Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1884-04-04
Tobacco Inspection Unchanged.

Legislature has again failed to make any
amendments in the State system of tobac
CO inspection and the system continues in
force as it has heret. fore existed. The
action of the Senate, under the leadership
of Senator Gill, of Baltimore city, the ac
credited exponent of the views of the buy
ers, in defeating the Wilkinson bill, proves
to Cur mind very conclusively the correct
ness Of the charge heretofore made by the
TINES, that the buyers are not sincere in
their pretended efforts to reform and rem
tder more efficient the State system of in
'spection, but seek only its total downfall,
1.-THE sale of the warehouses and the des-
truction Of the planters privilege of free
storage therein.
The very Objectionable and radical bill
of Senator ellis, which was defeated in
the House. was we'll framed for the accom-
plishment Of the result the buyers devised,
for the adoption of that bill would have
been the beginning of the end Of the State
system. The bill of Mr.. Wilkinson, on the
pther hand, which the Senate defeated,
" ss a fair and honest compromise meas
ure and should have been acceptable to
all who really desired the reformation and
not the downfall of the State system.
While making ample and we'll desired
provisions for fairness in sampling and
the detection and punishment of false
packing it at the same time dispensed
with the only Objectionable feature of the
compulsory clause of the inspection laws
that which deprived the planter of the
privilege of availing himself of the mark
cts and inspections OF other States than
Maryland.
This bill, while conceding to the buyers
all they could ask for in the way guarding
the fairness aud efficiency of the State iu-
spections, was well calculated to expose
the falsity of their position and the insin-
certify of their charges against the State
system. The Maryland growers were sat
isfed to put their system of inspection in
competition with the free inspections" of
other States, which the buyers have prais-
ed so highly, only asking that the collu-
sive competition of the corporations and
the buyers in Baltimore city should be in
terdicted. If the enemies of the ate
system had been sincere in their pretend
ed belief that the free inspections" of
Virginia and New York possessed so many
advantages over the Maryland system, then
they would have promptly accepted this
compromise; for they would have seen
that, if the practical result of competition
between these systems in the next few
years should be the diversion OF a large
proportion of the Maryland tobacco to the
markets Of other States, that they would
then he in situation 10 ask the total abo-
lition of the stare system. Blu, they were
not sincere, and, therefore, would not &C
cept the compromise.
The friends of the Maryland State sys-
tenn of inspection maintain that it affords
cheaper, more efficient and fairer inspec-
ton % all par les concerned than any sys-
tenn Of inspections now in operation any
where. Believing this. they are willing
to put it in competition with an-->.i.A-
system. They maintain that this being
the case, such competition, while ii might
Temporarily divert portion Of the Mary
land product to other markets, would not
prove ultimately detrimental to the Mary
land system, or permanently divert any
considerable portion of the Maryland to-
bacco from the B fillmore market. These
facts were also, doubtless. recognized and
believed by the astute agents Of the Ger
man buyers, and hence their action in an
tagonizing the Wilkinson bill, which of
Tered to admit such competition.
The advocates Of the STATE system, be-
ing the intelligent growers of the Mary
land tobacco, are not insensible, however.
of the fact that there has been some cause
for the complaints which have been made
by the German buyers and their agents.
They recognize that false and fraudulent
packing has been sometimes allowed to 90
unexposed through the State warehouses
to the detriment of the buyers and the in
jury Of the growers Of the product 1t is
thought that the routine system of taking
samples from the same exact position in
the cask of tobacco. which seems to be
practiced in the warehouses and has be-
come generally known, serves to encourage
false packing on the part of such growers
as may be dishonest enough to do So
Hence it was desired that some thorough
provisions, more exactly defining the duty
of the inspectors in the manner Of taking
samples, should be incorporated into the
law. Such provisions were Incorporated
into the Wilkinson bill which was defeat
ed by the buyers.
Although no law has been enacted plac
ing greater obligation upon the inspectors
in the manner of sampling, yet. rs the law
now stands, they have an unlimited dis
erection in that regard, which their oaths
of office and the bes' interests of the plant
srs demand that they should vigi emily ex-
ercise for the exposure of all fa'se and
fraudulent packing. 1t is tc he hoped
that the present inspectors will rigid y and
carefully discharge their duty in this re
gard.
MIR. w. H. Young, President OF the E l.
gle and PhnniX Manufacturing cOmDanv