The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1827-01-31

less acquainted with the prices of wool
than of cotton, and shall not, therefore,
pretend to quote with the same conf
dence. Saxony wool has been sold in
the Boston market at So: so per pound
the same quality, presume, could not
now be sold al 81: so. have, bowev-
err, known but one parcel Of about
9 900 pounds sold at SO high price,
and do not mean 10 say that This furnish
es data from which to form a correct
judgment on the subject. 1t may prob
ably be fair TO say that the price of
wool has declined more than 30 per
cent. and that merino, of quality
which. several years since, was sold at
from 8 80 TO 81: so per pound, can
not now be sold at more than go cents.
If this be true, what more satisfactory
reason can be assigned for The reduction
in the price of cloth /? improvements
in machinery and the application of wa
ter power TO weaving have, probably,
contributed more TO reduce the prices
of woollen than of cotton cloths. New
inventions in machinery, and new appli
cations of power, are advantages of
which manufacturers. in all countries,
may avail themselves. If we would
Judge fairly Of the wisdom of policy,
we shall not attribute 10 ii consequences
which do not belong TO it.
But whatever may have been the
causes of the reduction in the prices Of
wOollen manufactures, we know that
we can now purchase cloths of the for
eign manufacturer much cheaper than
we can of our own, or than they can be
afforded by our owO manufacturer. We
have the fact, in the memorials which
have recently been presented TO Con-
gress, and from the arguments of the
advocates of an increase OF duties, that
wool costs the English manufacturer
from so to so per cent. less than il does
; the American manufacturer--that labor
: there is proportionably low, and that
they have the advantage of more capt.
tal. Ii is then case too plain to admit
OF argument or question, that, uUdeT
: such circumstances, we can now buy
cloth of the English manufacturer SC
much lower than il can be afforded by
our town. 1t is no answer 10 this to
say, if the Government will take off the
duty on wool, we will sell the cloth at a
lower price, for, in that case, we lose
the revenue, which is so much loss te
?. the country.
If we assume that the aggregate cos
) OF woollens, annually consumed 10 the
!. United States, is twenty millions of dol
lars; the difference between the cos
here and in England must be more than
six millions of dollars, which NAV be-
saved to the whole country by importa-
ton, unless there be some advantage
connected with or consequent upon the
Ssson'1fsot~r~~- Of tho-orsioIo- H. e.
; counterbalance this saving. What are
the advantages? 1t is said the manu-
facture gives employment to our owr
capital and our own labor. So woulc
any other business, however unsuiteC
10 our actual circumstances so would
filling up our canals and navigable riv.
ers furnish employment. The true
question is, not whether the mauufac.
; lure furnishes employment. but wheth.
er labor add capital are proftabtv EN-
ployed? The Berkshire memorial com.
mences by stating that the occupation.
of our citizens have been changed
4" BY the law revising the Tariff CAPT.
tai and labor have been directed from
their natural into new channels & cks
have been substituted for herds, and can
ital which, heretofore, had been other.
! wise employed, has been invested in
manufacturing establishments. Thi:
then is forced and artificial state o.
things: it is such state of things a,
; would not have existed but for extraor.
binary or extraneous inducemenf, the
imposition of high duties. WHAT'S the
result? The result, the practical ef
feet is, that labor, thus applied. is no
duly rewarded, and capital, thus employ.
ed, yields no profit. But this labor.
when employed in IFS accustomed cha q
nels, received an adequate compensa.
ton, aud this same capital which, pre-
vlous to its investment in manufactures
yielded fair interest, now yields no in
terest, notwithstanding it has an advan.
tage, IN competition with the import
er, OF charges amounting 10 more than
70 per cent. When say 10 per cent.
do not mean to be understood that he
has this advantage when he imports the
wool, but when he buys il Of our own
wool grower, and, consequently, has no
charges of importation 10 pay. Can an
employment of capital and labor, which
is thus Profiiless TO individuals, be that
employment which is most conducive 10
the prosperity Of g our whole country %
There are. some other advantages as
cribed to the establishment Of wooilep
manu- factories in the United States.