The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1909-01-20
Many Protests Against
The Taliaferro Bill.

naval SCoTSS inspection Dill has been
aroused throughout the states espe-
cially interested. There was a meet
ing of ninety per cent. of the Missis-
sippi operators at Gulfport Sunday
and a strong protest was made against
the measure. At Wilmington, North
Carolina, the Chamber of Commerce
on January 14th passed the following
resolutions defining the dangers
threatened by the bill:
First. That it will seriously inter
fere with states rights inasmuch as it
would annuI the states inspection laws
under which naval stores have been
handled for so many years, and found
to be satisfactory.
Second That il will seriously in
terfere with interstate shipments of
naval stores by distiIIers at interior
points, and put additional, and I'M
necessary expense on their products.
Third. That we do not believe
competent inspectors of sufficient
number can be had to properly han
die the business
Fourth. That it would cause ship
ments to be delayed, and cause pro-
ducers and dealers in naval stores to
sustain large losses on their goods.
Fifth. That if the bill should be-
come law, it would open up a large
field of political jobs to be given out
to an army of incompetent men, both
white and black, and to the serious
detriment of legitimate commerce.
Sixth. That we believe so far as
aduIteratien is concerned, it is fully
taken care of under the "Pure Food
and Drug Act-''
Seventh. That the bill is both So
ciaIistie and utterly impracticable.
There is no doubt that the interfer-
ence of federal inspectors would Sc
riously delay and hamper the opera
lions of the naval stores business and
work a general injury. In the first
place it would be next to impossible
to secure a sufficient number of ex-
perts to fill the places; in the second
place the salaries of the inspectors if
enough could be appointed to cover
the wide territory devoted to naval
stores production would be an enor-
nous burden upon the people; third,
the states already have competent in
spectors who are fully capable of
properly classifying the products and
safeguarding the interests of both
shippers and consignees.
The Journal is particularly struck
with the force of the first resolution
of the Wilmington Chamber OF Com
meTce. The law would unquestion-
ably interfere with states rights. 1T
would aunul the states inspection
laws" If not. there would be a con-
slant clash between federal and state
inspectors which would operate as 4
terrible disadvantage and cost the
producers and dealers a great deal of
money through delaying the move
ment of the products to meet ext
gencies which might arise
We hardly think that so good a
democrat as Senator Taliaferro look
ed at this side of the question or he
woul6 not have introduced the bill.
From both a political and economic
standpoint the measure is wrong We
have noted how it would work to the
disadvantage of the trade; and We
would add that its adoption would
pave the way for the passage of many
measures OF the same character which
would necessitate the employment OF
a great army of federal inspectors in
every state, cost an untold sum OF
money and precipitate serious dis
putes and i'll feelings between the
state and national authorities.
For if turpentine and rOsin require
federal inspection, why not hides, why
not vegetables, why not fruits, why
not the products of cotton mills, why
not the output of coal mines, why not
all the thousands of products and
! manufactures which are the objects OF
interstate commerce? The measure
is altogether obnoxious on genera
principles and is especially objection
able as it clearly caters to the trade
interests of certain ports at the ex-
pense of others. 1t should be killed
in committee. The states should be