THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



115 



chants, "goes the whole hog," and stands by 

 them in all things. He even finds a reason to 

 be addressed to farmers for the practice of re- 

 quiring wheat to be delivered at the mills in- 

 stead of receiving it at the vessels, as is done 

 every where else. The weighers and measu- 

 rers appointed by the State, and who, of course, 

 are disinterested between the parties, are rejec- 

 ted, indeed, are ignored, when called in by the 

 sellers, and they make it a sine qua non that 

 the wheat should be received at their own mills, 

 though taken from the vessels in their own 

 carts, and out of the custody of the captains, 

 yet still at the- risque of the captain, weighed 

 in their own scales, and by their own agents. 

 If this be not a one-sided transaction in all its 

 aspects, I am at a loss to conceive one that is. 

 My friend has estimated the loss, basing his 

 calculation upon the average loss of three- 

 fourths of one per cent, furnished by myself 

 and derived from a most reliable source, and 

 Ifinds that the farmers lose about $20,000 by 

 the process. He seems to think this loss can 

 be better borne by the farmers than the millers, 

 for that "which to ten thousand farmers would 

 be less than i,wo dollars, would be to six mil- 

 lers upwards of three thousand each." If it ( 

 be proper that I he thefts and the waste in the 

 carts of the millers between the wharves and 

 the mills should be the loss of the formers, it 

 is not perceptible why the rottage and all the 

 other losses in the granaries of toe millers 

 should not also be charged to the farmers. It 

 amounts to an insurance in transitu. Why 

 should not the insurance be continued on the 

 granaries also? Ten thousand farmers could 

 better bear the loss of a fire or a theft than half 

 a dozen millers. 



But it is urged that it is more convenient to 

 "have one common place of delivery within 

 their own precincts, and subject to their own 

 inspection." Doubtless it is" to the millers. — 

 But how is it to the sellers and the captains of 

 the vessels, their agents, who are accustomed 

 to deliver their cargoes on their own decks, un- 

 der "their own inspection ?" The weighers and 

 measurers appointed, by the State, are ready 

 there with " scales" and all other appurtenan- 

 ces to do their duty, being legal umpires be- 

 tween the parties. As to the cost, it is a new 

 •bagatelle, approximating a homeopathic quan- 

 tity. And then the $20,000 would be saved to 

 which reference has been made. But it is not 

 principally as a question of loss as one of 

 power that I urge this point. This practice, 

 together with all the arrangements in the Rich- 

 mond market, show that the game is in the 

 hands of the millers and they play it to suit 

 their own interest and their own convenience. 

 The farmers have yielded because they could 

 not help themselves. It is perfectly obvious 

 that they never gave a willing assent to so one- 

 sided and anomalous a proceeding. 



5. Since the date of my last communication, 

 I have discovered that there is a most respecta- 



ble and responsible house in this city that sells 

 grain for one cent per bushel. I was not aware 

 of it, and I deem it my duty here to do the 

 gentlemen engaged in it justice. It makes 

 against my projet for one of the reasons insist- 

 ed on for the appointment or recommendation 

 of an agent by the Executive Committee, was 

 the extravagant exaction of two and a half per 

 cent, by the commission merchants. This fact 

 would relieve me from the necessity of saying 

 any thing further in reference to them, were it 

 not due to myself and those positions hereto- 

 fore assumed, that I should make a very con- 

 cise reply to some of the arguments of my 

 worthy and respected critic. The defence made 

 for them is that they render other services be- 

 sides selling grain for the two and a half per 

 cent; that they sometimes make advances of 

 money, buy guano and other necessaries for 

 their employers without charge, except the le- 

 gal interest. If it be true that such is the 

 usage, it is an admission that two and a half 

 per cent, is too much for selling grain. Be- 

 sides, is it just, under these circumstances, to 

 charge those who need no such services with, 

 the same commission? There should be an 

 abatement in proportion to the value of these 

 services, which, upon this hypothesis are due. 

 But I am informed upon the best authority, that 

 when advances of money are made upon car- 

 goes of grain, the commission merchants always 

 consider themselves entitled, according to mer- 

 cantile usage, to a guaranty of two and a naif 

 per cent, in addition to the two and a half per 

 cent, commission, and six per cent, interest, 

 unless there is some contract to the contrary. 

 The result is, that a farmer who sends his wheat 

 to one of these houses to be sold and draws on 

 it for any part of the proceeds before they are 

 due, may expect to pay two and a half per cent, 

 commission, two and a half per cent, guaranty, 

 and six per ct. interest — in all, eleven p r cent. 

 There are few countrymen who would notcon- 

 sider such advances a little too dear to be. in- 

 dulged in often. As to the other services to 

 which reference is made in the Southern Plan- 

 ter, I can say from experience, having had com- 

 mission merchants in Baltimore who charge^ 

 only one cent per bushel, and those in Rich- 

 mond who charged two and a half percent, that 

 I never perceived any difference. That in the 

 one case I obtained the same services for the 

 one that I did in the other for the two and a 

 half. In both cases they were friendly and 

 obliging, and ever ready to do a kindness. — 

 Both these houses have my best wishes for their 

 prosperity. 



6. The remedy proposed for the abuse in the 

 grain market, was the appointment of a commer- 

 cial agent by the Executive Committeemen whom 

 the landed proprietors might concentrate, and 

 through him obtain, that strength which they 

 could never have when acting separately. Com- 

 bination is strength: division is weakness;. We 

 might then oppose concert on our side to con- 



