Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1870-05-24
Home Manufacture VS.. Importation.

Various causes operate against
homo manufactures in tho Western
States. A few of these we may brief
ly consider: One is q natural and
often deep seated preference felt by
the resident for anything which
comes from the neighborhood of his
former home. Nearly the whole
settlement Of the Western coun-
try is from the East and large
numbers of the original settlers are
still living. The wagons and car
riages which they used in their old
homes were necessary to transport
them and their effects to the West.
The implements of husbandry and
mechanism which they brought
them, they have used and have with
become accustomed to and have con-
fidence in them, and are slow to be-
lieve that in this new country suf-
fciently skilled mechanics and good
enough material can be found to re-
place the imported article. Another
reason is that until within a few
years there has existed no demand
for heavy and expensive agricultural
implements sufficiently concentrated
TO warrant the manufacture of these
articles on "a scale extensive enough
TO insure Cheapness to the buyer
and afford fair profit to the maker
Large stocks OF material, expensive
improvements in machinery and
great motive power can only be af-
forded when large supplies of the
manufactured stuffs are needed
which, of course, depends upon the
demand. Until within few years
the people have managed to get
along with the old wagons, plows,
and other implements imported with
them but these by wear, decay and
the need of more extensive machin-
cry are having to be replaced, and
new vehicles, new plows, cultivators,
reapers and threshers must take their
place. Can these be made here or
must they come from abroad :? The
manufacture of vehicles of every de-
scription is now being successfully
carried on in nearly every city and
village in the West. The same can
be said of the plows, cultivators and
other farming implements of Wost-
ern manufacture, and nothing but a
concentrated demand is needed 10
build up here at home establishments
for the building Of the larger and
more extensive machines, and which
could safely compete with Eastern
competition. The wood which
forms the largest and most cumber-
some part of the material used is
everywhere abundant, and of as good
quality as can be procured anywhere
else. In fact much of the timber
used in Eastern manufactures is i'm
ported at great expense from differ
ent parts Of the West. This material
is shipped back to US at another cost
in the thousand manufactured articles
of every day use. The iron and steel
can DO furnished here quite as cheap
as at many of the places whore it is
now worked so with other articles
that enter into the manufacture Of
machinery and implements. and
rents, fuel and provisions are cheap
er than eastward.
One thing is greatly needed to in
crease aud build up our home manu-
features, and that is little prefer
ence shown by our citizens fer the
homemade work. The rapidly
growing West is already burdened
by her dependence upon Eastern
skill ant labor and must look to the
cncoursg meut OF her home manu-
| features ~ suffer consequences dam
aging su" tatai w may continue
the subject ID future article