Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-10-07


course the less interference with the laws of |
competition which should govern all trade, the |
better for all concerned. The experience OF the ,
past few years has demonstrated the lmpfoba- |
bility of securing any valuable assistance from |
legislation, and in our Judgment the frequent |
change of the laws affecting these interests Is |
more to be feared than desired, as it causes
constant feeling Of insecurity which prevents
pushing the business with that vigor which is
necessary to its success.
CARS AND CAR WHEELS.
What was said in the opening sentences Of
this report about the present condition OF BUSH
ness in the country generally applies with spec
ia force to this important branch of industry.
This is not the time to judge Of its progress,
as it Of all others is the sufferer by the recent
panic in Railway Securities No one however
believes that this depression can last long To
believe that business so directly connected
with our national progress should long Lam
guish would be to doubt the future growth
and prosperity Of our country. The great West
is rapidly increasing in population and wealth,
and the enormous quantities OF agricultural
products that its rich inexhausted soil annually
| yields for Eastern and foreign con-
sumption must be brought to the seaboard
| for use for shipment and exchange. The mer-
chandise ard machinery must go back. and the
population must be moved speedily and comfort
ably. These facilities for transportation must n-
crease with the growing demands of the country
| More lines must be built. and more cars to stock
| them. Private enterprise can do this cheaper
and better than it can be done by the public
/ corporations that own these roads, and there
fore those having the greatest facili-
/ ties and experience will always have
/ enough to do to supply the demand. except
| when interfered with by these unnecessary
panics which by reckless disregard of known
laws governing commercial tranzactions are 80
often precipiteted upon us, by the business
| gamblers which nfest our great centres of fl
nance and exchange, and spread distrust and de-
strnction to the uttermost parts OF our country.
Fortunately our car building firms are too
strong to be compelled to yield. under this great
depression, and the losses they sustain are not
at all serieus This is indeed gratifying and
speaks well for their wise business foresight
and Judgment. Surely every one interested in
| the prosperity Of our city and especially in the
welfare of our skilled workmen, will be anxious
| to see the orders for cars coming in once moro,
| as they did before this panic.
The manufacture OF car wheels is still carried
| on with increasing vigor and energy, the 90 en-
| gagged in their production having Increased and
improved their facilities for producing first class
work.
MOROCCO.
Although this branch of manufacture has not
been as profitable as IN former years, yet the
production has been very well kept up, and our
manufacturers have both extended and improv-
cd their facilities. The construction of improv-
ed machinery for the manufacture Of morocco,
is now attracting much attention and our manu-
facturers seem to be determined to make this
the leading place for the production OF morocco
by providing themselves with every advantage
possible in the shape Of machinery. The causes
which have operated against this business dur
lug the past year are not at all local IN their
nature but affect the trude similarly wherever
| it liz carried on. Scarcity and consequent high
prices Of stock, the result Of an active demand
for skins in Germany and France, together with
| the large quantity OF cheaper material used as
a substitute for morocco may be named as many
| the causes of this small margin OF profit. 1t is
certainly reasonable to suppose that supply and
demand will in time regulate the prices of mo-
| rocco 80 as to leave the usual margin OF profit
to the best manufacturers and no doubt our
| manufacturers will be near ready as any to
secure whatever advantage may be offered Ill
tho future OF the trade.
CARRIAGES.
This trade was late In commencing during the
last year, owing to the backwardness Of the sea-
, son, and most of our carriage builders having
t increased their capacity for turning out work
3 found themselves with a large stock on hand
later in the season than usual but this work it
Q now well sold out and from what information
we have been able to gather from the trade
We do not hesitate to say that the production
and sale of work has nearly il not quite eqnaled
+ that Of any preceding year, Notwithstanding the
| lateness of the season and the recent monetary
| disturbances This trade is very large with Ut
. | aud furnishes remunerative employment to
i | large number of the very best mechanics VT
y have On the whole the trade ls usually pros
: | porous and the fears expressed early in the
| season tlhJ TINS WOulu not DC DfOllhDl6 veal
,. have not been realized. The outlook is good
@ and the trade is surely on the increase, and thu
, enterprise manifested during the pa few year
y if continued can but succeed in establishing TO
u | Wilmington an envable nOIorety as place 10
= the manufacture of first class work.
% IRON.
E As has been before stated in the reports O
II this Board. this business is perhaps more import
u ant to Wilmington than any other, and it
81 not too much we think to claim that the persis
~ cut efforts OF this Board to attract attention
l. the advantages our city offers for this industI
g. have produced good results. In addition to til
&c extensive works at Edgemoor 10 which alusio
l! has been made in preceding reports we have |
| record the foundation of two more large snte
10 prses of somewhat similar nature in our cit
d | limits. namely, the extensive works already bI
Ol gun by the Mccullough Iron Co., on the prope
p ~ known as " The Rocks" for the mAnnfactul
Or of sheet iron and the rolling mills of the Chri
p tiana Iron Co soon to be put in operation Il
to the production of plate iron. The selection
our city as the place to build these works /
ne these of large experience here al
Ut elsewhere affords practical evidence OF IL
ed strongest kind possible that our claims to supe
Tor advantages for the production of iron al
d, well founded.
We repeat what cannot be too often state
IA that Wilmington has the following advantage
at as an iron manufacturing point
Ic- LIST Location on tide water at the nearest poll
a. inland, where uniformly good harbors arc a
forded, to the rich mineral deposits of Penn
a with twelve miles OF wharf fronts within her CT
d. limits.
ng End. Transportation facties-a system of Lar
IL and water transportation unexcelled on the A
re lantic coast, with competing lines running
every possible dlrect III. This system is nc
ial complete and the various ores or kinds of III,
to used in manufacturing whether on tide water
~ railroad can as easily be gathered here as at al
on other point in the country. We call especial {
tention to the word competing lin the foregoil
sentence, as the fact announced by that word
IN. equal in importance to the announcement tn
any facilities at all exist. The experience and O
ECU servation Of many manufacturers have taug
rus them that any enterprise great small that pu
uu itself III the power OF any. one transportation
~ consents to its own injury if not destructiu
ler Monopoies are not rule liberal. and the pc
me session of power is generally used to the adva
I'm tage ofIhe posi- sOr without due gard TO rigl
III % others; many firms and Companies that LA
ihu been induced by valuable gifts Of land a
lng contracts in freights at low rates for term
nd' years have learned by bitter experience after
NY term expired that they paid dearly for the &
lui and that their new tariff of rates soon ma
u the first one very high. But this knowledge
lnu ways comes too late to be Of service, as the
ihB vestment is then too great to bs sacrificed, a
nat 80 unwingly the transportation Co. is made
en- full partner in the profits, without liability
ol losses. The manufacturer locating here avo
lsl, all this danger. II the railroad freights are
anu high he can use the water, and if one vessel v
ter not make the right rate, another may. At a
cen rate his independence is secured, and he is Iii