Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1872-01-03
An Answer 70 81 Fnrmer.n

All Answer W a
EDITORS CHRONICLE: In your issueof
the GOTH inst, | noticed AN article from
Farmer i'm which he cites reasons for
not patronzing home MANUFACTURES. Now
/ 1gW not enter into controversy, but ar
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 having the farmer to 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 keg for nails is for the
standard nail, that is, the ten penny, and
that each lesser size is an additional TWEEN
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 lie gets an Sizes he says, at five dollars
and twenty-five cents or an average less
than the averages prices each. He must
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 a much less figure than here, where our
market will not Justify a large business in
any exclusive article; and again, that all
these things can be and arc 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
counterbalance the frieghts. The second
| point / will make by asking my friend q
| question, Why do you not sell your pro
duce at the same prices as it is sold fol
North and West?
| During last fall received quotations Of
such articles of produce as | would wish
| for my winter supplies, and found them
packed and delivered in Knoxville at >.
cents while it was selling here at 35 to 81
| cents potatoes in Ohio 81 cents per bush
ell, in Knoxville 81 to Sl.5O cents flour re
failing in Ohio at 81, wholesailing il
Knoxville at S. to So apples in Ohio al
so cents, in Knoxville at s., and no ont
but will admit that these articles are a
least rs good as ours, and in many thing:
the Northern farmer is ahead of us as ta1
as Northern manufactures are ahead o
our own enterprises. .-- -.
Now, my dear Farmer" ] have been ;
farmer myself and I always liked to &c
such prices just as we'll as you do, but WI
must recoliect, too, that i'll making wag
ons, sash and doors, nails and IRON &c.
the chief expense is in its labor, and tina
the manufacturer and his laBorer mus
| live OFT your garden sass and must ge
living prices for their work or they can no
pay you what you ask for it, that further
| if you allow them to starye on you
hands, your home market is to some eX
tent gone and your surplus must come int
competition with the prices | have givel
you and pay freights on your produce, toe
My opinion is that we are mutually de
pendent. and for the sake of the future 0
our undeveloped State, must give mutua
encouragement. Shall the manufacturer
and mechanic bring all their family sup
plies from the North, simply because the.
can get them cheaper? Shall the farmers
merchants, etc. 60 North for their iron
: nails, sash, doors, wagons, ETC., simpl,
because they are not sold there as cheapl
as at the factory North No; let Us wOrl
together, as it is to our interest to do, an
soon we shall build up rival factories b.
our trade and while the prices of home
made articles run down, the prices of on
+ produce will remain high and all will Civ
: a ilOurishing independence to East Ten
nessee. HOME,