The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-03-15
THE value of Manufactures

community cannot lc orcr~cstinf'ted. iiclc
can he no great city without manufactures.
There IL no great city which does not mann-
fac,urc vas, amount of fabrics. II is III
reference 10 It's manufacturing facilities that
we look upon Richmond as destined to be-
conc one Of the largest inland cities III the
Union, and possibly the very largest.
Five hundred thousand dollars invested in
manufacturing would gycto Richmond more
population and a More rapid iirT''~' "a
wealth than would five millions OF d"'E''s
employed in merchandise. The BUSINESS .,
merchandise employs onlya small nl'li'pcl u
men IN rrcrortion 10 capital, while manu-
featuring requires II great nliiinel' l" '.'
matter of buving aud selling We only retain
.ba ,,,ins in tine transactions, and III case OF
DEALING in imported goods we send all except
tbe GAINS tia; is paid for those goods out o.
the country. In man1tactur!n" we keep
everything. The raw material, save i'll some
smaller branches of art, is produced or
mined in our own country. The converting
of il into fabrics is the final enhancement OF
rho value of the raw material, and when 1t Is
sold and sent away its whole value is retained
at home The miner gets pay for his labor,
and the manufacturer gets his, While the
wealth Of the State is increased more r'lioi!
than by any other means,
Then we must count the business OF the
feeding. and clothing, and lodging, OF Ii large
population, which add so much to the pros
pcritv of trade aud so much TO the value OF
real estate and tho rents Of landlords. We
repcat, a capital of five hundred thousand
dollars in manufacturing will give employ
mcnt to more people than five millions OF
dollars employed in merchandising. The
reader may have some better appreciation OF
numbers in this matter when we SOY that the
Trcdcgay Works have given employment ut
one time to fourteen hundred men, and
could, when full Of work, employ many more.
Blu; take fourteen hundred, and estimate tic
number of the families and of "hclpS" re-
ullircd to meet al their wants, and we would
have, through those works alone, apopulation
of at least six thousand people. The capital of
the Trcdcgar Works invested in merchandise
would hardly employ more than 4 hundred
men, If that many.
Now, i; was mainly with reference to this
GREAT interest that the expansion Of Rich
moud to the southSide was and is matter Of
paramount Importance. We suppose that if
we say tllat the manufacturing capacity Of
Richniund would be doubled by that cNran-
sion nobody will deny ii. Yet We know That
il weao be more than douhicc. What Il world
of manufacturing wealth thi, multiplication
of the force Of this city would give us, and
how every citizen would share in the golden
results OF such accumulated industry and
thrift.
Not only would this city be the beneficiary
of this grand manufacturing power but the
whole State would derive iucstiniahlc advan-
tagcs from it.
Fi~t-IIcr mineral wealth would be &c.
vclopcd. and all the profits from the first
sta,c OF digging il out of the earth to lis con-
version into the manufactured article would
be retained within her borders, steadily ili-
clrasng her strength and riches.
III this city wolild he 80 increased - 10 greatly
Tighten the burthcn upon the state and lii
pidly diminish the public Indebtedness.
Third-Agriculturc would hc directly
stimulated. and those engaged i'll ii would be
rewarded in manner unprecedented in Viz
ginia. Tue demands for the daily support Of
Il population of four hundred thousand in
Richmond would give employment 10 al
area Of Il hundred miles in circumference
!. C.. added to the ordinary staple crop there
would he variety Of products needed for
this citys consumption that would create
demand i'll this large area. 1t can be readily
seen how tillage would thrive with such III
addition to the variety OF its crops, and the
convenience Of market near home, where
they could be promptly converted into money.
The country thus benefited would show the
good effects in its improvements, its careful
system of culture, and general and graceful
Signs of thrift.
This is only the manufacturing view Of
Richmonds future. 1t will undoubtedly
have large commerce, and its port-embr'-
cling the whole riverand miles on 6oM shores
will i'll few years exhibit the proofs Of its
extent and prosperous condition.
This is the picture we have long hoped
for-long looked for. We never thought
half as much Of party politics as we did of the
physical interests Of Virginia. We long
feared the day When MIGHT would make
RIGHT. 1t has come. And now we shall get
justice in the national councils just il proper
ton to the responsibility of our numbers and
our wealth. The people Of Richmond have
an important part to play In this great game.
They cannot play this part well unless they
unite heartily and encrgctically in the pro-
motion of the general good by broad and COM
prehensive measures, condcnning and dis
carding all Anticipated notions and all the
counsels Of prcjudiced and narrow-minded
men.