The Ottawa free trader., 1882-04-01
OTTAWA FREE TRADER; SATURDAY. APRIL l. 1852.

shrug MS shoulders, anu II Is sau tlat IL IL
Just as cheap 10 UniId brick house In the
country as frame one, taking all things INTO
consideration, Now the tile man with n
thousand dollars worth of tile on hand would
think IL u losing business to wait the COM
munds OF the farmer who could not haul in
the winter, when he had time, on account OF
the roads, and would not IN the summer when
his time was needed uu the farm. Thus
good many loads 0i tile would remain on hand
unsOld and many farms would go undralncd
I from year 10 year And there is no reason
why the wclltOdo farmer living tour or five
miles from town should not supcr-ede his old
frame dwelling with handsome brick resi-.
dencc but the winter season with good roads
would be the time To haul hIs material to he
IN readiness for the mHsOns IN the spring.
| Suppose again that some capitalist pleased
with the location aud apparent advantages,
should wish 10 put up II wooeu or cotton
factory and see no reason why Ottawa should
not sustain II woOlen or cotton FACTORY, or
both, and should ask some pertinent questions
about the farmers and The general condition
of the country roads, whether the soil and eli.
mate were adapted to the production of vege.
tables and other products, and the state Of the
roads were such that ri all times eight hun
dred or thousand extra mouths could be
supplied with fresh vegetables meats and
brcadstutls, butter and eggs, poultry, game
and such Ike, II prices 40 reasonable that our
operatives could i've above starvation and lay
| up something IN the savings bank for rainy
day, the reply might be that we are independ.
ent of the farmers we take no stock IN their
roads, let them keep them up themselves rs
the law requires, they cut no figure whatever
in our manufacturing interests; Chicago Is
our principal market we have two railroads
now leading to that city ana expect two or
three more, and could get acarload of potatoes
from there IN less tme than we could get a
wagon load from the country, and If the roads
should become SO bad that the butchers could
not get to the farmers nor the farmers to
them, We could get supply of beef, veal and
mutton from Chicago on very short notice
and rs for butter, we have creamery in our
very midst that makes the regular gilt
edged" butter, an article far superior to any
that is made by the farmers wives. Your op-
eratives would never want for butter even II
all the country cows should go dry.
Though the above is written rather face
tiously, there Is no intention of treating with
disrespect the opinions and actions of those
worthy men who compose this association
Their intentions are good their object Isl
praiseworthy, but with due reference and sub
mission to their superior judgments must be
allowed to say that think they have stum-
bled at the very threshold.
No inland town can ever become large
commercial and manufacturing city at the
expense o! the surrounding country and no
country and inland city can thrive when the
roads connecting the one with the other are |
impossible during over short portion of the
wear. Seaport towns and "rock.rlbbed' cities
may, for they have access by the sea to all the
world Tyre was distinguished for her dye
stutfs and Venice tor everything that was
beautiful and Esthctica
Manufactures of every kind must be carried
on upon economical principles if made prof
table both to the capitalist and the labOrer.
There must be no waste OF any kind, nodelays,
no guesswork, no holding up for wind and
weather." rs with farmers sometimes. The
proper ratio between capital and labor must
be maintained, II both parties would thrive
When this ratio is dirturbed one or the other
must suffer accordingly
If rents are high and provisions dear, the
operative may not be able to support his fami-
ly by his wages. He may work hard for
while to keep the wolf from the door, but there
is a limit to despair, and strikes will even
tually follow. If the capitalist cannot afford
70 increase the wages the mandatory must
suspend and financial distress must happen |
TO all concerned.
Now, 1t is contrary 70 the principles OF po-
litlcal economy to suppose that manufactures
ply of the neCessares of life are so tiuctuatlng
that at one time there will be great scarcity,
and at another time great glut in the market;
or that provisions can be supplied to inland
manufacturing towns by distant city as cheap
as by the surrounding country.
The supply and demand for any article
should be so regulated that there never would
be great scarcity or glut at any time. The
supply of meats or vegetables should be equal
to the demand-no more, no less, II possible.
The fluctuation in the price would then be so
little that the operative would know now 10
supply the demands OF his family with regard
to his wages, and the farmer and the gardener
would know how much Of any gwen product
he would have TO raise IN order to meet the
demand, and the probable price he may re-
celve; but as it IL, and under the present con-
ditlOn of the roads, there IS but little encour-
agement for him to raise any more than MS
family will consume, for he is just as apt to
hit the "glHt" IN the market as the scarcity"
He may get a great price for his butter ana
potatoes at one time and but little for them at
another.
IT he sells his potatoes IN the fall when he
digs them. he soon gluts the market. Ii ne
puts them in his cellar he must keep them TIL
spring, and he then gluts the market again
He cannot haul them when the ground is
frozen lest he freeze them tie cannot maui
them when the frost is out, for the roads are
then impossible. In the meantime there Is
of potatoes in the manufacturing
tows and the price is high.
1t was not my intention to write an essay on
the principles of political economy, but an
article on the subject OF country roads. Will
cut matters short, as it should have been cut
off some pages hack, by saying that since the
is as much interested IN the progress OF
as the town. since the growth OF
the town adds to the prosperity of the coun-
try, and elsa persd, and that there should oe
mutually of sentiment and action between
them the business men of Ottawa should De
wiliHg to unite with the business men OF the
country ut farmers can be called business
men) in projecting in some legal way ssystem