Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1873-02-27
A Sewing Machine Mon.
OpOly.

circles in consequence of the
combination which is said t.
have been formed to control the
entire business. A reporter ha.
had interview with Mr.. Lu.
cids Finkle of the Finkle & Ly.
on Sewing Machine company, tc
the following effect:
Reporter: Are these stories
founded upon fact about the
formation Of ring to mono
police the manufacture and sale
Of sewing machines?
Mr.. Finkle: Yes, sir; they are
strictly true. The busines is
very large, fully $80,000,O00 a
year, and this combination is
endeay oring to secure the whole
of it, and so keep up the pres
ent high price of machines. Mr..
Stockwell, president of the Pac-
ific Mail, already owned the
two Howe interests, when in
January he purchased $5O0,00O
worth of stock in the Wilcox
& Gibbs company, and on the
fifteenth of that month they
elected him chief president, thus
controlling the companies. Uni
ted with him are the Wheeler
& Wilson, Grover e. Baker and
Singer companies. These six
companies compose the ring,
and are making every effort to
insure success. rr-.
Reporter: By what means?
Mr.. Finkle: The usual means,
money. The boast of being
able and willing to expend sew
eral millions in obtaining what
they desire, that is the extension
of what is called the Wilson
feed attachment, for which the
patent ran out some little time
ago. The question of its re-
newal comes up in congress on
Saturday and the ring are leav-
ing no stone unturned to have it
favorably acted upon. AS |
said, if it be extended, its oper-
alton will be to drive out Of ex-
istence every company but those
of the combination. They will
not allow others to use the at
tachment under any circum-
stance, no matter what amount
of royalty may be offered, they
wishing to monopolize the whole
trade. .fr
Reporter: You spoke of the
use of money? ssr.
Mr.. Finkle: Yes; Mr.. Wood
of Winfield, L. l., who does a
good deal of the manufacturing
for Singer company, told me the
other day that when recently
in their Office he heard a discus
sion concerning the levying of
an assessment of $4,000 upon
each one Of the six, making
$420,000, with plenty more if it
were needed. This money was
to be given to a certain Mr..
Warner, and by him handed to
Matt Carpenter, chairman of
the committee on patents, for its
use. l believe thatMr. Ros-
coe Conkling is also interested
in the matter.
Reporter: Should the extern
sion be granted what will be its
result?
Mr.. Finkle: To keep up the
high price. Sewing machines
can be made Just as good as any
now in the market for $12 or
$15. There is no reason in the
world why they should be sold
for $50, except to furnish inor-
dinate profits. Some years ago
a committee on patents, of
which Mr.. jerks of Rhode Is
land was chairman, reported an
extension of the Bachelor pat
ent, which was put in the omni-
bus bill and passed at midnight
before any one knew of it. OPP
posing members were bought
off, and even one man accepted
to retract his testimony, which
might have an injury on its
chances. That is the manner in
which this ring attempts to con-
troll the business. The present
prices may not be of much i'm
! portanee to ladies, but they are
most important to seamstresses
and women trying to earn a liv-
ing honestly. If we can sue
ceed in our fight against the
monopoly, in twelve months
first-class machines will be sell
ing for twelve dollars. ~
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