Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1856-02-19
TOY n" EE?VlTfr
INSpEr1JnNS

Mes.rs Editors: In yoar article nf the 18th Jan.
nary, (scmi.woekly paper advocating the necessity
OF q legal inspection o -four, Tnu say that "untl"r
this sys,.m Virginia our hes taken the highest rank
| in the markets OF The wori.' In aense, and ns
tn hos. -four, this is true But it is not bec0"" Of
the le si Inspection in; "a 6cs OF lis evil tendency
The -four OF Hexgi's and tho G1cCo mills, by its
bigh character and high price in disan; ma Sets end
in tropical climates, is proved TO be among the bcs
These nours nre Of Ion. established reputation. But
other urs Of the Richmond mills. ana of ohcr
| places, though not long known, may be as Con'
and viii stand q, highland these as" not by any
mid oi the inspection mark, but without regard 10 IT,
J will be sustained only by the known valu, of the
ours and the established reputation of the mileIs, or
the credit and responsibility Of the sellers All these
best luurs for expoiia,ion generally iii not uni
versaIly) marked "supcrflne, which is not the
highest. but only the third descending grade, as ind-
Gated by the inspectors brand. Such best flour, so
Marked cearly owes nothing Of its character to that
low mark, or 10 the act of inspection. All snrh -four
is Tar above the inspection mark usually affixed
which mark if il hGd any effect the character of
the -four, las it has not,) would operate TO degrade
instead If raising the Appreciation The iharniac'
turers OF this best flour for expectation, To %r y"
Justly, though mistaken ground, award such hIg
praise care nothing for the Inspectors mark-and,
directed by their shened sel(in:erest, they work
10 naiRtain each for himself, the high reputation "t
their -FOUR and OF the Of the manufacturcrsn
total disregard Of the inspection, which is to them
simply and entirely tronbe and tax, and 20 the
-four cause Of danger, if not always Of actua!
damage.
You also say that the rcpenl of the legal and COM
pusory inspection in New York has operated "Io dc
preciate the standard of -four in that State" This
certainly il mistake ~ the best kinds Tor bran:sl
oi flour, which, in New York, in Virginia. land ms
mist be eycrywhere,) were established and mHntain-
ei in character at grades abore the Inspection require
men.s and marks. This fact not only would be Ger.
;an from reasoning, but il has heen so fully proved
to New York, by Your correspondent, "a Demo
cratic Farmer" that no more need be here said on
TINT point.
But will freely admit, in advance of any known
results or facts that in the event Of the repeal OF ANY
long existing inspection Of gHnlHv twhether of -four
or other cummudty there will be some producers OF
such products who will profit BY the new exemption
to snll still products than before. But this
would be hut continued and transient effect Of The
previous inspection Law, aud not originating from The
absence ofrspecton. Anywde spread and lnng-esin5.
shed lesa! policy Of nation, however great an e''ii
and abu. ia ITSELF produces artificial condition OF
things which cannot be removed without some other
and now evil being brought out. Thus, for example,
the suppression OF the nonaseres in England, though
their existence was great eyI' and t:Ier suppress
sion eventually great public benefit, had the mne
diate effect Of filling England with beggars and des'i
tute paupers-to provide Tor which other legal rene-
dies were imperaiively required. The operation o
legal Inspection when having any effect on the i-
ported article is dsgrade the quality. The produ-
GERS who prefer the greatest immediate profit to
obtaining later q high and enduring character
for their products, and the names OF the producers
will aim merely to obtain such inspection mark oi
grade will best suit their business. l! manu-
tacturer of Hour, thus influenced, aims merely TO he
entitled TO the mark "superhnc,' lie VIII also
aim have his -four better than barely to secure
that mark. Any better quality than the inspectors
mark designaes in -four said BY that mark, land hav-
ing no better or established reputation would be just
30 much clear loss to the miller, either in the quality
quantity or price Of the wheat used in tho cost of
it's grinding. Thus the tendency of inspection is 10
induce and train every such producer Tor Tor surh
kinds Of prolucts,) to make his products at rs little
cost and as inferior in quality as possible, provided
that he shall not fall below and fail to obtain the nspec-
ton mark he aims at In this continual effort to deprss
the quality of products low the usage or indui
eence of inspectors may permit, millers, as we'll as
other producers often go below the point OF degrc-
dation they designed. And, in consequence, thous-
ands of barrels of -four marked at lower grades
than were designed and expected.
Now, IN obvious consequence of this tendency OF
the inspection laws to degrade quality, and OF their
training Of producers, who design to sell by the III.
ducts still worse, Immediately after the repeal of the
nrevious inspection. Such effects may have occurred
in New York. and might be expected, to some extent,
anywhere.
On all miers, and for all -four, having established
high characters, the repeal of the inspection could
have no effect, except as a relief from tax, and
damage to the -four. All new, nr other mills whose
occupers desired to make good -FOUR would soon be
L nown, and would attain high character, ana !
the reward thereof in high prices. But many 90,
scure producers neither possessing nor valulnS gooG
reputatons, would continue to operate as they ihu
been taught aud trained by the inducemsnts OF 'he
inspection laws, that is, to degrade their pr3uecs DO
low as they could yenturei and when ta's' 'ne '-'