Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-08-02
atnion aud Smerifan.
TRURsnAY- AUGTsT ?. 1850.
the CAUSE OF HIGH PRICES.

The first and most important reason is th,
undue scarcity Of everything needed Tn,
New York Commercial attributes il TO ia,
men employed North and South in carrying
on the war, and in producing the materials
necessary for its prosecution, and which are
useless for every other purpose Of man.
oeasing to produce that which is useful to
humanity; and consequently the price Of all
things rose. New supplies will commence
to reach the markets this Autumn, and will
undoubtedly tend to reduce the price Of arti-
cles Of food, but it viii require several crops
70 fully overcome the injurious effects Of the
short production and the unusual cOnsump-
ton during the war.
A second cause Is the innumerable taxes
imposed on the production importation and
exchanges Of commodities. These all swell
the price Of the various articles needed by
the people.
third cause is the veXatious formalities
now necessary to every operation Of the
community from the supervision and the
interference Of the innumerable Government
officials who impose and collect our multi
taFious and annoying taxes. excises, stamps
and Custom House duties. Every expense
and every delay adds 10 the price Of the ar
ticles for which tEey are incurred. If our
people would visit the Custom House Of
this city, they would find huge granite
building, occupying a whole block, filled
With Government officials, Custom House
clerks merchants and clerks, whose sole oc-
cupation is to overcome artificial obstruc-
tions 10 the beneficial exchange Of commodi-
ties between the United States and foreign
countries. All these persons might occupy |
their time at something useful instead of |
g-ueFfrrr - f44 4. Il.
and this would reduce the cost of everything |
we consume, because il would reduce the |
cost Of all foreign commodities and increase /
the amount produced az home, without in |
any way increasing the amount Of labor at |
present performed
A fourth cause is the use Of a depreciated /
and constantly iuctuating currency. When |
gold Is at 100, everything imported from |
foreign countries, as well as everything pro-
duced at home, costs fifty per cent. more
han II would if we made our EXCHANGES with
a sound currency Of equal value that
used by other commercial nations.
A fifth cause is the exor5itant cost Of rents
owing 10 scarcity Of houses throughout the
whole country. This scarcity is due partly
10 tae insufficient amount Of labor al our
command during the war, but still more to
the use Of a deprecated currency, which en-
hauces the cost Of building. Capitalists are
unwilling TO contract houses at SO per cent
more than they viii be worth when the
country returns once more-as its inevitably
ruust-to a sound currency. The high rents
now paid for houses and for the buildings
used by producers and merchants, necessi-
tates a corresponding increase to the con-
sumers, Of The price Of every article they
purchase.
D. a IL
ceive the visit Of a tax collector, vet indi-
rectly pay their full share of the taxes levied
on the country. And we also perceive that
the interest Of the whole country impera-
lively requires that VIC should promptly re-
turn 10 a sound currency, and that all taxes
should be levied in such a manner as to be
collected. Hitherto our legis-
Iators have entirely disregarded these re-
luisites