New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-09-04
d two small Counties yet to come in.
AMERICAN sEJgTYG-M1CH CHIMES.

Free Trade must be desperately in want of facts
when The Ereniag Post bases nearly a column oil
abuse Of Protection upon an advertising pun III de-
clates that the tariff is running American mechanics,
and driving them to Europe in search OF employment;
and all this because sewing-machines are sold Tor
s4 in Paris of the same number that are sold here
for slOO 1t has betrayed ignorance OF this branch
of manufacture, which is not surprising when we
consider how much it has done TO destroy oil our
MANUFACTURES by encouraging foreign competition in
the home market. Fortunately. in this case we
know tho true value Of these cheap French
machines, and the general condition Of the
business As for the relative price, we may simply
premise that it proves more that number % sew
ing machine, selling for 500 in America, is made in
Paris for ga than that a number pair Of kid gloves
costs a.. while a number wooden mtten can be
bought for cents. The Post is well aware that these
cheap machines are far inferior to those made by
American manufacturers and, if il is not, VIC sha'l
proye H. America stl leads the world in the manu-
fscture of sowing machines, and in Paris and QthgT
places where the cheap limitations are made, many
thousands Of American machines are annually sold.
Not only this, bat they bring higher prices abroad
than they do at home. Nearly OHe-haB Of the
sent atroad-a fact which we beg The Post TO verify
by inquiry Of any ell-knowD maker. The cheap
foreign competition is hardly felt, aud our foreign
sales are steadily increasing. One company which
in 1861 sent abroad 1000 machines annually, now
sends % OOO aud these sewing machines are pur-
chased at prices considerably over 500, in direct
competition Sith the limitations at sli No Ameh-
can manufacturer of sewing machines has removed to
Paris the advertiser quoted By The Post was formerly
an agent for an American Company who is now,
with The Posi-, approval seeking to injure American
industry by cheap limitations Of American inventions
These facts are sufficient TO show how eagerly the
Free Trade advocates grasp at straws to save their
cause from drowning. So far from the Tayif driving
American mechanics abroad, we have shown that
ggder its protection the foreign sale Of our goods
largely increases aud they preferred tothe European
limitations. OF course. we cannot expect to n.onopo
nc in Europe the sale of any manufactured article.
Other laws than those Congress has made affect the
matter. French patents Of America inventions are of
no value unless the article be manufactured by the
patentee in France; and therefore, when m American
manufacturer sends his goods to- France for sale the
foreign manufacturer with perfect mpunity ap-
propriate the invention. This is system Of Free
Trade very much like stealing. Thus, the cheap
machines TO which The Post refers, are cheap
because the " invention costs the maker
nothing. II Is not unusual for an American
company TO spend $4,000 in perfecting a single
machine, and 200 were recently expended in de-
veoping new invention. Beside, Offices 10 every
city are established for repairs, aud for the instruction
OF the publc and these heavy items, with the prices
paid to inventors make the general expense of con-
Quoting the business fully equal to the cost of
making the machines, None Of these expenses are
borne by the foreign mitator who therefore sell
inferior goods at much lover prices. The Post has
used one of the commones of advertising tricks to
deceive the pubIc,but il can no longer claim even
the excuse Of ignorance So great is the reputation
Of American sowingmachines that even the i'm.
punlty with which European makers use all our III.
vehtiOns has perceptble effect in decreasing the
foreign sales 10 = - .. W ~. IL VI" ~ %