The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1831-1858, 1832-03-21

cents in 1928 at seventeen cents; in 1879 at fout
teen and half cents in 1927, at thirteen cent.
in 1929, at nine cents; in 1880, at nine and a h;
cents /; and in 1881, at from ten and half to ele,.
en-. Such is the wonderful effect of protectio
competition, and improveme Mt IN skill, combined
The year 1929 was one of some SUFFERING to fiji
branch of industry, probably owing to the princi
pie of competition being pushed too far ant
hence we observe small rise in the article the neg
Two years. The Introduction OF calico printin,
into the United States, constitutes an importan
era in manufacturing industry 1t commence {
about the year 1925, and has since made such IS
tonisbng advances, that the whole quantity nov
annually printed is but little short Of forty millions
| of yards-about two thirds OF our whole consuinp
! ton. 1t is beautiful manufacture, combir,int
great mechanical skill with scientific discoveries il
chemistry. The engraved cylinders for m9 xins
the impression require much taste, and put in re-
QUESTION the genius Of the fine arts of design ant
engraving. Are the fine graceful forms of our fai
countrywomen less lovely when enFoloped the
chntses and calicoes produced by natre industry
than when clothed in the tnsei Of foreign dra, ery
Gentlemen are, no doubt, surprised at these
facts. They should not undeTrate the ene.gies
the enterprise, and the skill Of our fellow citizens
have no doubt they are every way competent L
accomplish whatever can be effected BY any Other
People, if encouraged and protected by the foster
ing care of our Own Government VIII ger de-
men believe the fact. which am authorized ow
to state that the United States, at this time, man.
utacture Une half the quantity of cotton which
Great Britain did in 1916 We possess three great
advantages: LIST. The raw material. 3D. Water
power instead of that of steam, generally used in
England. And Sd. The cheaper labor of females
In England, males spin with the mule and weave ::
N this country women and girls spin with the thros
tie and superintend the power loom. And can
there be any employment more appropriate Who
has not been delighted with contemplating the
clock regularity of large cotton manufacto-
ryl | have often visited them, at Cincinnati and
other places, and always with increased ldmira-
ton. The women separated from the other sex.
work in apartments, large, airy, we'll warmed, and
spacious Neatly dressed, with ruddy compilations.
and happy countenances they watch the work be-
fore them mend the broken threads, and replace
the exhausted balls or breaches. At stated hours
they are called to their meals, and go and return
with light and cheerful step. At night they sepa-
rate, and repair to their respective houses, under
the of mother, guardian, or friend. 81 Six
days shalt thou labor and do all that thou hast to
do but the seventh is the Sabbath of the Lord thy
God" Accordingly, we behold them. on that sa-
cred day, assembled together in His temples, and
in devotional attitudes and with piOus eountenamc-
es offering their prayers to Heaven for all its bles-
SINGS of which it is not the least that system of
policy has been adopted by their couItry, which
admits of their attaining comfortable subsistence
Manufactures have brought into profitable employ.
ent vast amount of female labor, which, with.
out them, would be lost to the country.
In respect to wnollens, every gentleman's own
observation and experience will. enable him to
Judge of the great reduction of price which has
taken place in most Of these articles since the tariff
of 1894 1t would have been still greater, but for
the high duty on the raw material imposed for the
particular benefit of the farming interest. But
without going into particular details, shall limit
myself to inviting the attention Of the Senate TO
a single article of general and necessary use The
nv nva IN Nannels in 1909 uo FIJI nj
quate. 1t has enabled the American manufacturer
to obtain complete possession of the American
market; and now, let us look at the effect |
have before me a statement from highly respect
able mercantile house, showing the price of four
descriptions of flannel, during SIX veays The ay-
erage price of them, in 1926, was thirty eight and
three-quarter cents in 1927, thirty eight in 1925
1.-THE year of the TARIFF forty-six; in 1929 thirty
six; in 1880, Observation-Disclosures advance in the
price of woody thirty-two; and IN 1881 thirty-two
and one-quarter. These facts require no COM
ments. | have before me another statement of
practical and respectable man, well versed in the
flannel manufacture in America and England de-
monstrating that the cost of manufacture is pre-
csely the same in both countries and that, al
though yard of flannel, which would sell in Eng
land at fifteen cents, would command here twenty
two the difference Of seven cents is the exact diff
ference between the cost in the two countries, of
the six ounces of wool contained in a ward of fan
mel.
