November i, 1888.] THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
34 
When these two loads containing produce worth 
£200 are sold for £-IG, it is almost impossible to 
believe that either sellers or buyers conisdered 
it to be an innocent transaction ; and it is most 
disturbing to find who was deemed hitherto " a 
respectable Mincing Lane Broker " concerned in 
so dubious a piece of business. 
But irrespective of the question of the guilt or 
innocence of those mixed up in this charge, the 
whole affair must have a most important bearing 
on the late fierce competition between Docks and 
Wharves. One lurge London Dock Company had 
its recepits, we hear, reduced to a figure below its 
working expenses. Another large Dock Company 
has been reduced to a divided of J per cent. The 
most wealthy Wharves have no doubt been in 
much the same plight : the poorer ones, of which 
there are so many up and down the Thames, must 
have had great difficulty in paying their way. 
How some of them have managed to pay their way 
at all has been a mystery to many outsiders. 
There are those who think now that much of 
the mystery is explained, when one man after 
another connected with a Wharf can take of the 
imported goods, vanloads and sell them or be parties 
to the Helling of them not on account of the 
importer but on account of the Wharf ! We hold 
clearly that the Wharves have no more right to 
the san. pies and sweepings than the Docks have. 
" Why, the London and St. Katherine Docks 
might make larger ly out of their big wool sweep- 
ings after one of their sales, but instead these 
are sold, and, of course, credited y/<o rata to the 
importers, but to have a Wharf with unlimited 
powers of sampling produce, tho " perquisites 
111 shape of produce of sales is too much to 
truit to any privute conce rn. " (Such are the 
views of our London mercantile friend, and we 
fully concur in them. Hut we consider that the 
whole question and the general practice should 
now be most strictly inquired into. 
♦ 
A COLONIAL BROKER PUBLICLY 
KEBUKED IN MINCING LANE. 
A very significant incident occurred at the 
drysaltery auctions ou Tuesday (Sept. 18th.) Mr. 
Samuel Figgis, bet ore commencing to otter the 
goods catalogued iu the name of MesBrs. Lewis 
.v feat, referred to " certain circumstances 
which had lately trauspired iu connection with one or 
two gentlemen, which, he considered, rendered it incutn- 
li ni upon hiii) to otter some plain observations. When 
person-, assuming the title of 'colonial brokers/ and 
professing themselves capable to accurately value 
articles belonging to their trade, purchased snob, goods 
at figures Very much below the actual value, and 
Djo.der oiroumstances of which they had all heard, tho 
trade owed it to themselves as a duty to take serious 
in. In e oi such proceedings. He referred to a case 
which had r< ceutly becon.o public, and iu connection 
with which the name was mentioned of one or two 
|. rsnns whom In- now saw present in tin- room." Here 
Mr. I' iggii.al ter blandly surveying the audience .general. y, 
I "I* ted a; Brit more or less indefinite ly, but gra- 
dually with much greater precision, to the right-hand 
sell ,,1 the table below him, at which a number of 
gentlemen had taken their seats. Pointedly addressing 
I in. .me in the extreme right-hand corner, Mr. Figgis 
Stated that in hi-, opinion a certain gentleman at that 
tliblu below would do well to leave the room, aud not 
to show himself in future at the auctions again, and 
that moreover, his (.Mr. Figgis's) firm had given the 
individual in quostion n .t co that they would never 
take his bid u^aiu. .v.. no measure of applause punc- 
tuated tlu« close of Mr. Figgis's observations, the 
auctioneer proceeding with his sale u* if nothing had 
happened, and the person upon whom i-n-n i od\ \ look 
was flxud as the subject of the denunciation con- 
tinuing to preserve the air of absent minded indifference 
which ho had maintained throughout the proceedings 
and entirely neglecting Mr. Figgis's advice to leave 
the room. The case which is supposed to have given 
rise to Mr. Figgis's remarks is reported below. 
Skkious Charge against a Whabj Manager. 
