Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1860-05-18


Der, 1859, the enormous sum of ST.
O61.14. Your Committee from all the
information they can obtain, believe that
it would be better for the inspectors to
furnish their own nails; the nails now
used cost 109 cents per pound, and we
are confident they could be purchased for
u cents per pound. In this item of ex-
pense, alone much money could be saved.
Your Committee would further re-
specially recommend in consideration of
the vast amount of expenses incurred
under the present system of conducting
the various Warehouses in the city of
Baltimore, it would greatly enhance the
interests of the various tobacco growing
counties-to appoint committee of three
from the following counties, viz Charles,
Montgomery, Prince Georges, st. Ma
RVS, Calvert, Howard and Anne Arun-
del, whose duty it should be on the first
day of May, in each year thereafter, to
lease out each of said Tobacco Ware
houses to the highest bidder for the pc
Rod oftwo years, the party leasing the
same to be entitled to all the emoluments
now allowed by law in the way of outage,
redrawlng, storage, staying, &C., &C.,
not more than one house to be leased to
any one person or persons, and at the
time of said leasing or letting it should
be the duty of said Commissioners to
take from the party bond in the name
OF the State, with security or securities,
to be approved by the said Commissioners
for the faithful performance of the trust
reposed in said Lessee or Lessees, and
for the payment quarterly of the rent as
it may become due therefore, into the
Treasury.
Said Commissioners shall be appointed
by the concurrence of both Houses of the
General Assembly of Maryland, and re-
ceive as compensation for their services
such sum or sums as shall be hereafter
provided for by law.
Your committee would further recon-
mend that the appointment of Inspectors
should still remain in the hands of the
Governor, at the same time making it
imperative upon the Governor to remove
from office, any Inspector when the
Commissioners or majority of them
shall certify to him, (the Governor, J
said Inspector or Inspectors have failed
to protect the interests Of the tobacco
growers.
Your Committee would beg leave fun
Their to suggest that the Tobacco Ware
houses are badly arranged, inconvenient
and far too small to accommodate the in
creased and largely increasing trade of
Maryland. The regulations and modes
OF inspection are rotton at the core, and
the whole system needs revisal and re.
construction. Owing to the want of
proper accommodations in the present
Warehouses large number of hogs
heads are stored without adequate pro-
lection and undergo damage and deter-
grafton from exposure to the weather.
The warerooms are so crowded and
jammed that the hogsheads are of ne
cesslty knocked about in a shocking
manner. If five hogsheads are purchased
some fifty or more have often to be re-
moved before the required packages can
be got at. We hear of one planter who
had twelve and of another who had TWEEN
ty-fve hogsheads sent back to them to be
re-coopered, thus subjecting the owner to
the necessity Of paying double freight,
and the article to injury, a part of it
having been sold afterwards as q dam
aged article.
The greatest evil arises from the fact
that all the Warehouses are on the shall
low water of the Basin and Docks. Can
anything be more shortsighted or absurd
than to bring an article from the deep
water grounds Of the Bay and its tribu-
taries TO the head Of creek SO shallow
that it has to be carried back again at
heavy cost by drays to the deep water at
felPs Point, before it can be shipped to
foreign ports.
From the best data your Committee
have beer able to obtain, there is reason
to believe that under the present system
or rather want Of system, each years
crop OF tobacco pays an excess of not less
than from seveDty-fye TO one hundred
thousand dollars, all Of which falls of
course on the planters. Is it best to
continue or abolish inspections? In an
swer to this query, your Committee de-
cldedly recommend its continuance, but
advise at the same time the whole system
be revised and reconstructed. From the
enhanced value of the present locations
OF the Warehouses, and also considering
the price of land nearer TO deep water,
your Committee would earnestly recon-
mend in chief Of all, that the present
Warehouses be sold out 10 the highest
bidder or bidders, and that new and more
ample accommodations be had on deep
water and so arranged that ships Of the
greatest draught may lie alongside and
load directly from The Warehouses. We
have reason to believe that store-rooms,
twice as commod;ous and convenient as
the present Warehouses may be had, be-
sides handsome profit to the tobacco
fund. Under the worst view Of the case
we are assured that this most desirable
change may be made without the slight
est loss.
Your Committee would further recon.
mend the appointment Of one Inspector
with as many deputies as he may require,
all TO give bond 10 the State for the
faithful performance of their duties.
In connection with the Tobacco Ware
houses, your Committee have examined
the State Wharf property, and in places
have found it miserably out Of repair
aud requiring immediate attention and
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