Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1874-03-14
PATRONAGE, PRICES &C.


Some people wonder why.it is that
mechanics, in small town, cannot
work as cheap as those III city. To
aid such of those, as desire to know
the reason. we will endeavor to ex-
plain. not by argument, nor by deduc-
tions from the general laws of trade,
but bya simple illustration. Let us
suppose that mechanic goes to vii
lage, rents house for his family,
shop for himself, and advertises, in the
village paper, that. as carriage maker,
he is prepared to do his work faithfully
and on themost favorable terms. Sup
pose again that the circumstances of
the community are such that few can
indulge in the luxury ola pleasure car
rage and in consequence, he succeedsln
selling bat two during the first year
and at profit of three hundred dol
lars each. Less than this will not pay
his rents and furnish the necessaries
of life for his family. He has worked
as cheap as he can, under the circum-
stances, yet he is complained of as ex-
torting more for his work than it is
worth. The next year, however, he
has orders for ten carriages of similar
make. Now twill be seen at a glance,
that he can afford the ten for two hun
dred dollars on each, less than he got for
the first two, and make four hundred
dollars more, as the result of his years
labor.
Without extending the illustration
farther, the reader will understand
that home patronage Of home industry
is indispensable to low prices. But
some will meetthis illustration by sup
posing that the carriage maker does
not lower his prices as his patronage
increases, and ask how the community
is benefited in that case? The only
benefit it would receive, in that event.
would consist in keeping its money at
home, the slight increase of population
and the profit to be derived from feed
ing and clothing that increase. But,
fortunately, the laws of trade never
fail TO furnish remedy for any such
imposition, by any class of mechanics.
And that remedy is competition. A
monopoly in any business, results in
oppression, but cannot long exist, I'M
less upheld by the strong arm of
usurped power, or by the foolish con-
nivance, or tame submission of those
whom it Expresses.
We have endeavored, by simple IL
lustration, to show the benefits
10 be derived from patrOnizing
home Institutions, and as that illustra-
ton applies, with exqual force, to
every branch of mechanic industry,
we deduce from it the plain PROPOSE
ton that, TO build up town We must
encourage home industry, and the
more that industry is diversified, the
sooner and surer will the object be ac-
complished. In order to act under
standingly and efficiently, in accord
ance with this policy, we must bear it
in mind that every dollar sent abroad
detracts that much from our circulst-
ng medium, is so much contributed to
the support of mechanics at distance
and TO the wealth of some distant city
at the cost of the growth of our own.
We must remember too, that, whilst
railroads have the effect of bringing
our mechanics in close competition
with those hundreds of miles away
the fact affords no sufficient apology
for the conduc. of the penny-wise and
pound foolish who, to save small pit
lance, order from abroad, articles that
can be obtained at home; and if moi
so cheap, can be made so, by patroniz
ing those who produce them. Why de
we have to send abroad for agricultur
al implements Because we lack the
public spirit to erect the establish
ments for their manufacture, at home
because the efforts made, on a small
scale, in that direction, are crushed by
the distant competitionjust mentioned
and because they are discouraged by
the mistaken policy of those who be-
lieve that anything home made, mus
be inferior to that which comes from ;
destant mandatory. Under these dis
couraging circumstances, 1t is not sur
prising that our town does not grow
faster, or that our farmers still want +;
home market for their surplus pro
ducts. We send iron ore to Pittsburt
and other manufacturing centers
where it is wrought into every form
needed by consumers and is sent bacl
TO US, with all the costs and profits SUI
peradded, and we foot the bill withou
a moments reflection upon what VI
might save by working the ore, here
And so it goes to the end of the chap
ter.