Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-05-16
Flour Inspector's Notice.

N consequence of being frequently compelled, In
= the discharge of the duties Of my office, to enforce
the penalties of the law regulating the Inspection Of
Flour, against persons offering -four for inspection
who have failed to comply with its acquisitions, and
IN consequences also of understanding that the Flour
Inspector OF Now York Ito which city q large portion
0, our hour Is sent is very strict in imposing every
possible penalty and onerous expense on our Aour,I
deem u proper to call the attention Of all concerned
to the following provisions of the law on the subject
ana 70 urge the necessity of their being strictly COM
plfod with; also to cndeavor to induce merchants 10
pay particular attention TO having flour shipped in rood
been inspected.
Sec. >, requires that all bol,ed whea, aour b,o.yh, IN ~ H..
speciIon, for exportation, shall DC mcrchau,aiLe. m,Iur 6uryess
aud without any mixture Of coarser dour, or the 1our ~ mn
ten dollars for each barrel, recoverable by mo,iono of the In.us :
tor, ON ten days notice IN any court of record; the Hour TO be
sold by the Inspector FOR the benefit Of the COMMONWEALTH.
Sec. 4, requires all -four barrels fr expectation TO De wen
made, OF seasoned materials, with ten hoops, nailed with four
under a penalty of ~ cts The barrels to be % inches IN length.
in the slaves, aud the head ia inches in diameter; half barrels
% inches in length. aud the diameter Of the head III inches.
Sec. s, requires the bhls to be branded with the tae and net,
weight, under penalty of AZ cts.
Sec. q, requires each barrel OF flour to contain 1876 pounds
aud each half barrel Oh pounds, under penalty of q Cents for
every pound deficient under :, and Of IL cts. for every pound
over
Sec. 7, requires the barrels to be weighed and he,are marked
thereon. IL any person shall put n ialre or wrong tare on, TO
the disadvantage of the purchaser, he shall FORFEIT 53 cts; and
the Inspector, upon suspicion, or at the request of tho purchaser,
shall unpaca the barrel, and If there is a less quantity Of foaJ
than above directed, the owner shall pay the charges of ur
aackine and cpacking, over aud above the other penalties.
IL Will be seen by sec. 3, that if the Inspector as
certalns that flour OF other grain than wheat has been
mixed with the wheat -four, the owner is subject TO a
penalty of ten dollars for each barrel besides forfeit
ing the -four. Farmers and millers should therefore,
be particularly careful to separate rye, corn, oats, and
all other grain from wheat before grinding il.
The failure to comply with that part of tho law
which requires the barrels to be made Of seasoned
materials, is the cause of nearly all the other pennl-
ties that are incurred.
Where -four is packed in barrels that are not wei!
enncnnal - ---.1s q H..
TO DC incurred if II is not Immediately inspected; for
although the full quantity of -four may have been put
IT. them, II will be found in a short time that the bar
rels, trpm the evaporation of the sap, have lost several
pounds.
And should il be inspected Immediately after pack
ing. while the weight holds out, the merchant who
buys 1t would sustain tho loss, on it's being reinspect-
ed in the place to which he sends it. The interest OF
The merchant, therefore, requires the strict enforce
Inent OF tins part of the law, as well as of those which
prescribe tile hummer in which barrels are TO be hoop-
ed and nailed, and their dimensions
L trust that those concerned will be careful hereaT.
ter to comply with all the acquisitions Of the law
Should any person, however, from any cause fail 70
do so, 1t IL my imperious duty to enforce the penal
ties, whether incurred from fraud, careIcssness, or ig-
norance, as the law leaves me no discretion on the
subject.
1 would recommend to those who have flour 70 in.
spect, that has lain any time after being packed and
weighed, to re-weigh it Immediately before submit
ting 1t for inspection. This would save them in many
Gases rom mcurTinHa penalty, and me from the d6sa-
grceablc duty of enforcing II.
Merchants who purchase -four for SHINING. and
the captains who receive it, seldom pay sufficient at.
tcntion to the order in which the barrels are in when
shipped.
1t frequently happens, when -four comes 70 he shin.
pm" that has l9in IN store some time after being in
spected, that the barrels from not being properly sea
soned when the flour was put in them, are found TO
nave shrunk, and become so infrm, that in getting
them out ofthe store, transporting them to the vessel
and shipping them, they sustain injury. which ie MO,
~reincdled will subject the merchant to expenses ON he
ing rclnspected. The hoops get Knocked ofr-tbo
heads fall out and spill the flour, which is partly lost.
and what IS put back is mixed with dirt. tbaf mav
cause 1t to be refused on being offered for reinsnec.
ton, besides being liable to q penalty fov short weiabt
10 prevent this, merchants shipping -four should be
careful to have all barrels requiring it rccoopered, and
to seeing that the druymen, iaborers. and sa;lor, h,~s
die the barrels carefully; and they should also he rar-
ticular IN having -four that has lain any time in -stoyc
alter being inspected, re-weighed before sfipp;ng Il.
These precautions viii save them from mourning bur.
densornc and vexaiious expenses when the -four Comes
TO be rcinspected.
Captains who sign bills of lading for fonr as be;no
shlpPed IN good order, when il is not in good order
('whIch they frequently do should be held bound for ali
uanngss t,'at may be incurred by its not being found
IN good order at the port of delivery, os much as If the
oahlage had been incurred after they received il. 7,
Is thelr duty To refuse signing bills of Iadinp for aonr
as 0elng IN good order when 1t is not, and the respon-
slbllIty should fall on them for so doing.
IL Is impossible for the Inspector TO prevent ao,,
beng shipped in bad order, (cven if he had the power
to do SO, which he has notD where the injury oc.
ours after IT has passed inspection. NY duty am
determined strictly to execute; and it is the duty of
inc FARMER Merchant, Miller, and all Others concern
ell to aid me in sustaining the character Of our four
III every requisite; so thut even those interestedJy iea-
lois ct the high character il holds, and who seek TO
dcprcclntc The price by burdening II with onerous
expenses, with the view of enabling their flour better
to compete with IL in their own markets, NAV seek in
vain tor Pretexts TO do so.
EDMUND WALSH
Flour Inspector, Richmond.