At the Thames Police Court, on Saturday 
last (Sept. loth), Henry Kerr, of 31, Kolund 
Gardens, Kensington, described as manager of 
the New Uraue Wharf, surrendered to his bail 
ou the charge of stealing goods belonging to 
Messrs. Hetteubach Brothers, of Fenchurob Street 
Avenue, and other merchants. Mr. Oeoghegan defen- 
ded ; Mr. Thomas Beard, solicitor, watched the case 
for tho owners of the wharf. A large number of 
merchants and brokers were present during the hear- 
ing of the ease. The case had been before Mr. Lush- 
ingtou ou tho Saturday before, f 8th Sept.) and 
on that occasion it transpired that at about 
8-45 on the previous morning Sergeant Francis, 
of the Thames police, iu company with 
Detective Bond, saw two loaded vans leaving the 
New Crane Wharf, Shadwell. The officers fol- 
lowed them to Assembly Passage, Milo End, the 
premises of Mr. George Dix, aud there stopped the 
goods as they were being unloaded. At 3-30 on Friday 
afternoon one of the officers saw the prisoner at 
the wharf and told him that Inspector Head wished 
to see him. He said, "Is it about those sweepings." 
aud received the answer, "It is about the goods 3 ou 
sold to Mr. Dix." Kerr said, "Yes; I sold them on 
behalf ol the firm. I am allowed to sign their uamo. 
1 have not paid the money into the other office. 
Whether the money should be paid into there or 
whether it should remain here is a question." Mr. 
Kerr further stated in answer to the officer that he 
had no permit from Her Mnjesty's Customs to sell 
coffee or coffee-sweepings. Later on the officer, to- 
gether with the prisoner, Mr. Priestly, a representa- 
tive of the firm, aud Inspector Read, wei t to Wapping 
aud looked at the goods, which were then at the police 
station. Mr. Priestly was asked if he considered the gutta- 
percha aud iudiarubber and other articles were sweep- 
ings, aud said that ho would inquire into the matter. 
Tho prisoner said that some tapioca, sago, pepper, and 
ivory-nuts were the remains of samples, aud the 
f,nm he considered sweepings. With respect to tho 
coffee, he said that had dropped down through the 
floor aud had been swept up. lie did not know that 
any of it had gone out of the warehouse. He was 
then told the charge by Inspector Bead, and was 
taken luto custody. Mr. Ludwig Hetteubach, mer- 
chant, of -I, Feuchurch Avenue, said he had goons 
stored at the New Crane Wharf. On Saturday he was 
shown some iudiarubber and gutta-percha goods at 
Wapping Police Station, which he identified. 
Ho did not consider them sweepings. Inspector 
Bead said he saw the prisoner at the City office 
and told him he had detained two van-loads of 
colonial produce, which had been carted from the 
wharf and sold to Mr. Dix by him (prisoner) 
in the name ot Cousins. Prisoner .-aid, •• I so.d them 
by the firm's authority." Mr. Priestly said, "It's 
quite right. I have given him authority to sell the 
hweepiugs." They afterwards went to Wapping and 
saw the goods. Witness said, " Do you call these 
sweepings'." Mr. Priestly looked at the prisoner and 
said, "flow did this happen Y" The accused made 110 
reply. Witness said, " Have you advised the nier- 
1 h. mis to whom those goods belong that you were 
about to sell them Y" Mr. Pricaliy replied, '' No ; 
wo always Bull the sweepings." Witness said lie did 
not consider they wure m e- pings, and slum d charge 
the prisoner with being concerned in stealing them. 
When the charge was read over to him he replied, 
'» Am I charged individually Y I gold them on Oetiall 
of the firm. ' The value of the two loads wtut over 'Mill, 
and they were sold to Mr. Uix for 10/. lie bad not 
had time to uommuuicule w .. .no other. merchants 
interested iu the goods. On the case being lurih. r 
inquired into but Saturday Mr. l.. Hetteubaob, reoallml, 
--ud since thu last hearing he had beuu to the Wapp- 
ing Police Station and cxamiuud tho gtllU-pcrcha 
