, which remain uncontradicted,
exercise upon the mind of the reading public effects which,
though years may intervene between the occurrence re-
lated, occasion unpleasant thoughts respecting an indivi-
dual whenever the name comes before them in after life.
I use this short preface before I comment upon the lan-
guage reported to be used by Mr. Evans, in one of your con-
temporaries of March 3, in the Dock Committee proceed-
ings, relative to Mr. Purnell. He said—" Years ago he
was a very troublesome man, and was removed from one
dock to another in consequence of it." Now this is not
exactly the truth. He was removed from the Prince's
Dock to the George's Dock—for what ? For not doing
impossibilities, I reply ! The charges, if such they can be
called, which caused his removal, are unproved to this
day. He applied to the Dock Committee to remove him
to the King's Dock, when that post became vacant, and
was promoted by them to that dock. He applied again,
when the Queen's Dock became vacant in consequence of
Mr. Garniss being made junior harbour-master, for pro-
motion to that dock, and they promoted him : this answers
the last part of the statement. Now for his being a very
troublesome man. He has been, no doubt, to drunkards
and swearers • for when he was appointed at the first to
the Prince's Dock he determined to do his utmost to put
down those two vices, and I appeal to any person ac-
quainted with the docks, as I have been for the last
twenty-eight years, whether this state of things has not
progressively improved. There are many of the pierhead
masters who owe their present promoted position to the
suasive influence exercised over them by him when they
were under him as dock-gatemen ; and I assert this from
my own observation, that more gatemen have been pro-
moted under him to higher posts than under any dock-
master of the port. I appeal to the men themselves for
the truth of this assertion. I feel assured that hundreds
in this town would gladly assent to my denial that he is
not a very troublesome man.—Yours respectfully,
VBRAX.

THE PRICES OF BREAD AND FLOUR.

TO THE RDITOII, OP THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

, Sra,—l beg to acknowledge your kind courtesy in giving
insertion to my letter last week, and, as I have heard
remarks in reference to it, which implied that no authen-
ticated intelligence of reduced prices in the wholesale mar-
ket had been made to the retailers as to wheat or flour, I
have been induced to look over the market returns for the
last two months.
From that inspection I find that on the 20th of January
the price of United States white wheat was from 12s. Bd.
to 13s. per bushel ; the price of Baltimore, Ohio, or Phi-
ladelphia flour was from 446. to 446 6d. per barrel. On
the 27th of the same month, the same quality of wheat
was from 13s. to 13s. 3d. per bushel, the price of flour
being unchanged. [This latter day, I may remark, was
one on which I was charged an advance on the price of
flour, at least commensurate with the rise on wheat, al-
though no rise whatever took place on flour, at least two
hours before the market opened.]
Since the date last named, the price has fluctuated a
little, but the tendency has almost always been down-
wards, and the price has never exceeded the sum above
quoted. On Friday_last, March 10th, I find.the price of
the same denomination of wheat is quoted at 11s. 9d. to
12s. per bushel, and the same quality of flour 38s to 385.6 d.
per barrel.
Here, then, during a period of six weeks we have had a
declining market, and in that time wheat has fallen Is. 3d.
per bushel, and flour 6s. per barrel; yet, the unfortunate
consumer has received no benefit from the reduction, and,
to crown the mystery (I had nearly written iniquity), and
make it complete, we are requested to believe that men,
who had wit sharp enough to perceive a rise two hours
before it could possibly occur, have not, throughout the
currency of six weeks, become sufficiently acquainted with
the market prices to know that they had fallen ! If six
shillings a barrel on flour is not apportionable in the retail-
ing of flour, and cannot be allowed on the sale of bread,
let us know the real fact ; but do not ask us to insist on
circulating a slander against the calculating " smartness"
of our friends the retail flour dealers and bakers.—l am
respectfully yours, A HOUSEHOLDER.
Liverpool, 13th March, 1851.