, 1860-04-12
ICpn1n unica1e1.l
WaFeflnRfAc 1feerfnfx

As some objection TO the present system Of
issuing Warehouse Receipts for grain By eu-
ployees in the various elevators, seems to hare
obtalned to some considerable extent, it may
not be inappropriate to call attention to the sub
jcct, with view to show the impracticabi!isy, il
not The impossibiIty of lis abolition. We have
State Law that provides for the cri1nination
Of amy warehouseman who shall issue receipt
for grain not actually received into store. Tie
design Of tile Law, as an abstract proposition,
Wis proper and would be practical in its bcar-
ings, If it were possible for proprietors to afix
their own signatures to every receipt, with the
the prftc. knouktdge that tho grain which the
receipt represented was actually in store. 1t
may be here said that it is thc business Of ware-
housemen to kaow that grain is in store befors
u voucher is issued. To which it is replied, that
it il not possible for him to know this Us eny
one acquainted with the business will readily
comprehend. But neither the law nor the
wishes Of a commercial community eau pro-
perIy demand Of any nun the performance OF
imposslbilities even au Office clerk cannot pro
tcct himself against the frauds Of weighmap.
For instance, the weighman might co1lude with
the Bunker ard esG upon his books half dozen
cars Of grain which he had not reccirea.
Now suppose for illustration, that the clerk
had made receipt accordingly, and it became
matter Of public notoriety that no grain had
ever been received, and he was called into Court
to answer criminal charge, and shows that he
made the receipt in good faith, and was not the
trit$r l+nyr u1d . nosn .tnrj4
to carry out the wishes of some of our moneyed
men, proprietors Of Warehouses sign blank
receipts for the use Of their employees, aud they
fraudulently Issue them, wlo is the criminal!
Certainly you cannot send the proprietor to
Alton for the act Of his agent, when in his de-
Tense he shows TINT 1t was imptrat.tf'y necessary
for him to contida bis signature to the clerk, nud
the clerk taking advantage Of the necessities Of
the case, had perpetrated frnud of which the
principal was entirely ignorant and innocent.
The grain business of our city is 50 vast in its
proportions TINT to do it all requires the assist
ance Of agents, who are acquainted with its dc.
tails, aud no one or two men, however well
qualified, for their positions, could Issue receipts
for any one Of our large warehouses in busy
season, and know to certainty that eery parcel
f,rwhich receipt was issued was rally in store.
Every person in these establishments are ne
cessarily dependant ono upon the other, from
the weighinau 10 the lie I'd Of The house, aud if
it could not be thus, it would be impossible 10
do the business. There may be, md unq,es-
tionablJ Ire. some irregularities that denlsud
attention, aud ii! wasehousemen will concur in
any reasonable and practica! suggestions that
may be presented BY the gentlemen Of the
committee appointed at the last meeting Of The
Board Of Trade; but to carry out what seems
to be The leading feature Of the investigation,
viz: to ask each proprietor 10 sign bis own re-
ceipts. is out Of the QUESTION. It would be Of no
importance uhntever, as far ,as,a prosecution
under the law would be concerned, because the
preliminaries to the issuing Of receipts are on
the hands Of employers. and il it was showed,
which could be readily done. that the fraud, It
any, was the act Of The clerk Of which the prin-
eiPat had no knowledge. the prosecution would
fail without question, Ut IT, same time ke would
be unques,iunably held for The ralue Of The
grain receipted.
II also seems unreasonable 10 ask Of ware
housemeu, what is not looked for in o,lier equal.
u important business relations. As We'll might
the head Of banking house be required to sign
every paper that emanate from his office. WLy
not be enter up your dcposlts. WhY not Lo
certify -FOUR checks instead of Telers
WAREHOUSE.