The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1828-04-23

progress, we shall find the causes which pro
duce this decline in price.
The policy of this Government has been no
I to create manufacturers but TO sustain .hem
When petitioner comes here for aid, you ash
him if His business has taken firm and strong
root is the business extensive enough to sup
( ply the demand, without increasing the price o.
/ the article materially And you demand proc
of his skill and ability to pursue the business
extensively before you are willing to take il
under your protection. believe hazard moth.
/ ing in saying that most branches of manufactur-
ing in this country have been commenced and
! prosecuted to considerable extent, unaided by
! any special legislative interference. 1t seems
paradoxlca, that branch of industry, requiring
mechanical skill and capital, should, in the
hands OF inexperienced men, establish itself, end
rise, by its own vigor, into sufficient magnitude
and Importance to attract the notice of the ma
ton, and then be unable to sustain itself Yet,
such has been the career Of many of the manu-
! faeturers and when they seemed to have ar
| rived at point where they might grapple with
opposition, they have fallen into embarrass-
meats This requires some explanation, and /
will attempt to give it. The English had pos
session of our markets almost exclusively until
We commenced producing ourselves. and, con-
siderng them as their own, furnished supplies
to the extent OF the demands In this state of
things our manufacturers have began opera
tions and gone on very well by realizing the
same price as the English, until they produced
extensively enough to be felt in the market,
and then decline in price has ensued. The
obvious reason of this is, that foreign goods
were supplied without reference to American
productions, and the market, in this way has
been overstocked and decline in price has fol-
lowed. As manufacturing has increased, this
difficulty has increased, until the aid Of this
Government has been sought to save those con-
cerned from ruin.
In proof of the correctness of this view of the
subject, believe | may hazard the statement,
without fear of contradiction, that every article
of merchandise. manufactured to any consider
able extent in this country, is sold much lower
than when the business was commenced. In
addition to this statement respecting woollens,
! have been furnished with the following state
ment, by merchants, which shows the former
and present state of the market in several of the
more important articles, to which long list
may be addsd-but it is unnecessary.
Former prices Present Prices
of Foreign Of .4msris an
Goods. Goods, Of as
Ind. sheetings 50 l6 to soa5 So o. o. 10 50 70
g shirtings o % to G42 012 to Ola
Brit. shrtings IS to 81 @ 10 to 022
g, sheetings SO to ~ 0 l6 to OBS
Bed tickings 50 to 60 O % to 0 40
Nails 014to JIG 0065 to 007
Window Glass IS per 100 feet. 5per l00feet
This list might be extended to much great
er length, presenting as strong an aspect in ia
vor OF the manufacturer, as the articles here
enumerated, but fear l shall fatigue the pa
tience of the committee, and will, therefore,
omit it. If the English keep theT supplies for
our market up without diminution, while we
produce largely ourselves, there will, of neces-
sity, be an oveFstock, and decline III the mar
ket viii follow more than commensurate with
the redundant supply.
In proof that such is the fact, find that, in
lS2i, we imported, of cotton goods, 7.54 $50,
and In 1897 80, 405,077, although, in the mean
time, our cotton manufactures had increased
several fold. In 1924, the year when the last
tariff went into operation, we imported, OF wool
lens, SO, 3l9 SOC, and III lS297, s., 0293 205 Tns
latter sum, if the goods had come charged as
nigh as in lo24 would probably rise to at least
$i4 ,O00, GOO. Yet, during the same period, our
manufactures had greatly increased, as Is obvl-
Gus to all 1t cannot be surprising, therefore,
that great decline in the price OF goods should
take place for the supply is greater than the
demand. Another circumstances, which has
strong bearing upon this inquiry, ought also to
be mentioned; Goods, which have been man
ufactured here, have experienced greater de-
cline than those which We have not manutac-
tured Coarse goods, or such as we produce,
have fallen from 10 to 80 per cent, while the
liner grades have fallen only 20 per cent. and
the finest not so much. Cottons have fallen
from 40 to 60 per cent, while linens, which
have the aid of bounty from the British Treas
urv, have fallen not more than 20 per cent
Coarse and middling cassimeres have fallen one
half, wnlie the finest qualities have declined no
more than l22 per cent These facts shew
that the foreign supplies of cloths have been
forced into our market, regardless OF the sup
niles produced here; and that, as we have
thrown out goods, the market has been over
loaded, and the effect has been to sink the price
both here and in England The progress OF
this decline has kept pace very accurately with
! the increase of business IN this country j his
struggle for the market could produce no other
effect 1t would seem to be just and fair in
ference, that the principal depression is occa-
stoned by our competition with the English.
am aware certain causes have been operating
in England to aid this result. Their popula-
( ton has increased, while their markets IN Eu-
rope have become much cireumscF1bed by other
! nations who have resumed the business OF man
ufacturing and also ..y their fabrics being ex-
cluded from the markets of some OF them. l
am aware that she is pressed hard-that she
has hungry population, and vast capital IN
vested in this business. She cannot so back
ward for she must live by manufacturing, OF
| perish without it. Her motive to struggle Tor,
! and to retain this market, is most urgent and
persuasive, and it seems to me, confess, that we
! are approaching crisis when one of the parties
must give way; for, the tide of affairs has beer
so long upon the ebb, that it must wreck par
of those who venture upon its surface. leave
it TO this House to decide which Of the parties
is most likely to be overwhelmed-the weake
or the stronger.
Having now shewn, as think, that the EN-
barrassments of the manufacturers result from