New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-04-29
TIE !SEUTNG- M1CHINE CASE.

An Injunction has been granted by Judge
Barrett to restrain certain agents OF the Howe
Sewing Machine Company from continuing
certain system Of trade which they nave
adopted heretofore. This appears Mt first sight
merely a personal and trivial affair OF busi-
moss but it IL, in fact, matter OF lilo ana
death to hundreds Of poor women in this ana
all other large cities. The method OF sale Is
known as tho insallmcnt system-a woman
receiving q sewing to be paid for in
weekly sums at the first default in these pay
ments the machine il Withdrawn, and the sum
already paid forfeited In the present case,
the gain appears to have accrued to tho agent
and not the Company, which was under agree
mont to him to pay back DO per cent OF the
price for every machine returned. His prac'
tice, as they allogc, was to obtain all but the
last payment from the purchaser. then, IN case
of delay, to forcclose and return the machine.
So far as the quarrel lies between the COM
panics and their agents, it is 4 matter in winch
we have no concern. But we shall he heartily
glad if it will be tho means of exposing
fraudulent system of which only women and
poor women a9e the victims. Not only tho
agents for scwng-piachincs uso it, Int pianos,
furniture, stoves, and all kinds OF household
gear are sold in the lower resorts of trade by
this means. Tho wife of laborcr. or widow
with children dependent on her perhaps, enters
one of these shops and is solicited at every
turn to buy by this method. The machine will
enable her to keep the wolf from the d0or-it
is sure source of income; very frequently
wolk is offered with it. She takes 1t home,
and for few months works night and day,
saves, and stints the supply OF food to meet the
required payments. When the sum Is nearly
made up, the promised work is suddenly With
drawn, or for some other cause she fails TO
DAY the instalmrnt, end loses the whole.
In test case decided in Philadelphia last
week covering this very ground the Court ordered
the agent not only to return $50, the sum al
ready collected, but also to pay $500 rs COM
pensation for the loss and damage inflicted Ivy
withdrawal of the machine. We should be
glad if this decision could be made precedent
in the matter. But the women who buy pianos
or machines in this way, or who run on Satur-
day nights wccl, after week with portion oil
their husbands hardly earned wages to pay
Gin " for piece Of fncry for themselves or the
baby, only to lose it and money both, are not
likely to know anything about legal decisions
I he trade goes on brislIy in all the large
cities; in fact it rivals in extent legitimate
business in certain classes, and hard-working
women, or the idle wives of Woodworking
men. are the victims. 1t would be well il any
injunction could DO put on their crednlity
and convince them that neither sewing -machnc
agents nor shopkccpers carry on trade from
philanthropic motives, and that the install
ncnt or any other system recommended by
them il urged not because il helps to feed the
hungry or clothe the naked but because it is
profitable We should be glad, too, if the
large manufacturers of sewing machines or
pianos could prove, as in the present instance
that they were not guilty i'll tho matter, and
restrain agents and sub-agents from giving
the authority of their names to questionable
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