Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-03-01
. The Reason Why.


terry to us, why certain articles could
! be manufactured in one country,
shipped to distant regions and there
sold at lower. price than similar ar
ticles could be made for from native
material. For many years after San
Francisco had become q city of ample
proportions. the simplest household
utensi1 or piece of soft wood furni-
ture could he manufactured in any
one of the Atlantic cities, shipped
around the Horn and set down in
San Francisco at less figure than
the article could, or would be, made
for by Pacific coast artisans. But
between California and the Eastern
States, such one-sided state of af-
fairs no longer exists. California
dealers were not long in finding out
that their Yankee friends were bland
ly receiving from them hundreds of
thousands of dollars, every year,
which might just as we'll be kept at
home to foster their own improve
ments, and develop Pacific coast re-
sources. While their State possessed
the raw material in wood and metal,
the steam and water power to run
machinery and the brain and muscle
to manage the whole, intelligent Cali
fornians began to see how suicidal it
was to send their coin and bullion
out of the country, never to return.
Now, O state of affairs exists be-
tween California and this Territory
very similar to that which formerly
existed between that State and the
Atlantic coast. With chronic stupid
ity, we send our raw material to San
Francisco, whence it is sent back co
US in the shape of household utensils,
furniture and farming implements,
for which we pay the very money
which ought to be retained at home
for the payment of taxes and invest
ment in domestic enterprises.
A case in hand, most signally il
lustrates The practical workings of
this mischievous policy, and clear
ly solves the problem to which we
alluded i'll the outset. A dealer in
town. offers San Francisco made bed
room sets for about the same price
charged for the labor alone required
TO man ufacture such set here. To
put this matter to the test, the deal
er asked n furniture maker of Tum-
water what he would charge for
putting up" q bedroom set like
one pointed out, recently shipped
from San Francisco, and made there
in part, ii not wholly, from Puget
Sound lamber, he, the dealer, furn-
ishing all materials, including lum-
Der, hardware, looking glass, paints
oils, varnishes and paying the cost
of applying the same. The lowest
price fixed by the mechanic was but
five dollars less than the imported set
is sold for, ready to be carted to the
house of an Olympia purchaser.
The solution of the vexed question,
then, seems to turn solely ON the
price of mechanical labor, and until
something can be done by producers
and consumers to put forever to
fight the evils we have attempted to
point out, there is little hope for the
future of our manufacturing inter-
ests.
Improved woodworking machin-
cry appears to be one of the most
essential requirements to bring about
the change so much to be desired
by all who would like to see O. for
ward movement III our industries.
Such machinery, once set in opera
ton here, and its reputation for do
ing good work fully established, we
believe the way would be opened
for large and constantly increasing
trade. We have wide scope of
territory to supply with o thousand
and-one articles indispensable to
new and growing country. Now it
appears that, if the broad principle
of live and let live were effectually
inaugurated ana faithfully adhered
to, we should soon be exporting in
stead of importing thousands of dol
lars worth of just such manufac-
tured products as we should be turn
ing out every day. The American