Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1864-06-15

factories. The SHOEMAKER who formerly pnr-
chased his leatherat' twenty-five cents per
pound, and paid his :jougneyman one dollar
1 day, was poorly paid ,fbfthe use of his shop,
tools and material st at.seventy-five per cent on
the, cost f.production-but wien he had the
good luck to see leather advance te ten and
ttwelye dollars pound, and wages to $5 or
S8 day, the case was very different.
|. Under this conscript iaw it was the inter
est Of all such producersto to pay high for every
thing his manufactory consumed, in order to
enhance the first cost of his products, and
enlarge his profits. AS you arc all aware,
the widest and most extrayagant ideas per-
vade the public mind with regard to the pro.
fits realized by cotton and woollen manufac-
turers, since tho war commenced These de-
lusionssappear to be widely spread, and have
their influence as before stated onsCongress
and every legislative body. It isa common
sentiment with politiciaps-that manufactures
should be made to disgorge their eItortonate
gains, but in The main,I i do doubt very much
whether, as a class, We have realized the sub.
stautial profits to which our business entities
US in time of peace =
I have no doubt bat many OF you espccla.-
" stockholders in lost ompanies, have been
6ecciving themselves as to the enormous pro-
fits realized: tiley probably have not taken
into account the amount made on the cotton
purchased in large quantities In advance OF
consumption, and that such has been the 'ad-
.vancing tendency that nothing could be pur.
chased and held sixty days without paying
large profit. They have also probably lost
sight of the fact that 200 per cent. profit paid
in currency, IS not equal to what 10 per cent.
was b.fore the war-S2o0 now will not 60
half as far as Sle would formerly have done
in the purchase Of imported machinery, and
other foreign supplies.
As class of men, we must, of necessity
reduce everything to q golden standard, SO
that million of earnings is no more than fifty
thousand. We are constantly making large
OUTLAWS for imported articles which cost US
from 60 to 10 dollars for every dollar We cx-
pend in England or Nassau. We can neither
renew orr machinery nor extend our works.
except it be with gold, and it takes three dol
lars in gold now to purchase what one dollar
would before the war. Mon are apt to lose
sight Of the fac: that we are not able to in
sure our mills at their current value, and con-
scQuently We have become our own insurers.
Think what you would charge ITO Insure a
corresponding number of shares to your own
it costs you all of that to take your own
risk. Then again very heavy item, that OF
general depreciation of machinery is seldom
considered as an oilset to the profits which
seem to be realized.
Ipresume that the Granitevlie Factory
will be taken as fair specimen of manufac-
turing thrift in the Confederate States. Dur
ing the year 1863 We met with no serious ae-
cidcnts, we purchased substitutes and ran
our mill six months independent of the con-
script law, and sold our goodsat market rates.
As matter Of duty to our country, nc gave
half the product Of the factory to the Govern
ment at about cost; half their current value.
When the years business was closed, after
deducting the tax in kind levied by the Leg
isaturs Of South Carolina, then the Confede-
rate Government tax, then fair allowance
for the insurance of our property, also for its
depreciation, particularly thatof machinery,
We did not realize profit enough To give US
msre than per cent. on our investment, and
our actual earnings, all things considered,
were not more than some former years be-
fore SEQ. Many will object TO our making
profits al ali, ON the srouHd that men have
no right TO stay at home aud reap q harvest
of profits while others are called to the army
to risk their lives aud work Tor nothing. But
how Is our country to be supplied with cloth
ing from homemade cloth, it encouragement
is not given to capitalists to invest money %
such enterprises-will per cent. ilcome -
vite capital into risky AID complicated buei
ness.
Every body knowsit will not There would
be no merchandising and no commerce IN
iime Of peace il profits were restricted to
this; there would be no blockade ru sing
now, il profits were c;. ti;iod to even % or 80
Der cent. Fifty to sixty "'i:iar. # &c. -
have gone into blockade ru:,': E III |, a'srcc.
ly :. uew dollar has gofe ';'D manufacturing.
There seems to be general an,ipathy 20
manufacturing profits, while every one seems
wiling to bestow honor on the indi"idual
who mas been able to smass millions by the
hazard Of importing.
The blockade runner c1tsust5 tbe capital
of our country by importing sll kinds of Yam
kee notions; he Imports calicocs TOO worth
where it is made no more titan .en to hlteen
cents, and sells it for seven to ten dollars
ward, and receives the condelnna:ions ef. eve
ry body-whils the manufacturer gives en-
ployment, comfortable houses, education,
and an Independent living to soldiers wives
sud children, and from their labor produces
an article quite as valuable and Aa much
needed, and sells it for $3.50 to $3.50 por
yard, and is commended by the public as q
heartless eXtortioner.
But for Government interference and the
odium attacked to selling domestics from the
first hands at market value, millions Of dol
lars would have gone into manufacturing dur
ing the last three years, and we would now
be supplying the country. stripes, prints
and bleached goods, which, though not as
elegantly finished as those imported, would
have served to render us independent And
what adds great Importance to iii homes
would have been provided for, and lucrative
employment given to thousands Of women
and children-the families of absent soldiers
vino are now receiving scanty support from
State and private charity.
The Graniteville company, just previous to
the war, had projectedlar additions to their
works, in which they included dying, bleach
ing, and making Canton flannel; extensive
buildings were erected the first summer Of