The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1900-03-30
The Tobacco Warehouses.
OFFICEoF LOCUST POINT INSPECTION,
oil South Charles St,

OFFICE OF LOCUST POINT INSPECTION,
eli South Charles St,
BALTIMORE, March oath, 1900.
Mr.. EDIToR:-We have read the editor
ial in your paper of March 23rd, and take
the liberty of asking you to publish few
lines from us in relation to that part OF 1t
which refers to our establishment
The apparent purpose Of your editorial
is to arrest the flow of Maryland Tobacco
which is attracted to our Wareho uses by
inducements which the owners recognize
as favorable to their business interests,
and we see nothing therein to indicate
any ground for your objection to a con-
tinuance of this movement except APP
prehension that the withdrawal of the
business from the State Warehouses will
result in giving us a monopoly which will
cause tobacco growers to repent the folly
which has brought about such a condition
and which will lose the valuable prlvl-
lege of Indefinite free storage, and surely
result in irreparable injury to our greatest
industry-the cultivation of tobacco
That you and your readers may be set
right in this regard, we ask you to repeat
to them our proposition to enter into an
agreement in the form of legal contract,
drawn by any lawyer satisfactory to the
tobacco interest, that our charges upon
MARYLAND Tobacco shall not be in excess
of those now prescribed by the State law,
including free storage and delivery of
the tobacco to our warehouses from any
point of arrival in Baltimore, with sub
stantial guarantee that this agreement
shall continue for a period of not less
than twenty years If the responsibility
of our firm and its guarantors is not SUI
ficient, then we will add the endorse
ment of some responsible bonding Com
pany. We are further willing to join in
a petition to the Maryland Legislature to
pass law fixing fine or Imprisonment
tor both if you please for demanding or
receiving any excess above these charges
Now having every confidence in your
sincerity, as well as that of those who
may share your misgivings, we meet
them with equal frankness, not for the
purpose of bandying words and news
paper controversy, but with plain
business proposition, binding ourselves
as operators of the Locust Point Tobacco
Warehouses, and our successors and
assigns in the business, by a bona fide
guarantee as stated, which we stand
ready to execute at any time. 1t is rea-
sonable, therefore, to ask your people to
continue sending their tobacco to US un-
til they shall find that some of them who
have come on to Baltimore for the pur-
pose of testing the commences of our
proposed guarantee, shall have discover
ed plausible ground for doubling our
good faith, or our ability to carry it
out
By way of further assurance as to the
undertaking, it is simple truth to say
that our experience of over thirty years
has demonstrated that the present rates
are remunerative, and it would be foolish
to incur the displeasure of our patrons by
needless extortion which would I'M
doubtly create competition and hurt our
business, which is essentially CONNER
cial enterprise; and having been so con-
Quoted and controlled by US for the past
twenty-five years, it is not likely that even
corporate greed could influence an inter-
ference which would Cypress the planter,
when the natural result of such course
would be to invite competition that
would break up the business.
1t is manifestly not our mission to de-
stroy the tobacco planter, when it is log
ically to our interest to co operate with
him and build him up, since his adversely
would deprive us of his patronage, while
his prosperity would increase our business.
In this connection we say distinctly that
it is our province and business advantage,
just as much as it is that of any commits
sion merchant in Baltimore, to protect
the tobacco planter and promote his in
terest.
As to the State Warehouses and their
operation on business principles, past,
present and future, we have nothing to
say. Our relations with those in charge
of them have always been pleasant, and
probably nine out of every ten of our EN-,
ployees have been employed there.
We trust you and our friends will be
satisfied with the foregoing statement OF
our position, which we submit in the
friendly spirit manifested in your edito-
rial, and that we may be given an oppor'
tunity of meeting any other objections
you may have.
Very truly yours,
RICHARDS, LEFTwICH & Co.