The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1877-01-18

pany, however, would not be outCone u
the Elsin Company; they even proposed I
do better. They announced reduction @
price from 40 to 80 per cent. on prices al
ready lower than their rivals, but at tn
same time they made known that this re
duction would go back as far as January
1876. So that dealer in watches ha
simply to indicate the stock of his Walthar
goods on hand to secure the rebate Of 40 I
80 per cent. This coup de commerce has co.
the company S40, coo.
at is unnecessary, gentlemen, to tel yo
how very detrimental this was 10 the Swis
watch. Still another and more importan
reason explains the growing prosperity o
the American Company. Their tools worl
no regularly that all parts of the watch ma,
be intsrchanged, by simple order on
postal card, without necesitsting the Tor
warding of the adjoining piece. The ques
ton has often been asked whether tn
Americans can sufficiently supply the de
mands Of their market. Yes, they can ; v,
are driven out of the American market,
herein exclude, however, complicated
watches, in which We are nov, and l hop,
we shall always remain, masters.
"In 1880 the American Companies pro
duced only $1,000 watches in 1868, loo, 600
To-day they produce 250,0UO, and this 6gur,
can be easily doubled in case the crisis
which so severely prevails there As we'll al
here, should come To an end. For we mus
Lot forget that, If several factories hav,
bsen closed during the crisis, the tools a,
we'll as the workmen are still there, all read y
70 resume work again. Nor must We leave
out o, sight the exorbitant customs dutie,
and freight, which amount TO about p oil
80 per cent, which take away from Us every
possibility of being able to stand the fight
And now that We know he figures of pro.
duction in the United States, We can easily
with the aid o. official reports, give an ac-
count of what is that country's consumption
Of watches. We have sent 10 the United
States during the past twelve years, viz
1864 10 1875 inclusive, GOO watches
being an average Of 236 S35 per annnum.
'In 1876 We shalt barely send Their 49,
coo watches, or, siBce 1872, Il deficit OF 800.
QUO watches. What Loss for Sutherland
and particularly Tor Neuchatel Foo this
deficit Concerns principally our canton, and
II IL very easy 10 convince ones self OF the
fact. In 1875, Chaux de- + onGs turned out
l06 900 watches or movements. In preced-
ing years she turned ous double that amount
The deficit, therefore. amounts for la Chsux.
de Fonds alone to 400, 900 francs; for 10.
Gle, Neuchatel, &c. ii reaches the same fig
ure in proportion.
I've have stated that the shipment of our
goods has largely decreased. Shall We at.
tribute It's Cause TO the crisis? Certainly in
many respects We may do SO it cannot he
denied But the American competition
contributes still more largely to it.
1.-The Americans have already commenced
TO send their manufacture TO Europe. 10
England they sell annually from 10000 TO
SO, 900 watche=. The American watch CON-
mences to drive from the English market
the Swiss and even the English watch.
The Americans commenced by creating a
demand for their goods in the Indies and
in Australia; and then-thanks to some
powerful exporting houses-they invaded
England. At Moscow and st. Petersburg
they have already established important
branch offices. They do not keep it Sc
cret, but loudly advertise it; their
aim is TO drive Us first OFT Of their own
country, and then to compete with us on
our own soil, if our slugglishness and orr
blind confidence leave the field free TO
them. l sincerely confess that personally
have doubted that competition. Bat now
1 have seen-I have feis it-and / am ter
rified by the danger TO which our industry
is exposed. Besides. | am not the only one
TO think 50; the ''Sociste Intercantonale"
have sent delegate 10 make inquiries, and
his report perfectly sgrees with mine. Up
TO this very day We have believed America
to be dependent upon Europe. We have
been mistaken. The Americans will send
Us their products since We cannot send
them our Owl. We ask ourselves whether
the Americans can maintain their prices
| answer, YES, they can, for il hey obtain
good profit on their superior quality OF
goods they can afford TO lie satisfied with
smaller profit on the lower grades of
watches. In America everything is made
BY machinery; here we make everything
Dy hand. We count in Switzerland about
orty thousand woGkmen, making on an
average each per an un 40 watches. In
he United States the average is 80
Therefore the machine produces
hree and half TO four times more than
he workman. It remains for US to solve
he situation. Bat how can We get out OF
he corner into which We have been driven?
To-day, even without machines, We cannot
dispose OF the COO, 900 watches which our
REQ lie can manufacture How will it be
{ We establish machines which will thrice
Increase our production We must either
finnish the number of oar hands and
make machines, or else cling TO our system
md be resigned to see our industry decline.
Gentlemen, / do not pretend to point
tut the remedy. l simply call your atien-
ion to the evil-that is all 1t remains
or you TO find the cure. However, j be-
ieve that it will be good 10 do for cur
nechanicians what We have done for our
is, TO create schools
ION must not despair; You must not desert
he field We must, on the contrary, organ
re for resistan e, and to re-conquer the
oct ground. If America closes her gates to
Is by custom duties and exoibitant fTeights,
We are, at least left the resource OF euergeti-
ally fighting against her in European
narkels
Had the Philadelphia Exhibition taken
place five years later, We should have been
utaliy amin lated withou. knowing whence
II how We received the terrible blow. We
rave believed ourselves masters Of the cit
Iation, when We rea " have been on q vol
:sno. And TO-DAY We must actually stTUg-
lie if We do net want 10 encounter in all
he markets that rival manufacture. Did
We not sneer at Besancon at the outset
And now Besscon suffices for France, ard
,esides, she exports her surplus OF manu-
actupe. We ask ourselves If, in reducing
he price OF watches, we can increase their
ale in the same proportion? And il the
ales do not Increase, what will become OF
Is? We shall have an enormous stock OF
FOODS and permanent stsgnation. The
:ustom duties, you know, amount to % per
,ent. For long times hopes have been
that they might be reduced
We cannot count on il. America needs all
her resources, especially in the present situ-
Ition and, whether Democrats or Republic
ans be In power, we cannot hope for re-
iuction in import duties. We must there
ore make up our minds to lose the Ameri-
AN market
1t has been said, and it has been COM
placently repeated, that the Americans do
not make the entire watch, and that they
are dependent upon Switzerland for several
parts Of the watch. This is a mistake.
The Waltham Company make the entire
the first screw to the case and
iial. 1t would even be difficult for them
% use our products, 80 great is the regular
ty, so minute the precision with which
heir machines work. They arrive at the
regulation Of the watch-so to say-with-
put having seen it. When the watch is
given to the adjuster, the foreman delivers
70 him the corresponding hair.pring and
he watch is regulated. (Sensation among
The audience. Here is what 1 have seen,
gentlemen! asked from the director of
The Waltham Company a watch of the
fifth grade. A large safe was opened before
-. , - .~n1o,, I took . u.,1L 49,. e :.