Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-03-02
COMMUNICATIONS
Fox the WuIG.
TO THE MEMBERS OF TIE LEGIS-

nun acquainted WIN the w neat ana fIour
trade, takes the liberty of presenting for your
consideration, some observations on tho Report of
the Committee of Agriculture and Manufactures,
and some additional facts, shedding light the
subject.
The Report and Testimony arc so voluminous
go uuarto pages that few of You feel disposed
to wade through them all. But when the assertion
is publicly made by highly respectable, intelligent
and dis.n,crcsted men, who have read them, (as
it has been by all | have convcrscd WITH that no
far from the conclusions come to in the Report
and Resolutions being warranted by the tcslimo.
ny of the gentlemen examined by the Committce,
that testimony leads to quite opposite conclusions
it is presumed you will feel tho necessity of
reading the whole testimony, and acting on such
conclu sions your own minds may arrive at, from
the facts there stated, and such others may be
accc Ssi5lc to you.
have done this-and tho results have come
to are
I. That the weight Of testimony is greatly
against every conclusion and rccomme e dation the
Committee have come TO, as every gentleman Will
discover who shall be at the pains TO analyse it.
9 That the question is not ono between the in
tcrcst of the City aud the Country, as has been
allcgcd-but i question between the supposed in
tcrcSt of few Country Miliers on the one hand,
and the actual interests of tue farmers and the
prosperity of tho State, on the other. The Coun-
try Micrs complaining (sec Mr.. Cravens' tcs,imo-
n.y. that they have to pay 20 cents more for wheat
than they ought TO pay, according to the differ
cnce in the prices of city and country flour. And
as equality between city and country flour can be
effected only by reducing the city flour to the stand
ard OF the country Hour, the farmers would lose
by the operation ~ cts. bushcl on their wheat
). That the City Mlllcrs have not been, and
cannot he materially injured, nor the Country
MllIcrs benefited, hy Legislation on the subject.
But that the wheat growers and others, have
been Injured by the law of last session, and would
be still farther injured by adopting the Resolutions
of the Committee now on your tabe-by dcprecia
ting the price of wheat, and causing large por
ton OF it TO DO shipped off to be ground in other
States.
4. That though the difference in price between
Country and Ci!y Mills Flour has increased from
% cts. To 75al00 cts. n Dbl. since the CITY Millers
have secured the Brazilian markets, vet the cha
ractcr and price of Country Flour has not depre
uatcd, as compared with the Flour of other States
with which 1T comes in competition. But this diff.
ference is caused wholly by raising the reputation
of Richmond City Mills Flour in Brazil so high
as to drive the flour of other States, which form
erly had the asccndancy there, out of the market.
And that owing to the superior facilities possessed
by the City Millers and the extraordinary exert
ions they make, and that they alone (includng
the Manchester niN can make, the Country Flour
never can find beneficial market to any extent
IN that region. For the Bait. Howard street, and
n York Canal Flour have and must continue to
have preference there over it,
5. That the Farmers are benefited by the high
character of the City Mills Four--inasmuch DIS it
Is well known fact, that The City Millcrs regulate
the price they pay for wheat, by the price their
flour Will command, and that the Country MillerS
have to take wheat at the Richmond prices deduct
ing freight and tolls. For if country flour be five
dollars and City Mills could be broug down the
same price, the price of wheat would be governed
by that; but while the price of City Mills is dol
lar higher, wheat is enhanced in the proportion
that six bears to five. The Country Miller indeed
suffers seriously, in having to give the same price
for wheat that the City Millers do, while he cannot
sell his flour for much. But there is remedy
for it, If he will not give the price rs the
City Millcrs, the farmers will bring their wheat to
Richmond.
6. That combining the City Millers to ono brand,
has proved injurious to the Farmers, i'll lowering
very much tho price of all wheat except "tip-top"
such as the City Milers will alone use, since they
have been confined to one brand-und often that al
so,whcn taken TO a Country Mil-where, when the
farmer arrives with his wheat, which he we'll knows
to be prime, the Country Miller tells him, it is not
such as the Richmond Millers would take-and
the farmer, though he may not be convinced, is
Obliged to take what price is offered him, or be at
the trouble of taking his wheat back.
Z. That the use of two brands, though a doubt
full benefit to tho City Millcrs, is positive benefit
TO the farmers. For City Millcrs, if allowed two
brands would purchase at fair price, all the MGR
charitable wheat brought to them, using up for in
terior Hour, what would not answer for their best
flour. lfthero are not mills enough to create suifi-
cicnt competition for them to do so, there soon
would be. The two new mills UIaXalrs and Che
valc's Addition) when they go into full operation
viii produce that competition.
8. That there is more necessity or proprcty
for restricting Millers to brand, than for re-
strictIng manufacturers Of tobacco to one brand
that the farmer is, or will be, much injured by
the one restriction, as the planter would be by he
othcr-naEIely, by dcpreciatInp the value Of his
inferior produce. And 1t does not appear that the
use of two brands mas done any injury To any one
though some have enormously imagined it did
9. That the quantity of Family Flour is trnng,
and generally made only for the consumption of
CHS
higher than supcrine established Ey law
either the quantity would be small, to be un-
worthy of Legislative action, the great bulk of
the tip-top wheat being selected to make that de.
scrIpIon, the next grade must be inferior to what
it would h., if the best wheat used in making
it, as at present with the superfinc.
lO. That with regard TO changing the mode OF ap.
pointing the Inspectors for the purpose of making
The standard uniform, it would, in the language of
Gen. Dadc, Zone of the gentlemen examined before
the comIntec,) if placed in the hands of the Exc
cnivc, "haye the effect Of making it uniforms; but
uniformly bad, they (thc Inspectors) would pro-
badly be selected from political mem" And if the
County Courts nominated, "thc effect would be
the same as now. If the recommendation of the |
County Courts is g9pd for any thing, it would be
as weII to let them appoint the Inspectors"
IL. That the Hcnrico County Court have con-
tinucd 10 appoint Inspectors that have given as
much and as general satisfaction to all interested
in the trade, 1t is possible for public officer to
give, who has SO many individuals to transact bu.
siness for And therefore, they have heretofore
made good appointments, there 10 reason
FOR changing the mode of appointment.
10. That high testimony is borne in favor Of the
present Richmond Inspector by nearly every gen. |
,lcinam cxamned-especialiy those who have had |
the best means Of judging-cvcn some who had
complained of him, ad hitting that they have been
convinced since they have had better means of
Judging, ihat they were wrong, and he RIGHT
That against the high testimony in his favor, the
very few errors that after years diligcnt hunting
mp Tor thcm, have been attempted to be nrnvcd on