The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1870-07-16

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ATcuAFALAYA, July 8th, 1870.

HI " tlE oPElOuFS' 80
ing slightly glanced at the changes which
should be made in the industrial relations
of the South, I will 0 point cut what
conceive to be the means necessary to ac-
complsh the object in view.
In the first place then, in order to en-
courage manufactures and create a proper
division of labor in the South; our State
governments should grant such franchises
and privileges and donations of land, or
guarantees, as will encourage without inter
fering with the regular sources of revenue
for the support of the government OF the
State. Such as exempting from taxation
for a term of years, machinery and bnlld-
ings devoted exclusively to manufacturing
purposes, or for the preparation of material
for such purpose granting donations of
internal improvement or swamp lands for
the use o~f.suclla companies and provide by
enactment to aid such companies, where
the State is made unquestionably secure, in
order to extend their manufacturing enter
prises. just on the san c principles, and for
more important reasons, as State aid is
granted to railroad companies. For, in
that case, the aid is granted to construct
roads. to enable the planters to convey
their produce to market whereas, in this
it is given 10 enable them to convert their
crops into a form in which~a. portion of it
may be consumed at home. and thus saving
thousands of dollars. and the remainder
rendered more valuable than the entire crop
would be, to ship itin the raw state. And
besides, it would give employment to the
children of the INDECENT widows who might
in many cases become a burden to the
State, instead of which they become produ-
GERS of wealth and are converted into a
valuable class of independent citizens.
Banking companies, too, when the funds
are not sufficient to supply the require
ments of all, should give the preference in
times of depression, the securities beng
equal, to the manufacturing companies, as
there would be thereby a greater number
benefited, and the result would be more
advantageous to the State. If, for example,
a merchant, or a Spectator of any kind,
applies for a loan, and he buys goods, all Of
which are manufactured beyond the State,
and the enterprise proves a, success; in
such a case no wealth is created to the
State ; the original investment is carried out
of the State. The goods are the represent
atives of the capital invested, they are sold
original cost. All. the expense Of t~ranspor
tation, the merchants travelling expenses,
&C., come out of the consumer. Bv such
an operation there is no wealth created; on
the contrary, all of the productive industry
of one class of citizens is thus FILTERED
away every year. Now, suppose a manu-
featuring company, equally responsible,
should receive the same accommodation,
say one hundred thousand dollars, which
would be expended in a cotton mill. This
mill would give employment to one hundred
operatives, who might be taken from our
non, producing class. The result would be
to create wealth by adding to the galue of
the raw material sufficient to pay the bank
the interest on the capital invested, to pay
the operatives a fair price for their labor,
and the stockholders a fair. dividend and
thus all parties are benefited, because the
additional value was created by the joint
action of all. In the former case the pur-
chasers of goods around the mercantile es-
adjustment may become poorer, while in
the latter case those around the manufactu-
ring institution Will become richer, from
the circulation of increased wealth, Great.
ing q demand for the prodace of the farmer
and market gardener, and in many cases
giving. employment to old men who are too
infirm to engage inmore laborious pursuits.
I have thus endeavored TO point cut the
advantages which may be derived from a
proper encouragement of manufactures and
the mechanic arts, and the relation which
they bear to agriculture, and that they are
naturally dependent upon each other: and
that without this relation is maintained and
supported, no nation or country can be in
dependent. / have glanced at the evils at
tending the separation of those industrial
pursuits, and pointed out what, in my
Judgment, seems to be the true remedy.
Companies should at once be formed by The
association of the planters themselves, who
may by economy and industry be enabled
to invest from one hundred to one thousand
dollars annually, from the nett proceeds of
their crops and o sufficient sum might
thus be raised to commence operations, aid
by pursuing the same course, might in a
few years accumulate a sufficient sum to
convert the whole crop Of a parish, say &c
teen thousand bales, into yarns and cloth.
This could be done with three thousand
spindles, which would require, at fifteen
dollars o spindle, an outlay Of forty five
thousand dollars for the machinery alone.
And by erecting q saw-mill and saving the
lumber, and making the brick on the
ground, all the necessary buildings might
be erected for fifty thousand dollars more
There was 4 company started two years
ago in Mississippi, on fifty thousand dollars,
and such was their success that ut the end
Of the first year they were enabled to in
crease their capital to one hundred and fifty
thousand and the report was that they
could afford u give better wages TO opera
lfiuas and saaIn more nannnN fhnn nf fhn