The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1875-12-04
THE WAREHOUSES QUESTION.
Arguments Advanced in Favor oi
Their Being Established
WHEELING, Deccmbe- =.

Editors oil the htBlst'I'
In your issue of yesterday | find al
article in regard TO the inspection OF leaf
tobacco and the establishment OF store
houses for that purpose by the State.
This is matter not to be treated with
out consideration. 1t is one OF the most
important measures that has been suG
gested IN the Legislature, when we take
into consideration that over Il million
and a half of dollars (gold) is produced
by the farmers of West Virginia, in the
cultivation of what is known as "OhIo
tobacco" that this tobacco cannot be
produced except in northern Maryland
and in the counties of West Virginia
north of the Great kanawha river, and
in the counties of Belmont, Monroe,
Noble, GUERNSEY, Morgan Muskingum
and Washington, in the State Of Ohioi
that the tobacco producing counties OF
Ohio and Maryland are fast becoming
exhausted, for this reason that
only three crops OF tobacco can be
raised with profit on new ground,
but these crops leaves the land
in a better condition for wheat
and grass than any other crop that can
be planted, and at the same time gives 10
the farmer a greater profit than can be
produced upon timber land; and when
we consider that without the benefits OF
railroad transportation; without the ben
eft of utilizing the timber On the lands
cleared on that as fine rich timber land
AS ever existed, the counties in ONO have
crown rich, shall we not encourage the
cultivation of tobacco in West Virginia?
In the counties mentioned in Eastern
OHIO, nine-tenths of the goods that are
sold are purchased in the city OF Baltl-
more, and the majority of tho goods pur'
chased bv the tobaccO-growing counties
of Wes, Virginia are purchased in Bal
timore. In fact the one million and one
hall dollars produced by this State goes
to the city of Baltimore. The banks OF
Wheeling and Parkersburg have been
furnishing money to the merchants OF
Eastern Ohio Tor the last forty years, To
enable them to purchase goods, pay taxes,
and pay for land, the profits of which has
gone to Ohio aud Maryland. Why not
secure it for ourselves? And because the
credit of the merchants of West Viz
pinia and Eastern Ohio is dependant
upon their warehouse receipts for the to-
bacco stored in the State OF Maryland,
why not give our own merchants credit
in our own State by establishing ware
houses in West Virginia.
The article proceeds to state some OBJ
iectious to the said warehouses.
First-Because the institution Is TO be
sustained BY fees derived from inspection,
cooperage. outage, &c.
Sccond-That the inspections Will not
be taken at any other point for sale than
where drawn. -,
Third-That the tobacco buyers will
not come from established markets to
these State warehouses for their pur-
chuScs.
Fnurth-That therefore tobacco will
Not be sent to the warehouses for inspec'
tion and consequently the fees will not
pav the States expenses.
Briefly let me state IN reply that in
1874 and "A over l2OOO hogsheads of
tobacco was inspected and sold outside
the limits of the State for want OF In
spection warehouses within our State
limits Bat admitting from causes eX-
isting. hut a portion OF that number
would 90 in our State warehouses for the
first wear. vet it is fair to infer that from
Ohio whose Eastern counties
produce in close proximity 10
our proposed warehouses annually about
5000 hhds. a tair proportion whereof
would at least find its way to Parkersburs
for inspection, and thus the inspection fees
above would mainly if not quite, the
first year, pay the expenses OF the ware
houses.
The objection urged that the tobacco
would have to be inspected when sold, Is
n mistake, excepting when it is done
Mt private warehouses, but is never
the case at State warehouses.
II is admitted that France and Germany
cannot well dispense with the supply of
Ohio and West Virginia tobacco, obtain
cd entirely at Baltimore, whose market
is "grevious monopoly, operating
against the producer. -,
For three years France has bought by
annual contracts from 100 I" ll,5oo
hhds of Ohio and West Va. tobacco at
Baltimore,
Why not have this large commercial
interest transacted at nome and our meF-
chants be thereby benefited? The tobac'
co sold at Cincinnati and Louisville
is emincntly home manutactur-
ing leaf and but small
amount is ever sold for export, yet the
warehouses at Louisville belong to and
are controlled by the State.
The counties Of Tyler, Wetzel, Pleas
ants. Richie, Doddridgr. Wood, Jack
son, Mason and others lower down, pro
duce and would send to the State ware
house more than sufficient 10 pay, BY
fees, the small expense of about $500
necessary to carry on the two houses.
GEO o. DAVENPORT.