Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-09-25

HrThe high rates to which staple articles
of provisions have been forced is become a
crying evil, which demands the most earnest
consideration. Tue general. and a sufi-
ciently well based, conviction is that there is
no absolute can-e why prices should be at
their present figures, which are particularly
onsrous. inasmuch "a the means OF consumers
are reduct at the same time that the cost of
articles of consumption Is Increased. There
is every reason 10 believe that during this
current fall aud the ensuing winter season
there will be large surplus of meat siutfs
produced in tue Stat of the Confederacy,
aud il ia we'll known that there is large
stock now aand-much more than ~nffi.
cient to last the country and army through
until the pork killers shall go To work in
winter in Tennessee and Kentucky aud on
tens OF thous inds of Plantations.
There is plenty of meat in the country
and. it is needless to say. the greatest ahun-
dance of breadstuffs-but the disorganiz alton
of trae enable spectators, first. second
third or fou' tn band spectators. to keep up
prices. The producer in Tennessee, or else
where. building bis hopes on the fiction that
the South is dependent for provisions on the
North, holds for higher prices: the heavy
jobbing dealer holds for higher prices; the
smaller wholesale dealer holds for higher
prices; and the myriad retail dealers hold at
higher aud higher prices, knowing that The
people must eat and to eat must buy. These
latter are the least blam"l .ss, tST in many in
stances they have to buy at higher prices on
which their asking rates are fair prof S. But
in very many INSTANCES both large aud small
dealers are guilty o. specializing on the ne
ce-sties OF the people by charging hundr- d
and five hundred per cent. profit on articles
not less necessary than bread or meat.
For the SPECTATORS in bread and meat
day of retributiOn will come, when they will
find that their merchandise is drug in the
market, and that they will have to realize at a
loss on what they might have previously sold
at a righteous and merciful profit; but
meanwhile our poor, the wives and children
of our volunteer soldiers, must suff r painful
straits of want or privaiion.
There is Intelligence, benevolence and cap
ital in this community, well in every
other in tue SLuth, and they should be de-
voted, particularly and religiously, to the
amelioration of the condition of the poor
and the dependents of the soldiers during
this war. which Calls so many to the field and
leaves so many without employment whereby
to gain u livelihood. An association could
readily be orgauiz d in Mobile to subscribe
five hundred thousand dollars capital. which
a committee would take to Tennessee ard
other markets and invest in breadStults and
meatstuffs al the lowest Rates which could be
Influenced by So heavy transaction aud the
Humanitarian objects OF the purchaser; the
association should then open store aud sell
strictly at, five per cent. profit, and only TO
consumers. Such associations in every con-
siderable town or city in the South would be
direct relief, and would soon bring d own
the prices of living, both by cutting off the
trade of txtOrtioners AMI by their moral IF
feet. Dealers and producers would have TO
return to the legitimate trade system of fair
profits, and both the people and the govern
ment could purchase at FAR prices Noble
AdUeTttser.