The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-03-22
Northern Manufactures.


Northern Manufactures.
The New York Tribune asserts and laments
the decline and ruin of Northern manufactures.
The great rival of Lowell, the town of Law
renee, situated on the Merrimack, few miles
below, remains "a city of magnificent distances
90 The water-power there, obtained at heavy
expense, is not half used, simply because no
one can use it there at profit" Yet Lawrence
is "tbe focus of network of railroads, is an
hours ride from Boston, near the head of navi-
cation on the Merrimack, and is every way most
eligibly situated for manufacturing" Holyoke,
formerly Hadley Falls, Massachusetts, is on the
Connecticut; and is by far the finest water
power yet improved in New England. Several
of the largest and finest factories, and an extern
sive machine shop, &C., have been erected
The company 10 anxious to let these factories,
or to furnish water-power for any purpose, on
any terms that reasonable men would propose.
They have been most anxiously planning and
contriving for years to set their power at work,
80 as to render their investment productive; yet
at this moment three fourths of their gigantic
water-power, which of itself can hardly have
cost so little as one million of dollars, is running
to waste" The Mattawan works, in Fishki
Duchess county, New York, have become in
solvent "Their admirable and cheap water
power, machine-shop, several factories, dwell
lings, extensive grounds, &C., were long and
widely advertised, and at length sold Gin parcels)
at auction" at less than half their cost" al
though the Hudson Railroad had recently been
finished, and they were thus within two hours
ride of New York. "The iron interest, all
know, is virtually PROSTATE. In few favorite
localities iron is still made, but twothirds of the
works now in blast are barely kept going, in
hopes of better times"
And all this is related by the Tribune in a
season of great general prosperity, of peace, of
high prices, and unparalleled abundance of gold.
The present tariff affords protection to domes.
tic iron ana cotton goods of thirty per cent
and yet it appears they do not maintain sue.
cessful competition with foreign fabrics.
The Tribune asserts that these enumerated
works were commenced under the tariff of ls42,
and have been ruined by that of 1916. With
out discussing the merits of protection we
commend the present condition of Northern
manufactures to political moralists MS result of
bad faith-of violation of a compromise The
law of 1888, enacted and supported expressly
linality" compromise, provided for the
ultimate remuneration Of the protective system.
In consideration of this pledge of finality, the
Southern parties to that compromise acquiesced
in the payment of protective duties for nine
years. And precisely at the time when the
Southern part of the compromise had been per-
formed--the compromise was broken. The
tariff of 1912 passed, and gave a powerful
stimulus to manufactures. The result is that
at least hundred millions, and in our opinion,
two hundred millions of capital have been sunk
in the business.
But the tariff Of 1916 did not arrest the ten
dency, usually too great towards manufactures
in this country. Since that period, an enter
prise of the kind was undertaken on the
hundred and twenty miles below Louisville
There was coal mine near the surface of
the ground, and on the bank of the stream.
II was in the midst of great grain and pro-
vision-producing region, and within short dis
lance of the cotton plant itself, and with naviga
BILE communications extending throughout the
whole Mississippi valley, of more than twelve
millions of people. 1t was the very spot for
Southern and Western and Northern capital and
skill and labor to unite. The enterprisng pro-
prietor of the land, HAMILTON SMITH, esq, wrote
a number of persuasive articles in behalf of the
plan, and they were republished from the Louis
vile Journal by the National InteAgencer and
many other papers. Companies were formed
stock subscribed North and South, and a superb
stone cotton factory was erected at a cost of
$3.50, 900, and some four hundred of the New
England girls were imported The establish
ment was kept at work one year by the compa
ny, and then rented at some $1,000 per annum,
about enough to keep the machinery in repair
And yet we don't know of any place South of
New England, combining greater advantages for
such an undertaking.
we aont believe manufactures pay anywhere
even in old England, much less in New, last of
all in the West and South, where labor and cap
tai are dear, and we wish will always remain
so.
A BLACK DELEcATE-The Jamaica legisla.
tive assembly has been occupied with propo-
sition to send delegates to London, to represen,
the distresses and needs of jamaica to the Brit.
ish government. -Four gentlemen, members of
the anaaahly were appointed ON the mission