Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1881-04-01
DortG oborfo @ imes
PORT TOBACCO
Facts and Figures.

Facts and Figures.
1t is not for us 10 say what has - per
vsrted the vision or befosged the under
standing of eur neighbor the Independent,
as to caused it construs the TINES as saying
that the compulsory feature of the tobacco
inspection laws was repealed in 1887; but
we do saw we made no such statement.
The compulsory feature has always formed
q part Of the inspection system, from the
colonial times till now. What we did
state state was that the compulsory feat
ure was, by act Of 1887, Eve should have
said 1851 modified to the extent of allow
ing growers to ship their tobacco into the
other States and Territories Of the Union
without inspection ; and that this modifi-
cation was revoked by the Republican Leg
islature that controlled the State in 1864,
and the compulsory feature revived in all
its former stricness. .....
We made a mistake in saying that
the salaries of the inspectors were in
creased from $500, to $500; for they
were in reality increased from $1,000, to
$4,000. ........
We confess that we are an earnest Demo-
crat, but if the Republican Legislature had
enacted law which in our judgment was
beneficial to the planters, we feel very
confident that we should have the manli-
ness to Judge it according to its merits,
and would never think of opposing it on
the mere ground of partisan prejudice.
That is the great trouble that has been OF
late ovsrhanging the inspection system.
1t has been judged too much from the
standpoint of partisan prejudice and cll-
que interests. In this way it has been
loudly condemned by these who, when
brought down 10 the point, were found to
know nothing whatever about it. This
system has been supposed, by means Of
tue appointments to its offices, 10 promote
the interests of the Democratic party OF
the State, and therefore, it was said by
the Republicans and some dissrunted
Democrats that the planters did not need
any protection, and the system must go
at all events. The exporters of tobacco,
and Others opposed in interest to the
planters, are endeavering to take advan-
tage Of this warning between factions, and
through its aid, procure such legislation
as will henceforth deprive the tobacco
growers of the protecting hand Of the
State, which for nearly two centuries has
assisted them to place their product fairly
upon the market.
Now we submit that if it were true that
the small sum of IT'S, 81 was paid by the
State treasury in the interest Of the to-
bacco planters during the last fiscal year,
az the Independent says it was, county
paper in one of the largest tobacco grow
Cd ing counties, which was chiefly benefited
by the expenditure, ought to be the last
source in the world from which Gem
plant should be heard. But We have
been unable to arrive at any such result
from an examination OF the Comptrollers
report. The report states that the gross
receipts from the warehouses during the
fiscal year ending ssp,sm1s. 80, 1880
ments for the same i1m1 ws.s yos, yoo,su,
and the Comptroller sets down the sum Of
$4,624,15, as the ''net earnings" of the
warehouses during the fiscal year. From
en- examination Of the table of disburse-
ments, it does not appear however, that
the salaries of the inspectors were in
cluded. So we will add to the disburss-
ments the salaries of the five inspectors
for the year, which amounts to $1o,45s,sl.
From this take $4,624,l5, the net earnings
as given by the Comptroller, and it leaves
a balance of $5,ss4, 1e, being the aPpa-
rent excess Of disbursements over receipts.
Now, as every enc who pretends to write
fer the public press ought to know, the
receipts from the wharf property appur
tenant TO the warehouses have been, since
1858, through an overnight in legislation,
turned directly into the State treasury,
and not credited to tho tobacco fund At
oil. These receipts are said to amount to
about $4,000 a year; SO deductlng the
$4,000, the State received from that source
during the last fiscal year from $5,s34, 16,
we have balance of 1884, Is, instead Of
$7,775,s1 which the Independent has re-
peatedly paraded in its columns.
If the Comptroller were required to 60
back through the records of his depart
ment to the year 1853, and credit the to-
bacco fund with all the receipts from this
source and interest thereon, which should
be done, we presume there would be
found to be a sufficient amount accruing
to the fund to more than cancel this little
balance and any other small balances that
may have been charged against the sys-
tenn in late years.
The Independent appears to be so eager
to make an unfavsrable showing against
the inspection system that it not only dis
torts (asws think, though we hope not
willfully) the figures of the Comptrollsrs
report for the fiscal year, but utterly fails
to take any notice at all Of the fact to
which the Comptroller calls special atten-
ton, that from March 1, 1880, (when the
laws of 1878, which Topped off some Of the
Republican excrescenses from the inspec-
ton law and reduced the expenses, went
into sffect,) to the end of the fiscal year
the warehouses turned into the Treasury
the sum of 81, O34,23 over and above oil
expenses, including inspectors salaries for
that period.
1t certainly seems to us that it would
be in better taste and judgment for rural