The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1884-05-09
AN EASY LESSON.

<Ai> IfhSi 1GOOOIN.
Under the above head the Boston
Journal of April a4th contained the
following, which as an illustration OF
the effect of protection on the price
paid for protected manufactured ar
ticles, is of real value to the general
reader. And it is a fact that the
same result follows in every case
when by protection the production OF
a given article is secured to the
home manufacturer. To the rule
there are few if any exceptions. But
note carefully what the Journal has
to say:
"Several days since ''the esteemed
Transcript" to use the current and
courteous language in which Boston
papers refer to each other, expressed
some incredulity regarding some
statements made by the Journal in
relation to the rapid progress in the
production of cotton goods which
such enterprising managers as those
of the Merrimack Mills are making.
In the first place, we would inform
the Transcript that the Merrimack
Mills made nothing but prints ten
years ago, as The Journal asserted.
The difficulty with the Transcript
appears to be that it is so absorbed
in the welfare of foreign manufac
lures, etc., that it does not keep up
with the progress of home enterprise.
The Transcript would like to know
if there is cotton mill max
ing cotton velvets, ETC., ETC.;
in this country. In reply we would
say that The Journal made no such
statement; but it may interest the
Transcript to know that an enter
prising house in this city is making
that branch of the cotton industry
the subject of investigation with a
view to introducing the machinery
into mill for that purpose. When
it is done the price of cotton velvets
will come down, as have the prices of
satteens since the Merrimack Mills
began to produce in abundance the
most attractive goods in that line in
the market. Before the Merrimack
Mills began to make these goods 50
large were the profits realized that an
importing house made sufficient
money on single case to pay the
expenses Of one of the firm to
Europe to make the purchases. The
history of the manufacture of satteens
by the Merrimack Company furnishes
an excellent illustration of the bene-
fits which the consumer derives from
home production. In the spring of
1882, French satteens were intro
duced in our market and were re-
tailed at IS cents yard. About a
year ago the Merrimack Company
began to produce the goods and now
the price has fallen to 45 cents a
yard. In the former case the foreign
manufacturer and importer realized
a profit of about $40 per cent, which
was taken without any conjunction
from the American consumer whose
burdens by reason of the enormous
tariff they so constantly and loudly
deplore. An importing firm in New
York, in urging the Morrison Tariff
bill, sent letter to the Ways and
Means Committee for the purpose of
proving that the American manufac-
turer could stand a reduction of 20
per cent. owe can no longer. i'm
port plain French CLOTH" this house
declares. Why notl Because the
Merrimack Mills are selling an Amer
lean cloth, four inches wider and of
as good quality, for II Ia cents
which it costs Is I-2 cents to import.
1--WE have been driven from the mar
ket," complain these importers, and
now they want the tariff reduced so
that they can again sell their foreign
goods. 1t was the duty which gave
the Merrimack Company the conf