Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1863-04-07
Huntsville, n. c., March 81, 1868.
For the Standard,


Mr.. EDITOR Il see an article in the Standard of
March 18th, which is down on the cotton factories
for selling their yarns at such high prices and begs
that all conscrpt hands in the cotton factories be
put at once into the ranks. Well we willing
to admit that the price of yarns is very high, but
the gentleman that wrote the article referred to
could with equally as much justice have applied his
article TO great many other establishments as well
as the GctorieS. For instance, shoe shops. tan
neries, iron works and some Others which all have
great many more conScrpts employed than the
factories have; and some Of the iron works and
shoe shops was put up on purpose to screen con-
scripts, and everybody knows the factories were
not, for they have all been in operation for many
years, and up to the commencement of the war,
scarcely made money enough to induce the owners
and stockholders to run them; and, in fact in the
hard times of 1856 and 81 some failed and had 10
suspend operations entirely. And because there is
a chance for them to make some money and replace
their former losses it seems that there is general
prejudice against them. Why every one likes 10
make money; and it is old adage that every dog
has his day; and if the day has come for the fac
tories to make money, let them have 1t. As for
their asking seven dollars a bunch for their yarns
that is something have never YET known. Five
dollars is the highest price have seen q bunch Of
yarn sell for But admitting it to he seven dollars
bunch, is it not cheap then, shoes at SIS to
$50 pair, or flour at $50 per barrel bacou from
20 cents to ) per pound? Why don't our friend
give some Of the manufacturers of these articles
drubbing as well as the cotton manufacturers
Perhaps the farmer, Also belongs to the latter class.
lie wants TO know if the people must be deprived
Of clothing, while the factories grow rich? | would
like to know if the poor women and children of our
State must be deprived of bread on account of the
farmers and spectators running it OF the State,
for the purpose OF obtaining high prices Such is the
case, and | am cognizant of the fact. The farm
plead that they do not run their surplus of meat
and bread out Of the State. Suppose they do not.
They sell it to the SPECTATORS knowing at the
time that they will either run it off to obtain high
price, or raise the home market which makes it so
much the worse for the INDECENT families of SOL
diers. This speculation, and the running Of the
meat and bread out of the country, has in part COM
PEELED the agents of cotton factories to demand pro-
duce in exchange for their goods to feed their OPP
eratives on. As far as | am acquainted, when they
make these exchanges, they make a proportionate
allowance for produce; and have heard them tell
their customers that if they would put their pro-
duce at the old prices, they should have cotton
yarns and sheetings at the old prices Is not this
a fair and gentce way of trading? Not~ithstand-
ing their demand for produce in exchange for cot
ton, have never known any of them to deny
soldiers wife bunch of yarn for the money, and
sometimes at half price. w. Turner, who owns
the TurneTsburg Factory, has at this time An adj
vertisment in the Iredcll Express promising to give
each soldiers wife in Irede county one bunch of
warn and ten yards Of cloth, and when called up
on, has doEe so. Is there shoe shop, tan
merry, farmer, Spectator, even another cotton
factory that will donate the same amount to the
INDECENT families of their county? If so, l would
be glad to know it.
In conclusion, would say, that ooubt very
much whether our friend that wrote the article re-
ferred to- knows anything about cotton factory, or
the expense of running one. If he is not acquant-
ed ana posted in the business, he has no right to
talk about the rs per cent law in regard to thef fac
tories. NJ. l.. NJ.
Turnersburg, N. c., March 80, 1868.