Brown sugar, during ten years, from 1892 to
1902, with a duty of one and half cents per
pound, averaged fourteen cents per pound The
same article, during ten years. from 1920 to 1880,
with duty of three cents, has averaged only eight
cents per pound. Nails, with duty of five cents
per pound, are selling at six cents Window glass,
eight by ten, prior to the tariff of 1924, sold at
twelve or thirteen dollars per hundred feet it
now sells for three dollars seventy-fve cents.
The gentleman from South Carolina, sensible of
the ncontestbe fact of the very great reduction
in the prices of the necessaries Of life, protected
by the American system, has felt the full force of
it, and has presented various explanations OF
the causes to which he ascribes it, The first is
the diminished production of the precious metals,
in consequence Of the distressed state of the
tries in which they are extracted, and the conse-
quent increase Of their value relative to that of
the commodities for which they are exchanged
But ii this be the true cause OF the reduction of
price, its operation ought to have been general, on
all objects, and of course upon cotton among the
rest And, in point of fact, the diminished price
of that staple is not greater than the dimnuten of
the value of other staples of our agriculture.
Flour, which commanded some years ago. ten or
twelve dollars per barrel, is now sold for five The
fall of tobacco has been still more. The Kite
foot of Maryland, which sold at from sixteen to
twenty dollars per hundred, now produces only
four or five. That of Virginia has sustained an
equal decline. Beef, pork, every article, almost,
produced 10y the farmer. has decreased in value
Ought not South Carolina then to submit quietly
to state of things which is general, and proceeds
from an uncomfortable cause Ought she to as
cribe TO the accursed" tariff what results from
the calamties of civil and foreign war, raging in
many countries
But sir. do not subscribe to this doctrine mpi.
City. do not believe that the diminished pro-
ducion of the precious metals if that be the fact,
satisfactorily accounts for the fall in prices For,
think, that the augmentation Of the currency of
the world, by means of banks, public stocks, and
other facilities arising out of exchange and credit,
has more than supplied any deficiency in the amount
oil the precious metals
1t is further urged that the restoration of peace
in Europe after the battle of Waterloo, and the
consequent return to peaceful pursuits of large
masses of its population by greatly increasing the
aggregate amount Of effective labor, had tendency
to lower prices; and undoubtedly such ought TO
| have been its natural tendency. The same cause,
however, must also have operated to reduce the
price of our agricultural produce, for which there
was no longer the same demand in peace as in war
and 1t did so operate. But its influence on the
price OF manufactured articles, between the gener-
peace of Europe in 1915, and the adoption Of our
tariff in 1924 was less sensby felt, because per-
haps q much larger portion of the labor, liberated
! by the dsbandment of armi,s, was absorbed by
manufactures than by agriculture 1t is also contend
ed that the invention and improvement of labor saw
ing machinery have tended 20 lessen the prices OIL
manufactured objects of consumption; and IN.
doubleday this cause has had some effect Ought
moi America to contribute her quota of this cause
and has she not, by her skill and extraordinar,
adoption 10 the arts in truth, largely contributed
toitl
This brings me to consider what, | appreh end t.
have been, the most efficient of all tn, causes il
the r, ducton of the prices of manufactured arti
cles-and that is. COMPETITION. BY competition
the total amount of the supply is incrr ased and b,
increase of the supply, competition in the sale
ensues, and this enables the consumer to buy a
lower ratios. of all human powers operating oil