The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-09-09
Tho Inspection OF Timber.
TO THE I.DIron OF THE NEWS

beg loavo to notice briefly certain errors
into which your correspondent '.Juatitia" has
fallen regarding the appltostion or tho State
iaw 10 the recent city ordinance 10 create the
ofhoo OF INSPECTOR. General or Timber aud Lcm-
Dor" 90. Your correspondent asks, Can the
CITY Council create such ofioe?" This aues-
ton no answers in the negative. relying upon
ne !ne toIlow,ng clause in the act OF December 20,
Council Of Charleston shall elect annually one
or more inspectors and Surveyors Of timber. y
NOV. II the inspector. general is surveyor Of
t!moes. as mis- oath OF office and the duties as-
then the CITY Council has not exceeded its
authority In eleotlna such an officer for the
sst e; says 1t ..shal elect one or more" The du-
hiust decide Its legal character. IF, However,
the inepector.general is not q "survoyor or
timber" but II his functions are purely minis-
terial or clerical. then the act in question does
no: touch his Office. tor that act relates solely
TO inspectors and surveyors OF timber"
Your correspondent further alleges that the
ordinance violates also the ''act OF 1885, redu-
ding the fees o{ the meaaurers to eight cents
per thousan feet" In this he ls again in er.
ror, as WILL readily be seen by cumparing the
following from tho sot with the CLAUSE IN the
ordinance fixing the fee in relation to timber.
The act says Section !, "Tue public moa-
surera o. ranging timber in the OitY OF Charles
ranging timber eight centa per thousa nd ror
every Thousand reot measured" eThe ordl-
nance says : Ssstion II, "The feeA for the sur.
vey and inspeotfon OF all timber shall be th ,r-
OF that amount to be paid to the, SURVEYOR, or
acting surveyor, and the remaining eight cents
To be paid to the ,nsnector.gsnarai.r Il is
clear that tho act prssorIbes the fee for mea-
suriue only. while the ordinance gives the fees
for measuring aud inspecting. To measure is
simply to determine the humber or feet, board
measure; while to inspect, according to the
ordnance, is TO determine the quality OF the
timber, to classify and mark it. and to return
to the owner survey-bil setting forth auoh
IuRree with your correspondent in the opin.
ion that tho new ordinance is. in some re-
epeots. unjust to the tlmber-cntters; bnt the
grievances does not lie either in the title of
tho omoe Of inspector general" or IN the
feee charged for inspection aud Measurement,
bat IN the mode Of measurement and in the
that mill t,mber must be measured az one j
third from the top,e instead OF ITS being mea-
sured in the middle ls heretofore. In stiek
81 Ss.i timber sixty !sol fssain eneth.
iuohas At the top. thus allowing only one
a. ipoh taper to every twenty running
feet, the tlmber-outter or seller, will ,Ioee
twenty-seven feat, board 4eaaure, by having.
instead or al the md lle, while The buyer gains
by the excess OF sia4 between. che point OF
measurement and the butt OF the stick. Iu other
Torlis, the buyer, gsins BY tro thirds 6fthe
the remaining third toGsrds the 6b. Wills ths e,
seller loses in the entire length. Again Section
provides that al timber. hayina '.rluR. wind
or heart stakes, = SHAH be olassed "a .sdafec-
prios Agreed upon between y the buyer and
seller Tor 4eruhsutibId timbap.n} 'oss 90. ~
Now thess defectt fxtst In : Hreatsf Or, lsss
degree d. 10 ~ M timber 81 ara thstetote shonld. rot
8 proudas ,thaE Al jaAhiDp,ng timber must be
clear of wane,1 yetpo .shippinR "a eynr without