Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-03-06
Patronize Home Industries.


charleston News and Courier)
The Memphis Commercial-Appeal sub
mts some reflections on the policy and
duty OF southern people 10 patronize their
home industries" which, besides their
general interest, have special local In
terest for many communities where there
are special homo industries to be patron
lied.
A number of the Southern States, says
the Appeal, are engaged in securing man
ufacturing enterprises from the North,
East and West, representing together an
enormous amount of productive energy"
The advantages of the changed location
of these concerns are numerous ana Wen
understood. The enterprises are welcomed
when they come; others are encouraged
TO follow them; everything possible Is
being done to induce capital 10 invest IN
our section, but It is "a singular fact
that when they are established at Work
there is a lack OF hospitality and COM
mercial fraternity on the part OF pur-
chasers and consumers which amounts,
In many instances, to boycott We
do not know any instance Of the fact
which the Appeal asserts mere, put It's
further remarks indicate that IL means
that the Tack of hospitality" and OF bust
ness patronage are not exhibited towards
transplanted enterprises alone, but 10 all
new manufacturing enterprises, which
puts tho matter In another llght. TaklnS
cotton manufacturing as an example, IL
says:
Cotton manufacturers complain that
the products of their mills find no market
near home. No one seems 10 care Tor their
output. They are ignored. They must go
North or East TO find purchasers, and
even such OF their goods as are consumed
or purchased by the home people have 10
pass through the hands OF foreign
brokers. The goods are not shipped North.
They never leave the warehouses OF the
manufacturers. They are sold by the
brokers southern
who order them delivered from the home
warehouses 10 the purchasers. what is
true OF cotton goods Is true or almost
every other article manufactured. The
distant middleman must have his part OF
the profits.
This is explained in part by the lack
Of capital in the South to handle the out
put. When goods are manufactured the
raw material and labor must be paid for
concurrently, and to secure additional
capital with which 10 carry on the bust
ness advances must be sought from the
middlemen or brokers. In part this con-
dition OF affairs results from the tyranny
of custom, the despotism Of habit. peo-
pie have so long pursued the practice of
sending on for what they wanted that IL
is almost impossible for them TO make
the change and purchase what they want /
at home But, soonsr or later, tho change
must come. First one and then another
will buy from the manufacturer, mis-
neighbor, direct, and thus escape rail
road freight charges and brokers' COM
missions. He can undersell his rival and
force him into adopting the same method.
The time TO begin is now, and every one,
as far as he can, should endeavor 10 keep
his money at home patronlze home enter
prises OF every character direct, and thus
benefit his neighbor and at the same time
benefit himself
The conditions described obtain very
We believe, and hold as true
OF other goods as OF cotton goods. Ii
Is familiar fact that manufacturers in |
the South have to ship their goods
through New York TO their nearest
neighbors. We published some months
ago the well authenticated story of how
4 gentleman in South Carolina ordered |
4 lot OF canned goods of extra quality |
from Baltimore. and received lot put |
up at a cannery in sight of his home. |
We have heard OF other instances OF the |
same kind. The Appeal adds a new eX-
ample OF patroniZing home industries in /
this indirect and unwilling way in the !
cases where the goods are shipped from |
The southern factory 10 the southern |
merchant on order OF northern
broker" or "middleman."
The reasons for the roundabout bust
sense, are explained in large part by the
Appeal-the main one, perhaps, being |
he force OF custom" We have been /
10 long accustomed TO buying all manu- /
actured goods from the North that Ii Is
lard TO get out OF the habit The south
I'm merchant knows where he can get
What he wants. on familiar terms. and
10 is not disposed TO excursions in his
BUSINESS. His customers. the customers.
co. are shy of goods with
trhhge labels. 1t is hard for the ave.