The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-08-31
Advantage of Combining Energies

DaTQly uafeSH tCuO. ...#5
Advantage of Combining Energies.
The last census demonstrates the impor-
tant fact that in States largely manufac-
turing the net income Of the agriculturlSt IS
THREE TINES AS GREAT as in the States largely
agricultural. And yet we have seen here
in Virginia in past years On amount OF aver
sion, il not positive hostility, to city COM
.munities that was amazing. This aversion
was fostered in agricultural communities.
1t impressed itself upon the public nina
with an emphasis which has caused 1t 10
endure to this day with somewhat d.
minisbed force 1t is no uncommon
thing in the Virginia Legislature now
a.days to see men endeavoring to preju-
dice policies and ideas that may BE exploited
in that body by stamping them as Of Rich
mond origin, as the conceit OF the Chamber
of Commerce, &c. Men vino have not a
1.-THE OF the knowledge and Judgment of
the humblcst member of the Chamber have
stood with the effrontery peculiar to ig'-
noranca and coarsely ridiculed the ideas and
arguments of that body. This was the result
OF mere preiudice-a blind prejudice that
tended to the direct injury OF the people
the agricultural people OF the State.
Upon the point made in the commence
ment OF this article; that agriculture is more
profitable in manufacturing State than in
State peculiarly or largely devoted to asri-
culture, we take few extracts from paper
printed by the Southern Fertilizing Com
papy in recent pamphlet. The paper be-
gins by stating that the chief point in the
economy OF LAID is to preserve an cqui-
librium OF the three great elements OF the
industrial state-agrculture, commerce,
and manufactures. This equilibrium can
not be efectually established where agri-
culture looks exclusively to a foreign mar
kct for the reasons stated below:
"Thc farmer who depends upon dis
| tant market can never carry on his farming
by the best methods. He cannot raise that
variety OF crops by which the pressure of
tilage upon the resources Of the soil is
lightened, for such crops cannot be trans
ported to distance. lie must grow the
staples that meet the foreign demand; year
after year, to the exhaustion of the most
| important elements OF his land. He cannot
make such returns to the soil as will keep
up its fertility-the refuse Of the factory
and the town are not to be had. The high
| ly heterogeneous forms OF animal manure he
can procure in trlfing quantities ouly, as
| his own cattle and those OF his brother
| farmers are the only beasts of the sort in
| his neighborhood, and are far fewer in num-
Der than if he had town close at hand
| making large demands for meat and dairy
produce. He can only farm thrftlessly and
| wastefully; i'll one sense OF the word, his
place is not farm, but q wheat-factory or
corn-factory. The farmer who lives near
his market is continually improving an in
| strument Of great power and value; he
| who lives at distance from his market is
continually iniuring it and breaking it.
| The one is adding every year to the wealth
Of the soil beneath his feet; tue other is
exporting that wealth TO distance without
the opportunity OF making any return to
the soil he is robbing Of its fertility.
"The economy Of labor consists not in
getting along with as little as possible OF it,
but in finding remunerative employment
for as much of it as possible. II labor be
the source OF weilth-and this is one of the
few points OH which all are agreed-then
the country must advance to wealth that has
work for all who are willing and able to do
it. TO find work for all is one Of the greatest
problems that nation has to solve. None
has yet attained to a complete solution OF it !;
but none is so TAR from, its solution as the
country In aohich agriculture IS the only en-
pioyment open TO the great mass of the
people; for farming, as rule, furnishes
employment only to robust men, and i'll the
open air. All others-women, the young,
the sickly-are left in idleness and depend
ence upon the farming class, except as noted
hereafter. The greater the variety Of the
industry the more the demand for labor,
aud the better the laborer is paid; for in
stead Of two workmen competing for every
Job, we will have two maSterS-tWO sorts OF
Understanding after every workman.
"The creation OF diversified industry
introduces sucn change into farming itself
rs enables the farmer to employ greater
variety OF labor. A home market takes the
place Of the distant one, and crops are
grown that require pore care and attention,
but repay them with larger profits. Farm
ing passes out Of its wasteful ertensiue phase
into the intensive stage, in which its opera
tons are more productive and profitable.
And this 'miXed farming which pays
best all the world over, is as varied in the
sorts OF labor it employs as in the products
OF the labor. Women and children can
now be employed, as physical strength ana
endurance are no longer the sole requisites"
The argument pretty clearly stated here
goes far to show how State where the
three industrial elements are in equilibrium
the net income from agriculture is greatly
larger than in the State that is largely agri-
cultural
Another most important consideration
with reference to the equilibrium OF the
three elements in State is the large IN
crease OF public revenue that is produced
by it. The Southern Fertiiizing Company
in their circular offers the following COM
nonsense view upon this point:
"As manufactures (Which are generally
located in towns) increase in State. this
increase means decrease in the taX-burden
borne by the rest OF the community. Fer
instance, Baltimore noWs pays two thirds
las we are iniormed) Of the State taxes Of
Maryland. The burden on the rest OF the
State is thus reduced to very trifing fig.
ure. Now, Richmond is not only the capi-
tai city OF Virginia. but nature has made
every possible provision for her In the d.
rection OF manufactures. Her location for
distribution is trst-class; she has an ample
supply of excellent coal almost within the
city limits Ito say nothing OF what arrives
by the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad,, easy
access 20 cur iron deposits, and her water
poweri is OF the best. Considering the fact that
nearly all the business portion of the city dis
by fire at the end Of the war, inciu~
ding her banks and insurance companies, |