The daily national Whig. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1847-1849, 1849-04-11

but hsk Information. .4y-4
Taking Tor instance, iron instead Of pins, 10 yonl
argument true hig AR dulyr-thai IL, an enhanced
price-is asked 10 enable the manufacturers to live
If increase Of price lie obtained, and that pern-
nently, what Il the good Of 'proiecionr Docs y
reduce the rate Of wni es, Il hope notl orhow Then
how does Tariff, without an Increase Of prices make
manufactures prufitable1
Yours, INQUIRER.
We have probably answered bstantially the same
questions as the above dozen times al least, but
patience 10 virtue rejoice In, and do not object to
one more attempt 10 make clear what need never
have been otherwise
The question, 10 II rsmembered 10 not DO pro-
tccive duties over for any PERIOD enhance prices y
for we cheerfully admit that they do. The point
raised by our correspondent 10 this Must not pro.
tectiye duties necessarily raise priest MT how
Ii We knew what an Inquirer does for living.
we would choose an illustration drawn from his own
business but being ignorant Of his, we will begin
with our own. There was time, them when The
Tribune did not contnin near much matter In pro
portion 20 lis cost II now does nor that mat
ter procured for Il at anything like great expense
And yet we are not doing worse Than we were at
that time, but better. Why? Because our regular
subscription, sale and advertising patronage are much
greater than they were In the Infancy Of our enter
prise. Doubling our patronage has enabled US TO
give each patron moro for dollar than we were able
for Inquirer to apply the rule here indicated to
the various branches Of American manufactures be-
side that Of newspapers
Scrutnze the business Of any maker Of Sythes,
Hoes, Axes, Pen Knives, Hollow Ware, or what
you please, who formerly sold to the value Of four
five thousand dollars per year, and who now sells
better article to the extent Of fifty or eighty thou
sand dollars, and you will find that whereas he for
merly just lived he IL now making handsome profit,
and yet he sells his wares not at a higher but at a
lower price than formally. Increased demand for
his product has enabled-nay, impelled-him to sell
II cheaper yet mike more money by j.. Five per
mani NAT ,rnf IN mn hu flF md
Dollars per annym Is better thun Twenty per cent.
OH Five Thousand Dollars.
Take any village wherein Five Thousand Dollars
worth Of goods are annually sold and let lis trade
pand 10 One Hundred Thousand Dollars per annum,
and you will now obtain goods 10 that village ut
lower prices than before.
These examples sufficiently illustrate q general
law: Our young Manufactures, exposed to une-
quail competition with the older and richer estab
lishmenis of Europe, employing the far cheaper La
Dor of that continent with the main channels Of our
Trade in possession Of Importers and their obbing
existence under Tariff Of low Revenue duties
But shut out by Protective Duties the great bulk OF
the competing Foreign fabrics, and you instantly
and greatly enlrrge me Home Market FOR American
fabrics. The establishment formerly having half
work and sometimes waiting months for sales has
now full employment and ready sales. The water
power, dam, buildings, &c. formerly devoted 10
making five Thousand dollars worth annually now
answer as well for twenty-five thousand dollars
worth. And II any one attempts to keep up the
price go "a 10 realize an exhorbitant profit some one
else engages in or extends rival establishment, I'M
derses him, and brings him down to fair living
rate. IL not this obvous2 And It Is hard to see
that tile manufacture Is now more profitable than
formerly even nj price somewhat dininished1
Iron may seem an exception TO the general. rule.
because the chief element of lie cost Is the direct
application Of Human Labor, and II you quadruple
the supply required you qaadruple the cost Of pro-
ducing II far mole nearly than In the case Of Cloths
and Fabrics generally We cheeriuly admit that
the immediate effect Of Protective Tariff on Iron
would be an increased money price for Iron In this
country. But we insist that even at first, though
our annual supply would cost more dollars, yet Il
would be paid for with the aggregate products Of
less Labor than now. Wood, Charcoal, Butter
Cheese, Fruits, Vegetables. &c, &c, would be
turned in at our widely scattered iron-works at
prices which could not be obtained with our work
shops mainly In Europe, and the Iron would really
cost less though It's money priceswould be greater.
But again, Every yenr that we made our own
Iron would extending and perfecting our Railroad
and Canal communications between Iron and Coal
beds, nnd between our Iron-works and the various
sections where Iron Is wanted. II would also be
multiplying and perlecting our inventions and pro-
cesses for the manufacture Of Iron and thus reduc
ing the cost Of tho product. The consequences Of
an efficient Protective duty on Iron would be, first
an enhanced price for Iron; secondly, great diver
sion Of capital and labor from other pursuits Into
Iron making and n consequent Improvement OF pro-
cesses md Communications; and thirdly, conse-
quent increase of the aggregate product and rcduc
ton of tho price Of Iron.f s4l8G