Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1872-02-08
lCoxxusrcArED.
INSPECTION LAWS.

4 - ENsattEA ~ G&HtAIltSlS WHO
scru . ne their means in their en-
sesse ouid psbEe opiniua. shall
take ske esty II making few ohserva-
| tians oq y Aanrh ahused system Of State
iInsPscsid The trade has spoken out
against md eommif,ee, headed by
one L u Pendlcson, visited Annapolis \
few day1to TO enter their pro,cs, against
this enormous and ubiquitous system so
called. lnFpeesions of feur. grain. &c.
we're FRS istroduced little over one hun
dred ysz ago. and the preamble TO the
Law establishing them. says. whereas. i,
y Represented that discoveries have been
made cfeeftain deceiis prscsieed BY man
ufacturc 81 -four, &c. to the great pre-
JUDGE ofthe buyers thereof. and Injurious
TO the c51nuni,y; be- it enacted. &c"-
Nov. sir WOULD ask. If the dishonesty
Of men MI de i necessary to appoint iu-
speciors DE hundred years ago to proven.
the people from being cheated and de-
frauded is there man of common sense
and honsty. who will say that the morals
of the prcssptgeneration have so improv-
ed as to ~ hese safeguards uuneees-
WeXEsry told by blatant n'e6.in
the tr' W traces of few leading and
iEsset but Interested merchants. as
well IS by some senselcss or designing
scribblers. that the idea of inspections is
obsolete-is an incubus upon trade. a
trammel upon would be free and enter
prising commercial people that we are
discriminating agains. Baltimore city. &c Z,
&c. Do these men know what they talk
and write about? Would they have the
public believe that ours is Tie only State
in which there are inspections! Itwould
seem as ii they did; but if they had ex-
amincd into the real facts they would find
tina, they exist in nearly every State in
the Union. varying somewhat in their de-
tails and the manner Of appointing the
agents to carry them out. I. for one, am
decidedly of the opinion that close and
rigid inspection. BY competent and indus
trious officers, appointed by the State. so
far from being an incubus upon trade of a
legitimate kind, wonld prove to be simply
a check aud trammel upon rascality. and
a protection to the homes, dealer aud up
right merchant, az well as the POOR con-
sumer, no, one in thousand Of whom
knows how to buy -four on i.> merits. not
being experts and judges of the article.
1t is all very well for the rich to talk of
reputation brands Of flour. and to order
from their grocer. as occasion requires.
barrel of Pa,apsco family, with al
most a certainty of its being good but
what is to become of the toiliug africans
and the thousands of poor women struc-
Cling for existence. that cannot afford to
pay fancy prices out OF their small earn
ings for fancy -four? Men of all trades
and professions charge something for their
name and reputation nor. are the manu-
facturcrs Of this very popular brand. cx-
ccptions to the general rule. There will
he but very few brands of -four to be re-
lied on after it becomes knorn that in
spcctions have ceased. and they will be
held at high rates and beyond the means
of the poor who will have to buy such as
their scanty wages will allow, and to their
lot wilt fall much of the falsely packed and
unsound -four. will suppose case:
one that will be quite common in the event
of no inspections: An honest grocer buys
a hundred barrels Of flour. all branded BY
the miller family" he sends it out in
various parts Of the city and State. and
sose of his customers will &c, family. some
extra, and some super four. each paying
the same price.
1t is quite a usual thing, as I am cred
itably informed. for the inspectors to find
all grades of -four in lot Of hundred
barrels. upon which the manufacturer has
stamped in large and flaming letters.
Choice Family, made from pure white
wheat" If this is the case now (and
there is no kind of douh. about iD how
much more frequent will it be. when all
inspect ons shall have been abolished, and
the fact becomes known abroad. But
many tell us they do not propose to abol-
ish inspections entirely, but only to take
the appointment out of the hands Of the
Governor and place it in the gift Of the
Corn and Flour Exchange.
Mr. President Young, in his late an
nual address to this body. told them tina.
State inspections would expire in May
next, dau tuat 10 w Ue-
wise some permanent system ofinsprction.
So that. after all the great flourish of
trumpets on the part Of this grand monop-
oily. they admit the necessity for inspec-
tons. and differ only as 10 the mode and
manner of appointing the officers. No
doubt, If the Corn and Flour Exchange
can get control of the business. aud APP
point its own pets and plant instruments
to do their bidding or lose their places. all
will be we'll and satisfactory to the trade,
but shippers had better take care. and
those who handle Baltimore -four abroad
had best be very cautious. Much has been
said and urged in behalf of the system of
inspection in Chicago. New York and 9th
er great markets. and if the people of
Baltimore aud the State Of Maryland
would like 10 see their frauds and cor
ruptiOns fastened upon them. j. will be
we'll TO initiate them. not otherwise.
No one pretends TO say that the PR sent
inspections laws are not open TO several
objections; but the true interest of the city
and State demands reformation. and not
abolition of them. The law should be
more rigid and cxac:ing. and impose such
pains and penalties on inspectors as will
oblige them to be attentive TO their duties.
and deter unfit or inexpcrt men from ap-
plying for positions they would incur such