The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-03-29
MR. FARES BIG CLAIM.
Says he Lost Thousands by the False
Gaugin6 Of TuTpeRtile.


Night and Referred to the Finance
Committee - Claims Also Made
Against the Inspectors-The Claims
Amount to About SIS, ooo-Factors
Say There Is No False Gauging-The
Inspectors Do Their Work According
to Trade Rules.
There has been complaint for some time
about the gauging Of turpentine barrels
at this port, and many attempts have
been made from time to time TO satisfac-
torily adjust the differences between the
buyers and the factors.
The complaints have at last led 10
/ claim being make against the city by Mr.
/ Jas. Earle, who says the foreign firms
/ which he represents have lost within the
! last season from SO, 900 to s15, 900 on ac-
/ count of improper gauging Of, turpentine
/ barrels. These claims have been lodged
againt the city and against the inspec-
tors individually, who are city officers
/ bonded to the city government.
THE NOTICE READ BEFORE COUNCIL.
The matter was placed 10 the hands of
! Mr.. w. r. Leaken, who sent the follow
| ing notice of the claims to the city
council. The letter was read before
council last night:
Savannah, Ca. March II, 1s04.-To the
/ Mayor and Aldermen OF the city OF Savannah:
| Dear Sirs-I beg TO hand herewith state
4 melt of claims arising out Of losses sustained
/ by Mr.. James Farie, Jr, of this CITY. from in
/ correct performance or On-perfOrm-
| auce of the duties of the sworn in
/ spectorS Of spirits OF turpentne in
! the city Of Savannah. These inspectors
! were duly elected by council and sworn be-
/ fore the mayor for the faithful performance
/ OF thelr duties and gave bond and security
respectively il the sum of - 600 Their
/ duties are set out at large in the ordinances
/ OF the city Of Savannah and their certificates
/ are required to be obtained before any tur-
/ pentine can be shipped from this port. Ac-
/ cording to the certificates OF these inspectors,
/ the turpentine mentioned in the enclosed
! claims was bought and sold by Mr.. Earle.
/ When this turpentine was re-gauged by the
! purchasers thereof from Mr.. Earle, accord
! ing to the proper authorities in London, Eng
! land. and under their official certificates il
| was ascertained that there was an improper
/ gauging Of the quantity OF turpentine per bar
! rel by the inspectors of this city, amounting
/ to a adherence OF per cent, on the quantity of
each barrel Had this difference appeared ir-
| regularly, or only to limited amount, the
question Of the cause of the discre panCy could
! easily have been attributed to mere accident,
! but 1t Will be observed from the amounts
/ shown in the statements enclosed that there
! has been serious error committed. AS to
/ how and why this serious difference in gaug-
! ing should have arisen we, OF course, can not
account. We look however, to the city of
/ Savannah and to the aforesaid officers
! thereof, for an adjustment Of what we con
| slider TO lie Just and equitable claim. The
| claim Is made out jointly against the city and
/ each inspector who Is interested. The
! city elects these officers and bonds
! them for their duties. The ordi-
/ nances OF the city prescribe their duties, and
! it is claimed that the liability of the city. and
/ OF these inspectors, arises from their failure
| to perform the ministerial duties imposed
D them DV the CltV of Savannah We de-
| sire also TO add that the certificates now be-
/ ing issued by the inspectors Of turpentine of
/ the city Of Savannah show improper gauging
/ on large portion OF the turpentiue so certi-
/ ned to- and as soon as these other claims can
| be made up, they will be added to those en-
/ closed respectfully ask the attention of
! the proper authorities to these claims, and
/ the favor Of an early reply as to what course
! the city desires to pursue, Yours respect
! fully, W. r. LEAKEN.
AS will be seen from the council report,
! Mayor McDonough was of the opinion
/ that the inspectors were amenable to the
/ state laws, and action would properly
/ come against them in the state courts.
/ The letter was referred to the finance
/ committee, together with the statement
| OF the claims which accompanied it,
amounting to between $4,000 and SIS, 900.
THE GAUGERs NOTIFIED OF THE CLAIMS.
Notices were sent to the different
gaugers, among whom are Messrs. Il. f.
Register, Nat Harrison, j. F. Bliss r.
/ b. Jewett and A. A McEachern, stating
| that claims were made against them for
the loss on those lots of turpentine which
had been gagged by them. The claim
| against Mr. r. B. Jewett was for 81, 1861. 30,
and the others were for similar amounts,
some larger and some smaller.
The reason the claims are made against
the inspectors is because they are bonded
officers and are liable for faults or mis-
/ tqlype mazda Tho claim ic al leo 10
against the city because the inspectors
are city officers, each being bonded in the
sum of $1,000.
The claims are based on the liability
Of the city and the inspectors and
their failure to perform their duties.
The trouble can be readily under
stood when it it is known that the tur-
peutine packages are sold on the sworn
certificates of gauging made out by the
inspectors who DC the work. Other pro-
ducts are sold in the same manner. 1t is
claimed that the barrels which are re-
ferred to in the claim of Mr. Earle, held
about 2 per cent less turpentine that the
gauge aud sworn certificate showed.
TO SUE THE BARREL MAKERS.
1t is said the trouble is with the barrels
and not with the Inspectors. The board
of trade, it is said has taken action in
this matter, and will compel the barrel
makers to manufacture package which
will not gauge more than it will hold In
addition to the claims made against the
city il is expected that action will be
taken against the barrel manufacturers
for conspiracy or com animation to furnish
improper packages.
If the city fails to come to any satisfac-
tory terms in regard to the claim, Mr..
Earle may proceed against it in the state
courts The action for conspiracy against
the barrel makers would of course be
brought if brought at all, in the United
States court.
WHAT A FACTOR SAYS.
One Of the factors was seen about the
matter yesterday. He said there was no
truth in the statement that there had
been any false gauging. The barrels
are gagged by rod" he said, ''the
measurement being taken from the
bung hole to each end and
mean between the two gaug-
ings being taken as the measure
ment of the contents of the barrel The
rod is made to measured standard barrel,
and barrel may be so constructed as to
gauge the same length from the bung-hole
to the end inside, though the slaves may
be so bent as TO make it hold less than the
standard package made to be gagged by
the rod used
1t is impossible to make the package so
that it will always gauge exactly the