The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1877-01-10

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watches. To-day they produces 100000,
which can be easily doubled Wesent
20 the United States in 1872, 366.OJ0
watches. In 1916 we shall barely send
them IS, 900 watches, The Americans
baye already begun to send their man
ufacture 10 Europe. In England they
sell annually from 10000 to 10000
watches. The American watch com-
mences to drive from the English mar
ket the Swiss watch and even the Eng
fish watch,
The Americans began by creating
demand for their goods in the Indies
apd Australia. and then-thanks to
some powerful importing houses
they invaded England. At Moscow
and St. Petersburgh they have already
established important branch offices.
Their aim is to drive us first out of
their own country, and then to com.
pete with us in our own soil. l sim
cerely confess that [ personally have
doubted that competition. But now
l have seen--l have felt it-and am
terrified by the danger to which our
industry is exposed. Besides, l am
not the only ope to think so: The So
ciete Intercaptona!e have sent d dele
gate to make inquiries, and his report
perfectly agrees with mine. Up to
this very day have believed Amer
lea to be dependent upon Europe. We
have been mistaken. The Americans
will send us their product since we
cannot send them our own. 9'heir i'm
portation is not confined to watches
alone. Already America has COM
menced to send cotton goods to Eng
land, which hitherto monopolized that
article in the markets of the world.
Can the Americans maintain their
prices? Yes. they can, for if they OBJ
tain a good profit on their superior
quality goods, they can afford to be
satisfied with smaller profit On the
lower grades of watches. In America,
everything is made by machinery;
here we make everything by hand. In
Switzerland about 10000 workmen
make, on the average. each 40 watches
per annum. In the United States the
average is about $50 watches. There
fore the machinery produces three and
half to four times more than the
wOrkmen.
Had the Philadelphia Exhibition ia,
ken place five years later. we should
have been totally annibilated without
knowing whence nor how we received
the terrible blow. We have believed
ourselves masters OF the situation,
wien we really have been on a volcano.
And, to-day, we must actually strug-
gle if we do not want to encounter, in
all the markets, that rival manufac-
ture. For {. long time we have hoped
that the custom duties, amounting to
25 per cent, might be reduced. We
cannot count upon it. America needs
all Der resources, and whether Demo-
Gratis or Republicans be in power, we
canuot hope for reduction of import
duties. We must, therefore, make up
our mind to lose the American market.
1t has been complacently said, that the
Americans do not make the entire
watch, but are dependent upon Swift
zerland for several parts Of the watch.
This is mistake. The Waltham Com
pany make the entire watch from the
first screw 10 the case and dial It
would even be difficult for them to use
our products, so great is the regulari-
ty, so minute the precision with which
their machines work.
They arrive at the regulation of the
watches-so to say--witbout having
seen it. When the watch is given to
the adjuster, the foreman delivers to
him the corresponding hair-spying and
the watch is regulated. Sensation
among the audience.7 Here is what l
have seen gentlemen ] asked from
the director of the WalGbam Company
watch of the fifth grade. A large
safe was open before me i at random
| took watch out OF it and fastened
it to my chain. The director having
asked me to let him have the watch
for two or three days, so as to observe
it's motion, answered, son the con-
trary, persist in wearing it just as it
is to obtain an exact idea OF yonr man
ufacture.' At Paris, set my watch
by a regulator on the Boulevard. and
on the sixth day observed that it had
varied 80 seconds! And this watch is
of the fifth American grade; it cost
IS francs movement without case.)
On my arrival at Locle I showed the
watch to one of our first adjusters,
who asked permission to take it down
that is, to take it to pieces. l, how
ever, wished first TO observe it, and
here is the result which J. noted:
Hanging. daily variation, l 10 Sec
onds: variation in different positions
from 4 to seconds; in the heated
room the variation was very slight.
Having thus observed it. handed the
watch over to the adjuster, who took
it down. After few days he Came to
me and said, word for WORD, 81 am
completely overwhelmed; the result is
incredible; one would not find one such
watch am0no f;ffv thnnsand of orr