The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-07-21
To THE EDIroR OF THE ENcy1aEn.

10 THE EDITOR OF THE ENQUIRER
SIR,
The object Of the present letter 1.-THE publ.
cation OF winch, take the liberty oi requesting
Is TO call your attention, and that OF your readers
(many OF whom are Interested in the s,biect1
/ to the numerous abuses and imJositions which
exist, and are daily practised in the great STAPLE.
/ or our state, Tobacco These mil.practjces
commence when the article is brought TO the
! Warehouse for Inspection, and do moi cease un
I'll Ii is Delivered oat FOR Expectation or Manu-
factHring-To trace the evil to its root it must
be observed that, the planter who brings his ar
tIcie to market Frequently a poor man, who's e
crop IS limited to single hhd) is generally UNI
der tne necessity OF brlblng the negroes who are
hired to strip and re-cooper Tobacco, at Il rate
which often amounts to one per cent. OF the va
/ lue OF the article.--The penness condition to
| which many planter is reduced by accidents &
! consequent detention on the road, compes him
when arrived at the Warehouse to submit 10 this
imposition, particularly when he perceives that
otherwise he must wait until those are served
who adopt this mode of expediting business.
and reflects that the amount Of eXpence incur
red by the delay will be great or greater than
1T properly, or rather improperly applied, would
procure him immediate dispatch By the mannu.
rs that are practIced when the Inspectors
backs are turned the rotation which tile law di
| reefs is set at naught. The XVI Section of the
act OF 1872, makes it the duty of the Inspectors
| 10 enter the names of the owners ofTsbacco, in
! the order it is brought to the Warehouse. and to
/ inspect 1T in similar succession It is believed
! that at most of the Warehouses; no such rule is
| observed-The custom of breaking at certain
parts OF the hid IS lesson 10 many, how to pack
their Tobacco, and il has been generally observ
ed, that the worst qualities to be found in the
centre and near the heads-Grcater exactness
should also be observed IN weighing, both as re-
/! spects Gross and Tare.
A nt
the injury the article frequently sustains from
careiessness or mismanagement after it is turned
from the scales. Very few of the Warehouses
are furnished with skids, and the dirt floors be-
ing naturally damp, and in some instances lower
than the yards, the part of the hid that lies on
the ground any considerable time, mbibes de-
gree of IN DISTURB becomes mouldy and is partial
| ly injured. Damage to much more serious.
and truly alarming amount, is caused by Tobac.
co beng lett in the yards during rain, or pLac ed
IN situations TO receive the water from above or
! below, aud unless tie shipper chances to open
his casks, the damage is not discovered until he
has incurre! all the additional expence offreight,
/ insurance, &c. and moreover lost the means of
redress against the Inspectors which the
| XIXVIth Section of the aforementioned act
| pomtedly gives him. The careless and mime
! thodical mode OF slowing Tobacco, causes not
only this evil, but also tire difficulty which gene
rally exists OF finding it when demanded--rhe
WANT W announcer warehouse Tor tie reception of
upper inspected Tobacco IS generally felt Per-
sous being compelled to resort to private Ware
houses Tor storage. The present Inspections
Should be entirely devoted To- the care Of their
own Tobacco, and they would not be found more
than sufficient to answer the pHrpose eficctually
They all require cutters, drains and skids,
and also prizes IN different parts Of the building
! which last would be found great convenience,
and enable the Inspe ctors to Keep their casks in
! good order. The injuries to which Tobacco is
now subjected calls loudly for a remedy-Jt i,
believed that under present CIRCUMSTANCES the
shipper would find II his interest 10 incur do,I-
bic storage, BY removing his Tobacco from the
| Inspection room to private Warehouse, aud
unless remedy is found, those who purchase
| prime Tobacco at Az advanced price will be com
| PEELED 10 adopt tIls plan. Every additional ex-
| pence tia. ava article IS subjected to, must uu-
mately fan On the raker--lherefore il believes
the Planter, no less than the Merchant, to attend
I to tie subject. 1t will not be denied that the
risk OF Warehouse damage operates considera
| hly on the price, and that the notes of some
Warehouses are preferred to those OF others, on
" because tue Inspectors are more careful.
iie recent custom OF reviewing Tobacco. bas