Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-05-27
HOME MANUFACTURERS.
A CoInsnunieaiien from Jshn i.
mcGann. lsi. sis'
Some Facts and Figures that cannot
Z be Confr0verfesi- fs&

: TO the Editors Of the Unien and American
al Having discussed the subject of hoI
manufactures very freely in one of 0
: city journals, may I not claim the indl
genee of your readers while | present
. few uncontroyertibie facts, 10 show d
profits arising from manufacturing esta
lishments, not only in or own State, b
in three other States. i End from an e.
animation of the census Of 1860, the late
data J. have upon the subject, that Il
Stale of Massachusetts has invested in HI
manufactures the sum of 1892 ,32
Consisting of S,176 establishments, giviu
employment TO 1925 males and ILLS
females, total of 2l7,421 persons, nearl
one-fifth Of her population, at an averas
| price of 81 62 each, or $50, 960,9l3, cor
suming raw material to the value {
| $l35, 053,72 and producing products I
the value of $255, 545, 922, or a nett prof
| $63, 533, 2SS-over AZ per cent on In
amount of capital invested. Her popu
lation was 1921, 066 souls or nearly l5S &
the square mile. $685.. coHs .Il 80
New York atthe same time had 22,624
manufactures, with capital of $l72,S95,
652, giving employment TO 176,SS5 males
and 5S, 227 females, or a total of $50 IL
persons, or nearly one-sixteenth of hel
population, at cost of 81 "a each pei
day, or total cost of Sos, 446, 759, using
up raw material TO the value Of $214,S16, :
e6l, producing manufactures to the value
Of 1878 $40, 939, showing net profit OF
S9S, sos, 1l9, or profit of over fifty six
per cent. Her population was $3.50, 735,
or about 50 persons to the square mile.
i find in Kentucky 8, $50 establishments,
with u capital of SIG, 256, 279, giving en-
ployment to 1857 males and 1871 fe-
males, or nearly one in 81 of her people,
at an average cost of So SO per head, or q
total cost of Sc, 020, 1872 for labor, using up
raw material to the value Of So, 295, 759,
and producing manufactured goods to the
value of $37 1881, 24O, showing net profit
OF So, 6l5, 1893, or over AZ per cent. on the
capital invested. Her population was
l,l55,6S4 or "a to the square mile.
Tennessee has 2,572 establishments
with a capital of S14, 426, PSI, giving EN-.
ployment TO IL $50 males and GAG females,
or total of 12,52s persons, or only one
in IS of her people at a cost of So, SIC, 687,
or 81 SO per day each, using up raw
material TO the value of $9,4l6,5l4, pro-
dnclng manufactures to the value of $l7,-
9S7 ,225, showing net profit of $4,000, 024,
or over 81 per cent. The population of
the State is 1,l09,S0l or % TO the square
mile.
1t will thus be seen that the per cent. of
profit in Tennessee is 10 per cent. less
than Massachusetts and Kentucky, and 10
per cent. less than New York. The cues.
ton naturally arises, how does this dis
crepancy occur? / answer, from the in
creased price of raw material, most of our
manufacturers being engaged in making
-four and iron, and the per cent. of profits
is cut down by the proximity of the price
Of wheat to flour, and ore to iron. / know
that fully one fourth of the manufactures
Of the State is -four; as is shown by the
census, and fully another fourth is iron.
and it is the opinion by our best mechanic
cal minds that, if our manufacturers were
as much diversified as they are in other
States, our profits would be equally as
large if not greater than in those States.
1t must be borne in mind that 10 per cent.
must be taken off from the above for
wear and tear of machinery, insurance,
and other contingent expenses, which still |
leaves an immense profit to the manu-
One other noticeable feature of the above
Is the fact that Tennessee ia next to Mas
sschusetts in point Of price for labor, being
Dnly seven cents per day above that |
State, and taking the large disproportion
Of female operatives into consideration az |
between Massachusetts and our State, un-
assert that labor is much |
cheaper in Tennessee than in Massaehu-
etts. Let US then have no more doubling |
rhomases on the.subject of manufactures
n Tennessee | have clearly demonstrated
he fact that as an investment manufacture
ng stock will pay large dividend on the
mount OF capital invested, and in order to
ring this question home to some Of our
ocal capitalists, let me ask them if they
10 not know that our manufacturers have
'een paying them enormous rates of inter-
st for money for ten years, and that the
have not only paid them
bis usurious rate Of interest, but have
Imported their families and some of them
ave accumulated large estates. ~
Again, let us take the three cities of
Dwell, New Bedford and Nashville. We
md in Lowell, in 1860, population of
{, S27 souls, with 10 manufacturing estab-
lshmenis, with a capital invested of $l4,-
IS. 200, giving employment to 4, 565 males
nd S,64l females, being over one-third Of
er population, and turning out manufac-
1red goods 10 the value of $18,252, 1876, or
yer 81 1881 each for every person engaged
q the factories, or nearly $500 for every
including even the smiling
abe at its mothers breast. We find in
Jew Bedford a population of 22,300
eople, with Is manufacturing establish
lents, with capital Of $12, 409, 400 in
ested, and giving employment to 1862
1ales and and 665 females, being over one
alf Of its population, and annually turn
ng out manufactured products to the value
{ $l1,775, GAL, being over $3.50 for every
umsn being in this town. We find 10
population of 16,9SS, with IS
nth capital of 81 ,454, 900 invested, and
living employment to 1,176 males and
8 females, being only one-thirteenth of
Ter population, and annually turning
ut only $685., $40 worth of manu-
actured products, or only a little
yer sos for every person in the
Is it to be wondered at
hen that some of our streets present
eggarly account of empty pocketed ci i
ems, while in some of their banks hang
jagged misery. Herein is shown the
ecret Of distress, poverty, and alms-asking
which we are daily called upon to witness.
Ibis is why no real estate is selling. This
3 Why no real immigrants come here, for
hey do not wish to 60 to city and State
there there is no employment for
heir home people, much less strangers.
When we offer inducements to strangers
o settle in our State and can show them
hat it is their interest to come, they will
ONE. But as the case now stands, the ar
isan will avoid your State, for he would
ave no employment were he TO come.
10 10 your Public Square. See our venera-
lie old friend, Pentecost, selling an animal,
nd will show you FIVE hundred idlers
tempt to pass through College or Union
treets, near the Square, and the very way
tself is blocked with idlers. Your whole
ity to-day presents the sad spectacle of
dleness; one half of your people are not
oing anything but loaf. Oh 1 shame,
ghere is thy blush ? Obi industry, look
o thy laurels, or the corroding vice Of
leness will soon corrupt them, for
Idleness is g monster of such hideous mien
Is to be hated, needs but to be seen,
,ut seen too often familiars with its face,
We first endure, then pity. then embrace
That physician who give the diagnosis
# disease without suggesting remedy is
wanting, not only in the attributes of sci
nee, but of benevolenee and charity.
What then is the remedy? answer
york. What then is the medicine? |
Take stock in your cot.
on factory, and you will care for from
hree TO five hundred people at once. Fol-