Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser., 1889-02-15
t)ortG oboccoGlmes
PORT TOBACCO 90:
Friday Morning February 18th, 1889.
The Governor and the Warehouses.

Gov. Jackson, with that practical
turn of mind which results from life
spent in successful business pursuits,
shows a disposition to make person
al investigation of the operation and
conduct of the State Tobacco Ware
houses. Realizing that it is valua-
BILE property, acquired by the State in
trust for particular purpose, the
Governor is not willing to see it en-.
numbered with debt and gradually
swept away by bad management and
extravaganza on the part of those who
from time to time have the direction
Of it.
On last Monday the Governor paid
a visit to all the warehouses, gave
them careful inspection and inquir-
ed carefully and critically into their
practical operation, the number of
employees carried on the pay rolls, the
duties performed by each, the authori-
ty for their employment and other
matters. The Inspectors had several
days notice Of the Governors coming.
and, as consequence, they had their
respective corps somewhat on dress
parade. Still this excellency found a
good deal to condemn in the maaage-
ment of some of the warehouses and
admonished some of the Inspectors
that they must turn over new leaf.
We are glad to state, however, that the
Governor was so highly pleased with
the state of affairs at No. 4, the Charles
county warehouse, that he paid In
spector Mudd very high compliment
which we feel sure was we'll deserved.
The Governor says that the prac-
tice of appointing supernumerary
employees to act as drummers of trade
to the particular warehouse BY which
they are employed, is the bane of The
system. He thinks that it should be
broken up at all events. His atten-
ton having been called to the fact
that the remedy Of this evil lies in
the making of the receipts of the sew
eral warehouses common fund, thus
breaking down all competition be-
tween them, he thoroughly approves
of it and will in his next message
recommend such feature in the law.
The Governors idea is to have but
one Inspector and have him in charge
of the whole system, with deputy
in each house, and only such laborers
and clerks as are necessary to con-
duct the business; and these su bject
to be transferred Ia one house to
the other as the Ins 1er may direct,
The Governor says the inspection
system must be made entirely self
sustaining, otherwise he will recon-
mend a sale of the warehouses His
attention was called to the possibili-
ties of the wharf property and the
revenues which could be realized from
them if properly managed. 1t is said
by gentlemen familiar with the facts
that wharf property in Baltimore sim
liar in all essential particulars to that
appurtenant to the State warehouses,
it now leased by the private owners
to a New York steamship company
for $4,000 year; while the State
under present management realizes
only about $1,000 a year from the
valuable wharf property appurtenant
to the warehouses. The Governor
promised to give this matter a careful
consideration and seemed surprised at
the manner in which this portion OF
the property had been managed.
IF $4,000 a year could be realized
from this wharf property, (and there
is no reason at all why such should
not be the case,) and placed to the
credit of the tobacco fund, the ware
houses would soon be out out of debt
and the complaint of their being a
charge upon the State would be heard
no more, 1t is probable that the pres
ent investigation of the warehouse
system to which the Governor is de.
voting his practical mind will bear
good fruit.