The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1897-04-07

plan considered fair and logical, is be
yond my comprehension. II my shirt
is to be protected by customs duty, I
say the cotton out OF which it is made
should receive adequate protection also
and if this is impossible withhold pro-
lection from both.
This and this alone, can insure
reciprocity between those who made
the shirts and those who made the cot
ton. 1t would be equal, honest and
fair. This is a proposition which l
emphatically endorse, and one which
I believe would benefit the people l
represent.
It IS said that free raw material
cheapens the manufactured article.
As business proposition this should
be true, but it does not necessarily fol-
low that the consumer receives either
all or part of this bene6:. The manu-.
facturer obtains all he can for his pro-
ducts, and in these days of pools and
combines prices are, IN many cases,
established by boards of directors in
stead of legitimate competition. In
other words, free re " materials do not
Of themselves insure lower price for
the manufactured produce to the con-
sumer, but only to the manufacturer-
The doctrine of free raw material
compels the producers of suc1 raw
material to sell in competition with
the whole world, and permits them to
purchase in restricted market only.
They are forced to dispose of their pro
ducts at competitive price, and CON.
PEELED to purchase the manufactured
article at fixed or arbitrary figure.
Such methods are neither legitimate
nor fair, and bring about unequal ex-
changes. In fact the producer of the
raw material is plundered for the bene-
fit OF the manufacturer and consumer.
The manufacturer gets cheaper raw
material with which to conjure trade,
the consumer gets only the benefits
forced from the manufacturer, while
the farmer waits in vain for the ap'
plicaticn of this theory to work him
profit. AS an illustration OF this theory
take the wool grower, the man whose
money crop is wool. His product was
protected by acustoms duty uatll the
passage of the Wilson bill in 1895.
Since then he has produced and sold
what is called a raw materlsl. How
has he feared under this condition:
He sells his product now for less than
half what he received prior to 1873.
The same amount of wool which
brought him $4,000 in 1898 brings
him about $4,000 now, making loss
of fully $1,000. This loss can be pro
perly charged to the application OF the
doctrine of free raw material, and
the question presents itself as to how
much and in what manner IS this
wool grower benefited. How much
of this S., 900 loss IS returned through
other channels2 I venture to say
that his net loss would exceed nine
tenths of the whole. His lawyer fees,
doctor bills and taxes are no less, and
quite likely to be more. The new
national mortgage OF three hundred
and sixty.two millions OF peace bonds
include his property with the balance
of the country. He is compelled to
stand his share Of billion dollar Con
gress and other expenses, just as when
his products brought twice IS much.
In fact he may scan his bills ever so
closely and he will ind in its last
analysis that all his compromising
credits come from other unfortunates
who produce other kinds of raw mate
rial. It is one class of labor compel.
ing against another class Of labor,
while the manufacturer and money
loaner thrives and fatteus on their
disaster.
Mr.. Speaker, it is claimed that the
manufacturer, bY reason OF hlslnvest-
ment in buildings, machinery, etc.,
should be encouraged in his enter,
prise. and to certain extent insured
against loss. Just why this class
should be selected for Government ia
vor l am unable to conceive. Tne
census shows that there are more farm
ers than manufacturers and operatives,
with nearly three times as much In
vested in lands, buildings. etc. Why
is the investment of one class more
sacred than that OF anotherG why
should one be favored by legislation
and the other neglected. A glance at
the real facts will disclose that the
planter runs far more risk in his &C.
cupation than the manufacturer.
There is no other business Compel
ed to take IS many chances as that OF
agriculture, There is no other busl-
ness that can sdapt itself less to cir
cumstances than agriculture. When
prices advance the manufacturer can
put on more help and run on double
time. On the other hano, when
prices decline, he can discharge pare
of his help, lessen the hours OF labor
or close down entirely, and thus guard
against losses. With the planter ne
must decide at the season OF planting
how many acres ne will cultivate,
and whether prices go up or down,
he can neither increase nor decrease
his acreage, or in any manner protect
himself against coming loss or take
advantage OF increased prices. Ice
manufacturer turns his capital many
times during the year, and usually
with profit each time.
The planter on The contrary, can
use his capital bu: once, and must
take his profit or loss upon single
cast. We may examine the entire
method of producing raw materials
and finished products, and we will
frd that the manufacturer has the ad-
vantage at nearly every turn. BE
sides the producer Of raw material IS
not consulted, he has no voice in de-
termining the price he isto receive for
his product, or the price ne is to pay
for the product OF others. He takes
his cotton, wheat or wool to market
and the price is fixed by others, and
he has only the choice of selling or
carting his produce back home.
When he goes into the store to make
purchase the price is named which
he must pay or 90 without.
Mr.. Speaker, this bill faVors the
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