Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1872-01-03
An Answer to "a Farmer.o

EDITORS CHRONICLE: In your issue OF
the Goth inst, | noticed an article from
Farmer" in which he cites reasons for
not patronizing home manufactures. Now
l 1CiU not enter into controversy, but at
various times it has been my lot to stand
where could view these matters from the
lookout of, first the farmer, second the
mechanic and third the manufacturer :;
and after hearing the farmer grumble at
low prices for produce and high rates for
manufactured; articles, the labOrOr at low
wages, slow pay and high rates of living,
and the manufacturer at slow debts, nom
patronage, high labor and materials,
freights, &C., / have concluded that none
of us are entirely self-sustaining, and that
none of us are amassing greater fortunes
than we can bestOw at death without en-
downing many charitable institutions. |
would inform Farmer" that the system
of pricing iron and nails throughout the
North is different from what it is here,
and the price quoted four dollars and
seventy-five cents per key for nails is for the
standard nail, that is, the ten penny, and
that each lesser size is an additional tTen-
ty-five cents extra until where he gets to
three penny-they are priced at about six
dollars or six dollars and fifty cents, while
here he gets all sizes, he says, at five dollars
and twenty-five cents or an average less
IIldl Illc average ltIICcS I4dSC' liz ulUSI
also recollect that, in those places which
have a sufficient market to devote large
capital to the one item of doors or farm
wagons, these things can be manufactured
at much less figure than here, where our
market will not justify large business in
any exclusive article; and again, that all
these things can be and are made here at
less figures than they can be delivered from
the North.
But my friend may ask: "Why are they
not sold at the same prices as the the same
articles are sold at the factory North ?''
First: because we are the market for the
surplus of Northern manufactures and get
very low quotations in order that they may
counterbaiance the frieghts. The second
point will make by asking my friend a
question, Why do you not sell your pro-
iNcG at the same prices as it is sold for
North and West?
During last fall [ received quotations of
such articles of produce as | would wish
for my winter supplies, and found them
as follows: Butter in Ohio - cents or
packed and delivered in Knoxville at %
cents, while it was selling here at 80 to 90
cents potatoes in Ohio 81 cents per BUSH
eli, in Knoxville 81 to 81. so cents {; flour re-
falling in Ohio at 81, wholesaleing in
Knoxville at IS to 50; apples i'll Ohio at
80 cents, in Knoxville at 50, and no one
but will admit that these articles are at
least as good as ours, and i'll many things
the Northern farmer is ahead of lis as far
as Northern manufactures are ahead of
our own enterprises.
Now, my dear Farmer / have been a
farmer myself and [ always liked to get
such prices just as well as you do, but we
must recollect, too, that i'll making wag-
Ons, sash and doors, nails and iron, &C.,
the chief expense is Units labor, and that
the manufacturer and his laborer must
live off your garden sass" and must get
living prices for their work or they can not
pay you what you ask for it, that further,
if you allow them to starve on your
hands, your home market is to some eX-
tent gone and your surplus must come into
competition with the prices | have given
you and pay freights OH your produce, too.
My opinion is that we are mutually de-
pendent. and for the sake of the future of
our undeveloped State, must give mutual
| encouragement. Shall the manufacturers
and mechanic bring all their family sup
plies from the North, simply because they
can get them cheaper? Shall the farmers,
merchants, etc. go North for their iron,
nails, sash, doors, wagons, ETC., simply
because they are not sold there as cheaply
as at the factory North? No; let us work
together, as it is to our interest TO do, and
soon we shall build up rival factories by
| our trade; and while the prices of home
made articles run down, the prices of our
produce will remain high and all will give
fiourishing independence to East Ten
| nessee. HOME.