The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1827-01-03
WOOLLEw .My4yvtyF.gcyrBE

WOOLLEsN .HEO4yNCIF.4CYURE.
We this day publish the third ppmber IF
FuOR~s, on The subject OF pro- ec,ive d,iiies.
and teel constrained to say. thai, so far from
convincing us, he has failed to yyealsar ou-
former impressions. His theory is speclous.
and under particular state of things would
be correct. But all questions of political e.
economy are necessarily, so much influenced
and controlled by circumstances. that anv
reasoning on the subject, without taking The
facts into consideration, as they exist IN the
particular case, however plausible it may an
pear is liable to be exceedingly erroneous.
The arguments of Publius have often been
urged, and, we believe, as often refued.
Iii argued that ifany branch of manufacture
needs protection from Government il necessa-
rny follows that IT cannot be pursued by the
manufacturer, without an advance of the
price, on the cost of Importation, which must
operate as a tax on the Consumer The ,r;
c'pie may be correct in such branches of bus
mess as do not require the employment Of
much capital, or when the investment or !.
can be readily shifted without loss. Butt j.,
not true where the reverse is the CASE. az viii,
'he wooilen manufacture. Capitalists. so
long as they can get 6 per cent interest for
their money, will not invest it in manufactures
Tor precdriOuS prospect of even much larecr
gains. To induce them TO enoape in i u.ou
must be assured not only that it is, al present..
profitable, but that it will continue perDlansnjJv
so. They must be satisfied that combination
of foreign capitalists shall not have the power
OF crushing them, and rendering their property
of no value.
That woollen goods can be manufactured
here, as cheap or cheaper than they can ordi
narily be imported, is evident from the fact
that the business was successfully commenced,
without protective duty, and that taa Kinds
OF goods which have been most extensively
manufactured have been afforded at compara-
! lively the lowest prices. 1t may be asked.
then, why the business should require protec-
ton, unless it be to advance the price of goods
beyond the cost of Importation This we
will endeavour to answer.
! As the quantity of woollen goods, manufac.
tured by the British, has not been diminished,
the great increase of the business in this ccun-
try has necessarily overstoCked the market,
and thus reduced the price below the cost of
production, both there and here. II is fact,
OF universal notorety, that the manufacturers
| in England are suffering more from the de-
preston than they are liz this county,
The necessary effect of this state Of things is,
that a portion must withdraw from the bust
ness, till the production does not exceed the
consumption, when fair prices will again be
obtained. Those who can afford TO work lon.
gest at loss, will sustain themselves, and
| look for a Eemun ration in the advanced pric-
| es which will be obtained when their compel.
| itors are driven from tie market. Those who
know what immense capitals the British have
invested in the business, cannot be doubtful
of the result. They will maintain themselves,
| and our manufacturers will be crushed, unless
protected by Government, in the unequal con-
test.
-1S ~ 81
Stockbrdge, at which was read the report of
an Engineer who has made the survey of a
route for rail road from Springfield to Alba
ny. The report is highly favorable. lie pro-
poses succession of levels rising one above
another, and that the loads should be elevated
from one level TO another by the application
of water power, which is said to be very "a
bundant on the route. Should rail road be
constructed from Hudson river to Boston, he
estimates that the whole expense of transport
tation would be but one dollar per ton exclu-
sive of tolls, and that the amount OF transport
tation would be SO great that the tolls need
not exceed one cent per ton mile. The ex-
pense of transporting flour to Boston it is
h.