Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-09-03
Na.h .ilIe- NLerchants-Answer to hellef.

| PDrfORs og NASHVILLE UNION AND AMERICANS We
notice a communication in your issue eff the 31st
ult, signed "Selief," commenting severely upon the
| merchants of Nashville which you say was written
BY one of the most prominent gentlemen of Ruther-
ford county. As you assertit take itfor granted
that he is prominent citizen OF that county, but
we regret TO find man OF his position SO ignorant
Of the laws that govern the most ordinary business
Under all circumstances the prices of the pro-
duets of a country are fixed by the demand and
supply. If your correspondent Relief is farmer
and has bacon to sell he viii socn give you prsc-
teal application Of the rule A few weeks hence
he will ask you 20 or 25 or, perhaps, 30 cents a
pound for bacon; whereas, he sold it last year at
or 10 ceuts. Now why will his price be so much
higher than last year! Not because has bacon has
cost more. but because the article Is very scarce
and great quantities of bacon will be wanted for
the use Of our army. Or if he now has good wool
70 SELL he will ask you perhaps so cents a pound
for it, while last year be sold IL 1t Is cents; bat
wool il used TO make clothing for the soldiers, con
sequently there is great demand for It We do not
say that such course would be eommendable in
Relief y or any body else,-but we apprehend That
such would be the result. - .-----
But your correspondent seems especially indig
nant that certain merchants in Nashville should
control the products OF q small factory 10 q. We
suppose one so ignorant of business matters RE
lief cannst understand it; but assert that if
the merchants had engaged the products of fac
tories in different parts of the country months
ago. there would not have been
yard of material for soldiers clothing,
made here there now have been ten To explain; the
manufacturer is an energetic man, but has limited
capital He can only buy enough wool at a time,
for which he has to pay cash. TO keep his looms 60
ing few weeks and after he has worked up his
stock of wool. unless he sell his goods. he has
to stop fhe mill. Now, there's no demand for wool
leu goods by ctEsuneFs except in the fall winter
months, and If the manufacturer can only sell at
that tine he can only turn his money over once du-
ring the year. and the greater part of the time his
looms will stand Idle. But the merchant steps in
and contracts for the products of his factory
at tine when there is no demand by the consumer.
He agrees to take all he can make at certain
price for which he pays him on delivery and lays
aside the goods until the demand sets in, and thus
keeps the mill going all the year round lnthis
way the manufacturer not only uses his own capital
but the merchants also, and is able to produce ten
fold ss many goods IS he otherwise would, and can,
of course. afford to sell to the merchant cheaper
than to the consumer. --..-- --.-L
Bat to conclude. We are familiar with thu house
aud the transaction alluded to by "Relief." We
think they need no advice from him to their duty
to their country, the proper mode of conducting
business they have voluntarily given much more
to the equipment of our soldiers than their profits
on the goods made sc G.. They have sold every
yard of the goods manufactured for them at to
the Government at prices ezrely satisfactory to its
authorized agents. And believing The rants Of those
soldiers 1ohO haze no friends to roUde for them should
be supplied first, long as they control the pro-
ducts of this factory they will sell them only to
the Government. Private parties cannot get these
goods at any price, FAIR-PIAT.
NASHVILLE, Sept I'd, 1861.