The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-10-03
A M <raber &c shc East LEGISLATURE ON
5sira View Hchcn1c of inspection or
GREENE cJeNIy, VA.,,

Editors Dispatch Il have lust seen. '. a
Scheme oil Inspection for the Richmond
Tobacco Bar8et, p q reported by a commit.
tee OF seven persons, approved by tine
Board OF Managers, and now proposed 10
the Trade for! final adoption.
1t will be seen by reference TO seeuen
OF this scheme that the inspector ana re-
porter therein provided for must execute an
official bond Ia the sum OF S2U:oug, VIII
good security, conditioned Tor tue ialsniul
performance OF bis duties, as nAeo oy t ~
.tscheme OF inspection" the rules Iof Tue
inspector and reporter thereunto anneSeu,
and such other rules as may pe leieaaLei
adopted by the Trade. The thfrdtsectlon
[Droyides Tor committee on claims, to COLI
stst of three members, whose duty 1t sbaii
llbe to hear all the complaints OF manufactu-
| rers or.sfehanliers Of tobacco ut may pc
thousand miles away, from the Richmond
market, and BY unprincipled men, VINO may
look to damage and reclamation as their
greatest source OF profr, and TO ac3udS
| the amount Of damageand reclamation TO De
paid by the inspector " hen 1t shall appear TO
| this court of claims (the committee OF
threel. from this er-pdrte evidence, thai the
package is not equal to the Richmond sam
| Die. This court Of claims is TO be vested
with power to look only OH one SIDE OF the
question, to give. damage ana reciamatlon
to rehandlers Of tobacco when by tnelr En-
pdrte evidence the package Is INFERIOR 10
| the Richmond sample. w bat II tue pack
age proves to be better than the Richmond
sampler Is any remedy proposed Tor the
seller or producer? Did anybody ever
hear OF rehandlcr proposing to compen-
safe the producer seller for The dllierence
| when the package is better than the sam
- ;t 1y ont tpJn
| all the present safeguards thrown around
the salnpIing OF tobacco the package will be
better than the Richmond sample rs often as
the sample is worse than the package. " 1t IS
a bad rule that won't work both ways 1t
| is impossible from the very nature OF things,
| when the tobacco goes out OF the hands OF
the producer or seller at stated price, for
him 10 recover anything more from the pur-
chaser, and it is equally impracticable, with
due reference to lair dealing between seller
and BUYER, that the buyer or rehandler,
with the sample and package both in his
own possession and with all opportunities
to change both at his pleasure for his own
advantage, to have damage and reclamation
from the Inspector, when the sample IS
worse than the package.
I Again By one Of the rules for The gov
eminent of the inspector and reporter un-
der this scheme his fee for inspecting Is to
be twenty-five cents package-addltlonal
suppose, to the present warehouse charges.
Well, Imagine the services OF this new Of
icer is considered to be worth TINT amount
OF money. TO whom? To the warehouse
men? No. They have already enough OF
supervision and OF labor for the full dis
charge OF their duties under the law. To
the producer? No. The responsibilities
| - ofri nj tp interest
discriminate against the producer. Then
why should he incur more expense for dis
elimination against him? II this inspector
should discharge his duties faithfully why
should he be mulcted for damage and re-
clamaton on account OF the vicious conduct
OF Others in nesting their tobacco: The
inspector may attend strictly TO every rule
iuposed upon him by the trade. lie may
break the package twice or hail a
d2Zan times, at his discretion, ana
he smay miss the deception OF Others, ana
must suffer the penalty OF reclamation im-
posed upon him by the strength OF eT-pGrte
evidence, which may be utterly unreliable,
and whose accuracy he has no means or OPP
portuniy OF testing. The producer IcseS
when bis package is better than his sample,
and gains when it Is worse. l,ce verSd
with the buyer. The Inspector should stanc
as an impartial arbiter between them.
There should be no inducements ana no
penalties for good or bad sample. Good
men, with good Judgment, should be Sc
lected fer these positions, ana their Stern
integrity is the best safeguard against i'm
position upon buyer or seller. The pun
i,bment for nesting should fall upon the
cyll-doer and not upon the innocent
. anprehend, Messrs. Editors, that this
scheme OF inspection " involves the same
principle that was attempted few years
ago to be engrafted upon the tobacco laws
Eof the State, but was rejected By our law
making power. after great deIlberatlon
upon the subject; principle, Iear, when
| is frelehted with serious consequences 10
Droducer and seller OF tobacco, and, IN It's
reflex action, also 10 maD uiacturer ana re-
handler. The best man in the State may be
selected to fill this place Of inspector and
reporter, and still he is but man-liabe to
all the imperfections and weaknesses that
affl,ct our race. Under the penalty OF
heavy bond he must never draw sample
better than the package from which 1t IS
taken. If he does be and his bondSmen
must suffer for the crime against the buyer
or rehandIer. But he may draw samples
worse, much worse, than the package with
perfect impunity 10 himself and his kind
friends who Lave gone on bis bond; and
perhaps, If his heart is not steeled against
corruption in these times OF loose morals.
premium may reward his unfair sam
ping.
think, Messrs. Editors, that this whole
scheme involves an unnecessary and I'M
| called-for expense, without any compen-
sating good to come out Of it. The expense
is nominaly upon the warehousemen, but
ultimately must fall on the producer with
more force than the small fee OF twenty-five
cents would seem to indicate. This attempt
to place this great interest Of Virginia un-
der The control of private rules and regula-
tons is, in my opinion, step in the wrong
direction-seemingly, il not really, for the
advantage OF interested classes. The sellers
and producers OF tobacco have rights and
Interests which should be respected and
guarded as well as that more astute class,
the buyers. And I trust that large-minded
and fair.miuded men, such as | know to be
connected with the Richmond Trade, will
see to it that no false step is taken in this
matter for the want OF proper dellberation.
L have written this hastily, hoping TO call
the attention of others to this subject, that
the evil consequences of hasty action may
be avoided. Yours, &C., FAIR PLAY.
Tournament and Party at Dcwberry,
Hanover County. SeDtcnlDer 25. 1879.