The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1875-12-03


tions not requiring witnesses.
THE PROPOSED TOBACCO WARE.
HOUSES.
Our attention has been called by Il
prominent business gentleman of this
CITY to the bill now before the Legislature
providing for the establishment by the
State of warehouses in Parkersburg and
Huntington, for the inspection and stor-
age of tobacco grown in this State, and
IN connection Herewith, to certain points
of objection to said bill. The position
taken by the gentleman-who is an old
tobacco merchants that the establish
ment Of such warehouses will not pay.
1t is provided in the bill that there
shall be inspectors, screwmen and laborers
appointed who shall draw certain salar-
les amounting in the aggregate 30 about
$4,000 per year, and that ii the State
Treasury is to pay these salaries 1t will
be an expenditure which will not return
to the Treasury. For, 6rSt, the revenues
of such warehouses are derived from fees
tor inspecting, storing, coopering and
sending out hogsheads Of tobacco sent to
them.
Second-That inspections of tobacco
at any point will not be satisfactory to
buyers elsewhere, since they demand a
rernspection at the place whore the pur-
chase is made.
Third-That since this is so, buyers will
not come from prominent tobacco mar
kets Ito which the tobacco will be eventu-
ally shipped, to make purchases in this
State; and,
Fourth-That, therefore, tobacco will
not be sent to warehouses here, and hence
there will not be derived therefrom rcye-
nue. enough to bear the expense of con-
Quoting the warehouse, and the tax
payers must suffer.
In addition to these points, our alten-
tion was called to an article in the Balti-
more Sun on this same question in Mary.
land, where tobacco warehouses have, for
wears. been State institutions. This article
laws that there has long been growing
suspicion that the Maryland system Of
tobacco warehouses has outlived its ne
cessitv and usefulness and that
''the lesson of practical experience is to
have all business, commercial rs well as
Industrial, open to competition. In
Louisville, Ky, the central market of
great tobacco-growing State, the business
of warehousing tobacco is left to private
enterprise, ard, as far as inspections 60,
to whatever extent they are dremed ne
cessary, 1t is known that the tendency OF
commercial methods is to liberaliZe them
and depend upon experts, whose only
surety for business is capacity and char
acter, for their accomplishment
These are points presented by Il tax
payer and merchant of Wheeling, who is
entitled to be heard, and We therefore
present them for the consideration OF our
legislature. We confess that we have not
been able to discuss fully in our own
mind the pros and cons Of this
question. but that tn" views Of
the merchant herein given, added to
the experience of the cities Of Baltimore
and Louisville, should be considered, We
have no doubt, and especially is this nee
cssary if the State Treasury is to DC sub
jec,ed to n proitless outlay. But there
are two sides to every question, and the
gentlemen who advocate this scheme
have, We are confident, reasons for favor
ing it, good and ample to themselves, and
being gentlemen who most certainly have
the good of the State at heart, We will
cheerfully publish their views also. How
ever, II can certainly do no harm, and
mag result in good - have the attention
of the Legislature called to this subject.
1t will not do for any bill involving an
out av OF money or increased taxation TO
be passed nurriedly.