New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-12-14
Miners and Manufacturers Convention in
VIRGINIA.

Miners and Manufacturers Convention in
Virginia.
Convention representing the Misunderstanding
and Mining interests of Virginia met Richmond
on the 9Th inst. Ma. A. s. WOODBRIDGE of Ches-
terrified presided At the second day session,
resolutions were adopted declaring that in order
to give prosperity to the mining and manufacturing
interests Of the country nothing more is necessa-
! ~ than auch moderate and stable discrimination
in the imposition of duties, as will enable the do
nestle products fairly to compete with the foreign
products OF like kind in our own markets; and
that the present system Of duties fails to accom-.
| plish the objects Indicated in several respects,
| particularly in leaving the domestic products OF
coal and iron essential TO our natural security and
Defense requiring heavy outlays and needing the
utmost practical stability, to depend on the Tue
tuations of European trade,
A Committee on Cotton and Wooden Manufac-
lures was appointed and made an able Report,
! from which we take the following
AS far as your committee are informed, there
are in the State Of Virginia twenty companies, IN
! corpofated and private, engaged III the manutac-
ture Of cotton, with aggregate capital OF
! 81 100000 " hen in foil operation, these com
panes employ about 81 600 spindles, producing
| generally coarse yarns, and sold as such, or con-
verified into shrtings, sheetings and osna6urgs.
! 1t is not known to the committee that there IS
single factory designed for the production of yarns
| of q higher number than 20 For many months
past these have not been in full operatlon-at
present about COO spindles are running time
| 1000 spindles time--about $4,000 splndles at
! full time at Z wages to the experimentation
spindies stopped and the remainderot the $4,000
| spndles believed to be either working short time
or are entirely idle. From the facts gathered by
| the committee, they are OF opinion that the pre-:
sent production is about onehaH the capacity OF
the mills and that the entire capital invested IN
Cotton Mills in Virginia will be found to have
paid no profit to the stockholders or propretors
! for the years 1910 and l950-the very few mills
which have paid small dividends In the early part
of the year lsi9 will be much more than balanced
! by the lines of others-there be no doubt that
large losses have accrued upon the entire capital
invested in cotton manufacturing in this State
In Maryland, your Committee find the state OF
| things ii possible, worse than in our own State
and your Committee submit in evidence synop-
sis OF the factories in that State, which will show
very large proportion either entirely idle or
working short time.
Whole No ofcotton facories. Working full ime...2
Working short Entirely
The total production less than half the capacity
- Wooden Factorics IN Maryland
Franklin Mills at work, Calverton Mill work
ing half time.
In Virginia 10 wooden factories, running 80 sets
machinery. Capital, $275, 600.
Your Committee not prepared to state with
accuracy what proportion OF the 30 sets are idle,
but they know all are not at work. and they feel
assured the end of the current year will find their
condition worse than at the beginning of it,
The Committee Mining and Manufactures
In general, reported among other things as follows:
That their attention had been drawn to many
articles OF interest and value, some OF them very
important in their extent and character, and sus-
ceptable of being made largely conducive to the
wealth OF the country.
The article of Salt is one Of these. There is
now manufactured annually in the County OF ka-
naWha alone about three millions bushels, which
finds market in the Western and Southwestern
States, producing at the average price upward OF
100000 per annum, and requiring In its manutac-
ture four or FIVE millions OF bushels OF coal, and the
labor Of not less than fifteen hundred persons and
for packing the same 100000 barrels, at cost OF
about $4,000. In addition to which may be adj
ded the cost of transportation, say 100000, and
the employment OF large number oil bOatmen,
and workmen in the toundries, copper works, &c.
which supply the works with machinery and other
articles incident to the production OF Salt In the
Counties OF w ashington and Smyth there are now
between three and urhundred thousand bushels
of Salt annually produced, and the quantity may
be increased to an unlimited extent, and at cost
not exceeding - to Is cents per bushel Lead
also exists and has been mined to some extent In
the County OF Wythe but the production is now
confined to the wants OF the immediate ne!9hbor'
hood, but could be increased to an indefinite ex-
tent.
Copper ores are also found in several counties,
and may hereafter, by the encouragement OF the
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES of the country furnishing q
market for them, become source of much wealth,
beside adding immensely to the consumption OF
our coal.
There are various other branches of manuac-
ture that have been seriously injured under the
tariff Of 1846-separatey not of such Importance
as those articles which have been more proml-
nently brought before the notice OF the Conyen-
ton, but in the aggregate Of material importance
to the industry of the country, among which we
name Alum, Copperas, Epson Salts, Chrome ell
low, Bichromali and Prusseate of Potash Blue
VtriOl. White Lead, and various other chemical
preparations, also Glass and Linseed Oil.
small addition to the present rates of duty would
establish the manufacture OF these various artl-
cles.
Another Committee appointed to inquire into
and report the condition Of the Coal and Iron
trades reported that the condition of the Coal and
Iron trade is depressed and discouraslng The
present capacity of the mountain Iron works, near
the James River, now established, is equal TO the
production OF at east 700 tuns Oh pig IRON an
nually-their production the present year uoes
not exceed 900 tuns.
TIE Committee remark that it is a matter OF not
less modification than astonlsnment tnat lF5iMa'
with an area of coal measures covering not less
than p 900 square miles, very much of which hes
on or near nayigable waters. and is capable OF Of
Welding all the varieties of British coal ana Of
equal quality should be reduced TO 19 b ae gau Of
er50 mo. while Great Britain, with little more
than half the extent Of coal produces
annually eTr 81 100000 tuns, OF about the value OF
s370oOOo0 at the mines, and s300o0,00O at the
markets of sale,
Cs OF .rre,+ed yo,teldny about eight miles
fon this IL place on the Railroad under charge
Of m murder l BE was brought to this city, and at
fer an examination before Justice Raitord was
comn1tted to iail to await the order OF the Court