Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-03-27
HOME MANUFACTURES.
Tbs Commercial Herald, of San Fran
cisco, fTos,aees 4-..<s- ssss.sss


cisco, froiiiiees ss.s....iacturcr
who has word for his fellow -manufact-
urers already established in California. He
holds that it is folly to urge the establish
ment. of new manufactures here, until
those we have receive adequate support,
and alleges that few of them are now prop
erly fostered. Those now with us. he
adds, are forced to depend mostly upon the
local market, and the local jobbers do not
encourage them. Unless home jobbers
prefer home manufactures to those of the
East, the factor must become drummer
and peddler himself Gle can't be ex-
peeted TO launch forth and seek far-off
fields OF trade; his only chance is to cater
to our small population, and then he has
to contend against Eastern competition"
lie then points out that our traders do
not encourage as they should the men
who are laboring to build up manufacture
ing interests in this State They need the
subsidy" if it may be so phrased, of the
sympathy of the consumer. As it is now,
however, the consumer gives the jobber
the excuse for saying: 81 sell such goods
as | have a demand for Our customers
demand Eastern goods when your goods
are called for we will buy them" In
Chicago, says the correspondent, every
man talks up Chicago goods, and he be-
seeches the California .jobbers to do the
same, and thus educate the consumer to the
use of home products. He adds:
none-tenth of the wealth produced annually
on this coast could remain here, California
would be one of the richest countries the
face OF the globe. Endeavor to remedy the
present evil, teach the consumer to purchase
home productions teach the iobber that he is |
the middleman, the one to take hand and
help the manufacturer on by handling his |
goods. In so doing you keep the money on this |
coast II gives employment to our idle work
menwho are daily impioring for work to enable |
them TO procure the necessities of life In so
doing you Will lay the foundation to Il healthy
manufacturing industry that will meet all our
requirements and the employer will not be
compelled To daily run gantlet of clamoring
men. women and children seeking employment.
II prosperity ever comes to this coast it will be
when we are awakened TO the importance of
buying and dealing in home productions. Let
the press cease trying TO encourage capital to
engage IN manufactures. and devote the space
10 the encouragement of our struggling manu-
features that we have already with us; let them
Try to educate the jobber, dealer and consumer
To the importance of patrouiZing our home in
duStries. If this could only be accomplished it
would place our manufacturing industries on a
healthy financial standing and capital would
only be too willing TO seek investments These
investments would Immediately build up little
manufacturing centers all over the Pacific coast.
We reproduce this much of the letter
because il is worthy of careful reading.
Certainly there is much of truth in it,
though some error. Consumers will always
buy where they can get that that best an
swers their needs, and at prices that best
meet the capacity of their purses The
home manufacturer cannot hope to escape
Eastei competition. He has only the
margin of freight-tranSort cost on his
side. Against him is the lower wage and
the vasier Investment of the East But
there Is great strength in the plea for
home patronage. The consumer who sacri-
fees something for TIE manufacture of his
own section ahd asks for home goods, di;
rectly advances his own interest He can
better afford to pay somewhat higher
price for the article produced at home than
at somewhat lower price for that pro-
duced abroad The principle of mutual
aid is one people ought to understand bet
ter than they DO We believe the right
policy is to foster, even by self-sacrifce,
the home product. That policy stimulates
enterprise, invites new investment, aids
labor, enhances property value and re-
duceS taxation. The subject treated by
the Hercids correspondent is very i'm
portant one. 1t is not, however, one.sided.
The consumer would reply to it on the
basis of his absolute duty to self to pur-
chase abroad whenever the home supply
demands of him heavier outlay. or does
not furnish precisely the article wanted.
1t is very difficult to make him understand
that pouring she products of industry
here, into the pockets of Eastern manu.
facturers, is the direct method of killing
off home manufacturing interests and
thereby injuring all other interests of the
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