Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1865-08-24
Wise Suggestions touching North
Western Interests.

At a late meeting in Boston of Western guests
OF the Board Of Trade, an able and sensible speech
was made by j. W. Brooks, President Of the Mich
igan Central Railroads. man of experience and
sagacity, well as of large humanity. His words
deserve the thoughtful reading OF all:
"And now | may mention a subject which has
often given me, as Western railroad manager,
cause for anxiety. It's the want OF a more steady
and reliable market for the produce OF the great
food producing region. Its power of production
has hardly begun to be developed, but even now
it is often without market for its products The
natural BUYERS of surplus food are the manufactur
ers, and the great body of these live too far away
from us. England does not import food from this
country until she has exhausted those nearer
home which usually supply nearly all she requires.
Sometimes short crop will bring her here for a
considerable amount and run up prices so high as
to stimulate an overproduction and render the sur
plus thereafter more unwieidy than ever. Esti-
mating the growers portion Of the price received
at an average OF % cents per bushel of corn. and
so cents for wheat the exports of breadstuffs for
the last lS years have yielded to the growers an
average of about thirteen millions of dollars per
snnum, rising as high as S34 500 900 and falling
"a low $500 900 per annum, some years more
than forty times much as at others, yielding TO
The nation a maximum of but little dollar
per head. and sometimes failing below three
This outlet Is too insi ignican at best, and too un
reliable at all times for so important an interest in
our NATIONAL economy. II has not prevented the
price Of corn to the farmer of Illinois from falling
to eight cents per bushei, when it is sometimes
over eighty Ii is not a wise arrangement of the
worlds economy for those who raise surplus of
food and those who have deficiency to be scpar.
sted by thousand miles Of ocean. Thus situated,
il il no wonder that the asrculrurst and the man
ufacturer, who should be natural allies, meet so
seldom and to such small purpose. Who pays for
this anomalous condition of things. for the trans
pOrtation of raw material and food from this coun
try to the European manufacturer and portion Of
the product back again. The Western producer
makes a large contribution i'm the los price and
reduced amount of his produce, and the foreign
operative a very large contribution in wages; and,
shame To the nations, long hours OF chi dbood's
labor, bringing ignorance and degradation, misery
and want into hundreds of thousands of what
ought tn be cheerful and happy mes. Ii is
claimed in England that her cheaper labor will
ALWAYS make il for our interest TO employ her peo-
pie to do our manufacturing. Without question.
ing the unselfshness of this advice its soundness
may well he doubted. A hundred thousand -du-
Gated, thinking operatives will invent. in short
time. more simplifying process es TO cheaper the
product than will equal the difference in wages,
AMI though cheap labor will avail OF these invsn-
tons, the great re>ul'-cheaper prodrct-is due to
the educated. higher paid labor Among all the
iavors OF which nations hoast, may we be deliver
ed from that of cheap labor; it would bc fatal to
the institutions OF seIf-governing people. Ii is
the province oil Boards of Trade-th, S. most use
fu organizitions-to aid in securing to on, land
the means of most fully developing its resources.
IL is the dut- of every welIwishcr of his kind To
place hungry where they can get food, to educate
the ignorant, and to restore of all colors from
slavere.
''When the Statesmen Of the Wost shall feel IL
thei' duty, in the National Council, to promote
home manufic,urers, they will know VIII, re to find
New England. and when all convinced, and
act upon the principle that agriculture. manufic-
tureS, and commerce natural allies, this peo-
pie, who have han, OF late, much of common
joy, will not need TO tell the story OF common
glory Tor that will tell is own To the nations of
the whole earth"