The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1877-02-01

manufsctnre to Ehtope In England they sell
annually from, 5000 to $4,000 watches, Tie
nnlorivhn watch commences to drive from the
EngIsh market thb Swiss watch and even tho
Enghsh yateh. The Americans begun by Gre
ating demand for their goods in the Indies
and in Australia, and then-thanks to some
powerful importing housos-they invaded Eng
iahd. AT Moscow and st. Petersburg they
nave already established important branch
Offices. Iheir aim is to drive us first out of
ther own country, and then to compete with
us on onr own soil. / sincerely confess that
personally have doubted that competition. But
now | have seen--I have felt it-and / am
terrified by the danger to which our industry is
exposed Besides, j am not the only one to
think 80 the Societe 1ntercantonale have sent
n delegate to make inquiries, and his report
perfectly agrees with mine. Up to this very
day we have be ieved America to be dependent
upon Europe. We have been mistaken. The
Americans will send us their products since we
cannot send % them our own Their importation
Is not confined to watches alone. Already
America has commenced to send cotton goods
to England, which hitherto monopolized that
article In the markets OF the world.
Can the Americans maintain their prices
Yes, they can, for If they obtain 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 40, 900 work.
liici uluht, OIl UIl average, CNcn 1UftN watches
per alnum. In the United States, the average
is about $50 Watches Therefore tho machinery
produces three and n half to four times more
than the workmen.
Had the Philadelphia Exhibition taken place
five years later, we should have been totally
annihilated without knowing whence nor how
we received the terrible blow. We have believed
ourselves masters of the Dituation, when we
really have been on volcano. And to-day,
we must actually struggle if we do not want to
encounter, i'll all the markets, that rival manu-
facture. For long time we have hoped that
the customs duties, amounting to 25 per cent.
might be reduced. We cannot count upon It,
America needs all her resources, and whether
Democrats or Republicans be in power we can
not hope for reduction of import duties. We
must, therefore, make up our mind to lose the
American market 1t has been compacently
said that the Americans do not make the entire
watch, but are dependent upon Switzerland for
several parts of the watch. This is mistake
The Waltham Company makes the entire watch
from the first screw to the case and dial It
would even be difficult for them to use our pro-
ducts, SO great Isl the regularity, so minute the
precision with which their machines work.
They arrive at the regulation of the watches
SO to say-witAout having seen it. When the
watch is given to the adjuster, the foreman do
livers to him tile corresponding hair-spring,
and the watch is regulated [Sensation among
the audience.l Here is what have seen, gem
tlemen! ! L asked from the director of the
Waltham Company watch of the fifth grade.
large safe was opened before me at random
took a 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. 80 as
to observe its notion ] answered "On the
contrary, persist in wearing it just as it is to
obtain an exact idea of your manufacture" At
Paris, l set my watch by a regulator OH the
Boulevard, and on the sixth day / observed that
it had varied 81 seconds And this watch is of
the fifth American grade; it cost rs francs
! (moyemcnt without easel. On my arrival at
r.ocle | showed the watch to one of our first
adiustcrS, who .sked permission to take it
down--thatis is, totake it to pieces. l. however,
wished first to Observe it, and here is the result
which noted Hanging, daily variation, one
aud one-halt seconds variation in different
positions, from fo,r to eight seconds in the
heated rooms the variation was very slight.
Having thus observed it, handed the watch
over to the adjustr, who took it down. After
a few days he cane to me, and said, word for
word: /" / an completely orG,rhelDIed; the ~
suit is increlible =: on" 1rouH not .tii,d one such
,rdtch among .ffs thousand Of our mdnHtdc-
f,ur : This watth gent emen. l repeat tC
you, took at haArd-out of heap, al We say
You understand from this example that the
American watch nay be preferred to the Swiss
l have finished. gentlemen. and l have told YOU
of things such az have seen them. II remain.
for us to profit frsm this sad experience, and t.
improve our manufacture.