New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1846-05-25
National Fs,r-ssceud Day.
From the Editor.

The Great Fair reopened a, noon to-day, with
very considerable additions 10 the aggregate dis
play. and generally the reinforcenents such az
were mos, needed to give it variety and complete
ness. In Machinery, &c. the Improvement Is strik-
ing. The Eastera Wing is mainly devoted 70 Ag-
ricultural and Manufacturing imp ements inventions
&c. with s.ean-engine at work hard oy ana
goodly show Of Cotton. Spinner, Tanning Maenine
&c. DC driven by It's power. The s'tenoance
quite as numerous Yesterday. and me interest
rather increasing The antiTarit men tell us tha'
the Manufacturers have acted very injudiciousy In
getting no this Fair bat their vsages belle their az
ser,ions. The Union gives snariing squb daily,
tba, we may not doubt the hostility and alarm with
which the Court regard this exhibition. No manu-
fac,are but tha, of human corpses appears worthy
the favor Of Government in the eyes Of the Presi-
dents Organ.
Several important questions on which theorists
have differed and made themselves uncomfortably
excited for years, practically settled by this Fair
II is here demonstrated not only that the prices Of
fabrics steadily reduced and their qualities i'm
proved under discriminating, effective Protection,
but the improvement is generally in direct ratio
with the efficiency Of iha, Protection For example:
the general duty Woolens is forty per cent bat
on the several descriptions of cheap Woolens, such
Flannels Baizes &c there is specific and consid-
erably higher duty These goods will be found to
have improved more in quality and cheapness than
the finest cloths and so with the corresponding
Cotton fabrics, Oil Cloths, Carpetings, &C. The
moment the foreign supply is headed of, our manu-
fac,urers vie with each other in extending their
works improving their machinery, processes, &c.
and the steady and largely increased demand ena-
bles them to do better than formerly though selling
al much lower rate.
1t is vulgar shop keeping error TO suppose that
the maker Of an article is always trying TO increase
It's price, and that thus does he expect 10 make his
profits II be can realize FIVE per cent. over the
absolute cost and sell as fast as he can make, be
does far better than if he made twenty-five per
cent. with capricious inadequate demand. | saw
among the Pusburg wares to-day lot of Axes
apparently good ones-marked $40 per dozen.
Now Iron and Steel are higher a, present than in
some'forrner years-skillful Labor also is higher
yet never heard of Axes selling 80 low in former
wears, and do not believe they were ever lower
since Adam either in this country or any other
Another case: The Ballardvale Company, Ando-
YER Mass have here some admirable specimens OF
Wors,ed goods at 37I cents yard The gentleman
in charge assured me that these goods sold at SO
cents in 1s42 and are certainly no worse in
quality than they then were We don't want
bat 81 now he observed, and / shall not be
satisfied till we have so improved our processes
that we can sell them for % There was pre-
tence of philanthropy in ,his-he understood per-
fec,ly that il they could make such goods for 90
cents absolute cost so as 10 afford them at IS, their
market would be immensely widened, and they
could make far greater profits than now. So 1t is
in every branch which shrewd men have the charge
Of All are trying not only 10 make cheaper but to
sell cheaper, if only for their own sakes The Bal
lardville Company has little or. competition in
Worsteds but it Is well aware that the extent Of
their sale must depend on their cheapness, not as
compared with other Worsteds merely, but with
wide range of fabrics. 1t exhibits also choice
Black Coatings at 30 cts. and Croton Cloths do.
for IS cts which would have been deemed very
cheap few years since. however they may be now.
The SILKS | have examined with deepest inter-
est think the richest and most tasteful speci-
mems are those of Miss Rapp, Economy, Pa. ian In
dustrial Association, by the way, known as Rapps,
considerably older than the Express or Courier *
Enquirer and not unlikely to outive them both.
Her Shawls, Scarfs, Handkerchief. Vestings, &c.
are indispensable. Those Of J. w. Gill (ate of
Ohio, now of Wheeling, Va.) are more abundant in
quality, and generally more substantial fabrics they
indicate that Mr.. G. must be doing large business
Mr. Van Fps, late ofour city now ofths District, has
along with Silk fabrics, Cocoons, Worms feeding,
&C. Ilearnedthat he has twenty acresb ere planted
with the Mulberry, and is extending his works as
fast as possible. J do hope Congress will not con-
sent break down young and feeble department
of our Industry Let the Destructives tear away at
the long established and thrifty manufactures Of Cot
ton, Woolen Iron &c. if they will-they can stand
it. after fashion-but the very weakness and help
lessness of the Silk business should commend it to
their mercy if they have any.
Whoever will carefully consider this exhibition
will learn from it the allacy Of the Free Trade pro-
position. which runs thus: Whatever articles we
can make as cheap as other nations do not need
Protection; whatever we cannot make 30 cheap,
ought not to have any This logic assumes that if
We can only make articles as cheap as they can be
bought abroad, we must Of course have the entire
Home Market for those articles, but such is not the
fact Foreign Cloths, Prints Shawls. &c every
day bought in great quantities among US, when
American fabrics fully as good lie beside them neg
lec,ed, though offered at lower prices. The For
eign article is presumed by the empty headed and
the snowy 10 be better than the homer made merely
because it IS Foreign, or because ii is held at
higher prco. Fashion. novelty, rarity. determine
the choice Of thousand and not the actual cost
intrinsic worth, few years ago, when Muslin de
LANES were all imported, and cost fifty cents 10
dollar yard our first ladies wore them now they
are made here in abundance and sold at ten to
twenty cents yard, they will hardly look at them.
Last summer. there was q run on Ginghams retail
ing at twenty-five to thrty,seven cents per yard !;
but now that our Manufacturers have begun TO
make them in power looms, reducing the wholesale
cost to ten cents or under they will no longer be
deemed fit for senteel wear. The run is now, be
heve ON Alpaccas; but lie, our own folks take hold
of these and make them at half the foreign cost
and thew too will be voted vulgar and uncomfortable