The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-02-18
TOBACCO DEPARTM ENT.


Tobacco dated February lst, and pub
lisbed in London, England, as follows.
GOVERNMENT PURCHASES FOR THE
NAVY
Mr.. Walter Bird referred 10 this matter,
which he had brought before the section
ut their last meeting. He said a reply
had been received by the secretary from
the directors of navy contracts TO the
effect that Mr. Bird had correctly con-
strued the circular.lctter asking for ten
ders. II was as much as TO say they
could not read the English Of that circu-
lar letter He had submitted il 10 his
friends, both private and in the trade,
and they al agreed ihat the samples must
represent tobacco lying I'm a dock in the
United Kingdom. lie now c0ntended,
further, that the stipulatiOns mentioned
+ in the circular letter couldn't be adhered
\ TO by tobacco lying out Of the country
The letter required an import mark,
/ and there was no import mark used in
/ Antwerp, from whence the accepted to-
baccO came. 10 was very doubtful If the
F agents AZ foreign houses would be able
SO allow lheir tobacco 20 remain on Oiler
for three DAYS Moreover, what hold
I n
over them if thoy refused 20 deliver He
said that public department was bound
10 adhere 60 It's stipulati0ns, and TO 60
outside them was 10 open the
door 10 favoritism and unfair
dealing He believed it to be a fact that
the foreign samples were referred 10
+ headquarters TO ask whether tLey might
/ be examined This clearly showed a
doubt existed in the mind Of the inspec.
tor as 90 whether he was at liberty
20 look 40 the samples. There
was no doubt the director had been
tempted by inducements from Antwerp,
and had thus taken the tobacco lying
there instead Of theirs While on this
subject, be said be should like TO remark
that the mode OF buying tobacco by the
Director of Navy Contracts was exceed
mgly faulty The Director never saw
The tobacco. yet 10 was purchased by him
simply on the report of the inspector.
Suitable tobacco was passed, which was
priced from Sd. 10 3d.. but how was he
TO know that the tobacco marked Sd
was not relatively cheaper than that at
lower price:
The Chaiman Do YOU say the Di-
rector does not see the samples
Mr. Bird replied that the director did
not sec them He mentioned further
that the inspectors selected now far
inferior article than they did in former
days MI Irving. the Inspector, had re-
Gently been accompanied by q gentle
man who was being Initiated in tie
secrets of purchasing tobacco. lie
believed Mr.. Irving would shortly
retire. and then this gentleman
would take his place He believed this
would afford one OF the quickest ac-
qurements of knowledge the tobacco
trade had ever known. Laughter
The tobacco purchased at 3d. was subso.
Quently retailed out TO The sailor 40 Is
pound lie believed be had shown there
was great room for Improvement in this
system of buying. He was asked why
DEE interested himself so much in so
small @ matter, but he thought that it
was only right 20 take q thorough inter
est in the smallest operations. He con-
cluded by moving the following resOlu-
ton
That 30 the opinion Of The Tobacco
Trade the circular letter issued by the
admiralty inviting tenders for tobacco,
makes il incumbent that the tobacco
10 be rendered should az the
time Of examination Of samples,
be I'm the docks OF the United
Kingdom, and, as the form Of
invitation 10 tender has misled the i'm
porters 10 is desirable that the Director
of Navy Contracts should be requested
20 make the circulaT-letter more explicit
for the future
DR. Hal Nlessrs. y. c. Miller Is Co.
seconded the resolution.
Tie chairman said that from what had
fallen from Nj Bird be thought 81 was
quite clear that ineligible English was
not exactly the forte of the Director Of
Navy Contracts or his clerks. he had
been informed himself that Mf. Callett
did not see the tobacco that was deliver.
ed in bulk and bee was under the impress
sion that Mr. Irving, the inspector,
did not see it. The bulk
was received by different
department. lie understood that
member of Parliament, who was anX-
ious to see how things were managed,
went down 10 the government depot
lie asked who was responsible for the
tobacco, and he was told Colonel -- or
Captain --.
In the frequent absence Of the Colonel
the Captain was responsible He In.
Quired if the Captain was always there
and be was told he was not Il ultimate
lv turned out that the acceptance or the
rejection of tobacco was frequently left
In the hands OF sub-fOreman, whose
wages might be 40s week.
He thought il was very unfair
that goods should be received In this
way AS q matter of business they
should be selected by the officer who
was responsible for the bulk. II was
this system which was at the bottom OF
tho cost.iness and mismanagement of
government depOts lie was glad Mt.
Bird had brought his resolution forward,
and he hoped il would be passed unani'
mousiv
MI. Jones said he understood that
tobacco was returned TO the merchant II F.
unsatisfactory, and, as a matter OF iact
This course had been taken.
The resolution was then put and car 4
RED UNANIMOUSLY.
10 was agreed that a copy OF the reso- /
luton should be sent boy the secretary 10 .
the Director of Navy Contracts
We are glad 60 see that the abuses re- .
ferred 20 above will DO remedied, both .
OH account of the English sailor who has +
been made to pay a shilling pound for 7
what his government lost, and that nc /
Will now GET better tobacco for his shil- .
ling, and because our farmers will be en- f.
couraged to make good tobacco, there .
being less and less demand for the mean
stun which they have been induced to
raise by finding consumers for il abroad .
TO Limited extent, the excess piling up IN
our warehouses as stock. {. Mel.
south Boston.
SOUrH Bosl0S, Va, February 10
Since my last report the weather has
been cold and dry, but the offerings have
been fair with some improvement in
quality, there being less frosted offered