The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1875-04-01
The Sewing Machine Business.


manufacture Of sewing machines did no
exist, the prices of sewing machine
would be greatly reduced. This belle
has been inslilled into the minds of YER
many of the people through some of tn
newspapers, by scalawags and lunatics
who, by some means or other, have in
duced the Publishers TO circulate thei
tr..ehy, noI sensical ideas. They try 4
convey the inference direct, that if
was not tor these patents the peopl
would be supplied with sewing machine
"cheap as dirt" 1t is all bosh. In til
first place, the patents are not half a
strong monopoly of the sewing ma
chine business as Capital. 1t take
capital, as well as brains, TO make sew
machines and place them down at th'
very doors Of the purchasers. Sewing
machines can not &c made in a black
smith shop, any more than a piece o
broadcloth can DO made with an old
fashioned band loom, or watch
can be made IN 4 tiEHcr's shop. Ii j,
possible, however, that sewing machine
can be made by "handtools;" but what
amachinc il wonld be Besides, II would
cost TO make it in this manner, not less
than a hundred dollars then an experi
would be required TO operate it. In the
business Df making sewing machines the
very highest state Of mcchanical.art isr
quired 10 perfect the machinery; in fact,
the machinery for manufacturing ma
chimes must be as perfect il all OF its de-
tails as the machine itself Now this ma
chinery cannot be had without and mon
cy largesums Of !t--nOt less than two
hundred thousands dollars will fit up a
sewing machine shop; and in this sum we
do notinClude the cost OF engines, boilers,
shifting, or the shops; or the cost of the
boundary machinery, or the cabinet
shops and machinery. Which would
require another hundred thousand dol
lars or more; then this is not all. Rare
material must. be purchased TO COM
mence with fifty thousands dollars
will be q small sum for this purpose
then the artisans must be paid during the
time they are employed in making the
machines.
What is to be done with the sewing
machines where they are manufactured
They must be sold. viii these people,
who ciam0r for cheaper sewing machines,
90 to the mandatory and plank down
Tie cash and carry them home with
them! No sir! They will not do it,
A large army of men must be employed
10 take them to The homes of the people,
and instruct the purchaser now 20 use
them. Now supposing we take ma
chime that may be hereafter Manufacture
ed, after the expiration Of the sewing
machine patents referred TO by some of
the newspapers, which tell US that sew
ing machin"s 1ill then be sold for $50 I
90; terms, Cash, of course Who will
buy it? How many people can buy 1t?
Comparatively few, because the greater
majority of people who use sewing MA
chimes, and who need them the most, |
are the poorer class Of people: me-
chanics, western farmers, and people |
who can not spare "a much money as
that at a moments notice. But on the !
other hand we will suppose the terms
should be $1,000 payable in six, twelve
and eighteen months, or by inStallmonts
Of $500 on delivery Of the machine
aud $500 month thereafter until the
machine is paid for. The sale is made
at once, then and there, because the
terms OF payment are so very liberal
tina, the machine will earn its own pur-
chase money within that time in savings,
besides making living, and a good lv-
ing at that, for the purchaser, if II DO de-
sired for such purposes. We say, I'M
hesitaungly and without provarication,
that the present retail prices eff sewing
"a Of h
tionate, and in fact are only sufficient to
pay an ordinary interest profit.
There are very few articles manufac-
tured from metal that do not pay Il
larger profit on the capital invested in
their manufacture than good firstclass
sewing machine-cyen stoves pay Il
larger profit. Clocks, watches, agrcul-
tural implements, and thousands Of other
articles, which do not require each per-
son who buys one TO be especially edu-
Gated TO use it, pay infinitely a greater
profit.
A sewing machine is not thing, il is
almost living being, 1t is the " staff of
life " 10 the millions; with ii people g.
support large families without it the
armies in the great American conflict
would have gone naked and shoeless.
But with all its life, 1t requires certain
llnd OF skill TO master it, and the man
liacturcrs are compelled to impart this
knowledge to each purchaser. Can they
10 it for nothing? Certainly not! But
( this peculiar kind of education was
lot necessary, and manufacturers under
ook TO sell their sewing machines ex- =
luSively for cash, or substantially upon
he basis of ordinary commercial bust 4
less transactions, how many people who
eally need sewing machines could buy
hem! The greater mass of people could
lot, and many of the poor ncedle-wo-
nen would have 10 90 without entirely. J
hirty-fve dollars is almost "A months
'ages for an ordinary mechanic and Ia
oring man and almost a competency
or the poor sewing girl; consequently, [
instead of low cash prices being bene.
t, it would be one of the greatest mis-
ortunos that could beiall the greater
oasses of the people. Hoods "song
{ the shirt would then be in order
gain. The contract manufacturers only
iould possess the sewing machines, and =
they were SO inclined they could com Il
ed the poor sewing girls to work a,
,.nnts