Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1845-10-04
From the Missouri Republican.
HEMP

| w, TO Com. MORRIS, lnStruCtlng MN, when-
ever he may have occasion to do so, ito au-
thorize the inspection and test of hemp to
be made at the several agencies in the
hemp growing regions to be final and con.
elusive, instead of requiring them to be
repeated at Boston" Mr.. BANCROFT then
added, whenever it shall become necessa-
ry to procure further supplies of hemp, you
wiH direct that contracts be made for its de-
livery at either of The agencies established;
the department to be at the risk and ex-
pense ofconveying it thence 10 the Charles
town yard or wherever else il may be wan
ted" The agencies thus referred TO were
Louisville in Kentucky. and ST. Louis in
Missouri, and they were established by reso-
luton of Congress, which, until this time
had been wholly disregarded by the Navy
Department. In fixing these agencies, Mr.
/ BANCROFT admits that il was the design of
the government "to encourage the culture
of this important staple. by opening to its
producers valuable marke, in their own
region. To require them to sell at an in
speCtion twelve hundred miles distant from
their homes, must operate in great meas
ure TO deprive them of this market; and
have tendency, therefore, TO defeat the
expressed intentions of Congress in their
behalf" He further says that he was in
duced "to hazard the slight inconvenience
and expense which may temporarily result
TO the government from the proposed
change, for the sake Of the permanent
benefit which il may confer upon it, in the
increased culture, improved quality, and re-
duced prices Of American hemp" No
promises could be more fair than those here
| oI. nj leho
among the friends of this interest, in this and
other States, at the prospect of having
home market for the article. They had,
previous to that time, been denied all en-
couragement to engage in the proper
cultivation and preparation of hemp,-a
double test was required, and payment
was only made on the final acceptance of
the article by the Government agent at
Boston. Notwithstanding the fair prom
ses of the Secretary of the Navy, we
more than doubted his honesty in the prem
Uses. We did not believe that he could
forego his friendship for Boston contrac-
tors, in the dispeusation of this patronage;
and the result shows that we were right.
> In the face of his instructions TO purchase
further supplies" at ST. Louis or Louis
= vile, he has since made contract with a
u Boston house, for the delivery of 400 tons
T. of watter-rotted hemp to the Navy Depart
ment, "next year." without advertising
as he had promised to do, and without any
:. notice whatever; and of course multiplying
the instruction contained in the letter
r which we have quoted. 1t does not appear
J. from the letter which we copy below, that
o the Boston contractor is required 10 make
, any portion of his purchases in the west
if he can make it to his interest to do So
he will do it; but it is more than probable
e that he will induce persons to send theil
" hemp to Boston, and then avail himself oil
any depreciation of the market TO purchase
:, advantageously. But, however this may
4, happen to be, it is certain that the Secreta
. ry of the Navy has acted in bad faith, il
h promising to make purchases in the west
10 and failing to do tin holding out the
!, idea, that the Tyler administration had pu
. an erroneous construction upon the act o
., Congressional this administration had re
:" ., pudiated it, and would open certain mar
=, ket in the west for this staple-and, afte
-. all. making its purchase in Boston!
u The Boston contract, it will be observed
-, has been made for "next year," and this
,, too, in the face of another promise in Mr.
y Bancroft's letter which reads:--"You will
- meet the requirements Of this law, and tn
~ purpose of the congressional resolves t.
=, which have referred, by advertising in tn
~ first instance, exclusively for America
=, hemp, and you will allow foreign hemp /
~ come into competition with our own, onl
:" :, when the latter cannot be obtained on tn
r. conditions prescribed by law" Who wi
~ say, that Mr.. Bancroft has not, in maxim
" this contract for next year," without &C
vertising at all in the west, and disregard
e. ing every other promise held out TO hem
is growers, subjected himself to the unlimite
n censure Of every honest and plain.dealin
-. man?
IL We copy the following letter from tn
he Lexington Observer Of last Saturday:
'r- July 25th, 1915.
To The hemp Groivers.-Having been inform
H. ed dy gentleman OF Boston. that he had just r
| ceived government contract for the delivery
,e. 400 tons OF water.rotted hemp, to the Navy D
st partment, next year, and in case Of failure
an procure the American article that he was at lbe
re- y 10 furnish the larger part of the contract 2j
| tons Of Russia hemp, and being requested
ch him TO state what portion Of the above amount
or would undertake to furnish, deem it proper
ne this early period Of the hemp harvest to nfor
he those hemp growers who are disposed 10 engaI
re. in the preparation OF the article, but are unw
BY ing TO incur the risk OF its shipment 10 the mort
m. ern markets, that will purchase at fair pric
I'd. water.rotted hemp OF good quality, delivered
,b my farm, in Woodford during the ensuing wi