Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1876-03-23
Deash-KneA OF the Sew
ipg-Madllsde Monop- :.
01sns.4

sorbed with the fsensations and
excitements of the last fort
night, that. the papers have paid
very little attention to the rou-
tine work of Congress. The
House on Thursday, 9th inst,
performed an act that ought TO
entitle it to the consideration
of the people if it. never does
another worthy deed.
: By a unanimous report the
Committee on Patents refused
to extend the time Of the patent
for the feed notion. now used
on all sewing machines, and the
House adopted the report. This
action Of the House will break
up the great sewing-machine
monopolies that have been fat-
tening on extortionate. prices
for sewing-machines. Every
household in the land will be
benefited By this refusal to cx-
tend the patent, and sewing
machines that have been selling
for $50 and $l0O can be purch-
ased for half the money within
the year. 1t is a good Centen-
NAL blessing for the people
The following is the full report
of the Committee: erf
"The memorialist, Allen B.
Wilson, on the 18th day of No
vember, 1850, obtained letters
patent covering the invention
of the device for feeding sew
ing-maehines. These letters
patent were re-issred in two
parts, January 22d, 1856, and
December 9th, 1856, and at the
expiration of the term, Of the
letters patentan extensionth here.
of was granted by the Commits
sioner of Patents for seven
years. The extension expired
November 18th, 1871. So that
for twenty-one years Mr.. Wiz
SON has had the benefit Of the
patent laws, and has been the
OF great advantages
accruing therefrom-
The invention was a very
important and useful one, sup
a mechanical principle in
the manufacture aud use Of
sewing-machines, and had long
been felt necessary. to the sue
cessful operation. Its valuo
was at once recognized, and By
various arrangements with the
it was adopted by all
the more important and eXteu-
sive manufactures in the Uni
ted States, the Inventor becom-
Inga stoekholder in oneo them.
In addition to this, the several
Sewing Machine Companies US
ing this inventions conceived the
IDEA of forming q combination
for the purpose of buying up
and using for their joint and
sole benefit the several patents
which had been recognized as
valuable to their trade. Their
combined wealth enabled them
to do this, and, taking this in
vention as q basis, they, did
form an association known as
the Sewing-machine Combina-
ton, by which they have sue
ceeded in controlling the trade
throughout the United States
for many years. z7a" TA.a.'
"The power thus consolida-
ted in theirhands has been used
and tyrannically in
many instances; It has been a.
BILE to keep the prices of the ma
chimes at an unusually exorbi-
tsnt figure; il has brought great
wealth to the Companies and
individuals belonging toit and
it has stifled the growth of a
free and healthy competition,
and by this means has kept
from the public other and use-
full machines which could have
been sold at much less price.
8Your Committee are salts
fed that the nemorialist has
been fully and amply recon-
pensed for all his trouble and
in the siuventior and
deveiopmentof this device; sin-]
deed from a position Of com
parative poverty he has been.
raised byit not only to compe-I
tency but to wealth.
"From the statistics furnished
us in the examination of this
subject,it appears thasthis sew
ing-maChine eombihation, IN
one of the Companies of which
MIR. Wilson wasFandc is "a stock
!, oJ'1a,.. nio5utI 10 fIHc1 EtfroJ 9at
ho1uSty's afi 10 soifzexxas 81 Eaqu ,.1ngI