Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1882-02-16

ing oA nf 30 per cent. il proportional
product
] have thus rather indicated than
stated fallY tie objections that. al
general grounds. present themselves
= my mind in connection With chr
State system d Inspection. objections
that i seems 10 ne muss strike evnry
candid mind with ; force not t<l be
resisted and | have but touched upon
tie great attendant evil 81 the entire
system being made but 4 tender to
the needs and demands Of the %
litieal party that may happen u BE-
n the ascendency.
But there are special Questionable
features connected with our sreten
that have. / ana satisfied. weighed
raost heavily upon our tobacco indus
tries, and have, in their operation.
tended seriously 10 retard tie indns-
trial advancement Of that section that
vas least prepared u withstand. un-
harmed, . drawback Of any nature
upon It's resources.
Aany Of the weak aud obieetiona-
bic features Of orr State system NAV
be very clearly set forth bv 4 compar-
ison 81 the present with the Ist gene
ri Inspection Isaw passed IL Tie col
ony ii Maryland ID lT63. Such com.
pariaon would seem to indicate that
ia the changes that have been made
since then. the interests Of the planter
have been carefully kept in the back
ground, and that where altered con-
ditions have dictated notifications 10
protect those interests. no change has
been made. Provisions that were
then wise and eminently proper. and
that are now unwise. have been re-
tanned. Features that In the interest
Of the grower. and that would be 60
now, have disappeared.
When. for instance, the revenue Of
the Province was mainly to be derry
ed from The toleeco crop. Il was well
that the tax should be levied in the
way indicated BY the enforced Inspec-
ton, but when the tax is no longer TO
be levied, what is there Of Justice or
Of common sense in the enforcement ?
When there was no market but the
foreign one, there was prorriety in the
law regulating by strict lines the exact
dimensions Of the cask; but with
home market waiting to be accommo-
dated. what is it but folly 70 demand
Of the grower that he shall pack bis
crop, though intended and suitable for
home consumption. in style adapted
only to the export trade There are
fine grades Of tobacco that are and
must be injured by the same treat
ment that the coarser and heavier
grades bear without detriment. and
yet the law demands the game pack
ing and the same inspection for the
one as for the other. The one prevailing
idea running through the colonial
law Of 1868, then perfectly proper.
that Of accommodating the system OF
inspection to the foreign trade only.
is the prevailing idea Of the present
law, and has so dominated as to shut
out from The view Of the planter the
far more desirable home market. and
places him entirely at4he mercy Of
the foreign buyer. that bete roire that
distempers the imaginations and dis
torts the logic of the advocates of our
present system.
On the other hand, under the old
colonial law, the small producer co,l3
send his 200 or 500 Tbs. to be inspec-
ted, end the tobacco note received
therefor was worth to him exactly its
face value ss representing SO many
pounds Of the particular grade as set
forth in the note or certificate, the
Inspectors repacking The = s-ht weights
for shipment 80 as to bring the hnls.
up to the minimum Of 1000 lbs. The
disadvantage the small shipper now
labors under is familiar 10 all. Either
he must mix his grades, and so reduce
the value Of his better grades, or must
pack light, and SO almost throw his
crop away. And this suggests anoth-
or important feature now absent
The old law made the tobacco note, for
ell practical purposes, negotiable. SO
that the tobacco once inspected placed
the grogeFjn possession offhev very best
and most desirable collateral orsecurity
for whatever financial purposes needed. |
Now, one may have notes representing
any number OF hhds., and Of what use
are they If loan is desired from the
banks end the holder NAV wish to
pledge Che note as a collateral securi-
TYP Not o bank in the city Of Balti- |
more will accept them, and the plan
ter, to raise money on unsold tobacco.
Is thrown back upon his Commission |
Merchant, and we all know what ad- |
vanees in that direction mean. There
should be no better security in the |
market than tobacco notes, and vet in |
Maryland they cannot be passed
whist ia New Orleans. for instance.
they rank with cotton notes as avail |
ahle securities and u oaK Dwn city Of
elevator receipts. represent
Ing grain, are gladly received By the
banks and are availed og e effect the |
rapid transfer cf value, which u the /
NE Ct . thriving csdnmnaity. while /
spr tobacco notes lie idly stored away
no value and utterly use
less Tor all purposes cftransfer. ~ much
% Is 50 many brass checks represent
ne rusty coats and dilapidafed I'M
srellas. The advantage Of free stor-
lge il much vannted. and Il Is ! rich
thai our foreiathera have
eft u, but il il little available, ex-
'ept for the few Of large means, IS
ong g. the notes are net issued in The