The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-01-06
GIregateIliaeuter,
Matchmaking in America.
A FoREIGNEIrS TESTIMONY.

SApVN hANS ASS AAHONA'
Spsceh Delirered in Tho AmphilRsare etMs
Primary College Of La GhauG. De Fonds,
IilssdaT hs I'M Of NpraAbs, By N.
EdOudfS FdUrs.lsrTei, Member Of hs In.
teraatioaai Jury on Watches Of .hs Erhi.
billion at Philadelphia, and Ons Of he
Suis Commissioners 10 The United SlaieS
MIR. Arnold Grosjean, President Of the
Board Of Commerce, announced that NJ.
Elnusrl Favre. Ferret, Member Of the
International Jury on Watches Of the
Exhibition at Philadelphia, bad kind.
ly consented to repeat, at la Chaux.de.
Ponds, the speech already delivered by
him ut Locle and NeuCha.el on the situa-
ton OF the Industry OF Matchmaking In
the United States.
THE ADDRESS.
GENTLEMEN: / must, to start with,
announce TO you that you have not an
orator before you, but 4 manufacturer,
and rs such ask yOnr indulgence. shall
give you info rmation which, nnluCkly, il
not cheerful, on the condition OF Swiss
Matchmaking compared with the Ameri-
can competition. shall tell you Of facts
simply, such Us | have seen them, such
rs have understood them. Frankness
is here more necessary than anything
else, for i. is not by palliating the bad
sides OF different situation that We can
succeed in improving it.
For long time We have heard here
n al 4 M Entn0.nNitf.,,, thu l.
lIeving it. The skepucs-and there were
many OF lhem-denied the possibility Of
competition at once 80 rapid and 20
important. To-day We are forced to be-
Iieye the proofs Of it, and to acknowledge
the existance OF formidable manuiac-
ture.
"WO have had the proofs Of it under
our own eyes; we have seen the Ameri.
can factories, and we have been able TO
satisfy ourselves exactly AZ TO their
power. We have treated the American
manufacture a. We have treated the
neighboring manutaclures-in the future
OF which we did not wish to believe at
trst, ahd which form today Il most
serious competition. refer to Besan.
con, Bienne, St. lmier, Morat and SchaH,.
hau-cn.
For long time America has been the
principal market Tor our walchea-our
milk'cow, so to speak. To-day we must
earnestly prepare to struggle with the
Americans ON the fields where hitherto
We have been the masters. Some Of YOU
have known Mr.. Dennison, who was, we
may say, the father OF American watch.
making. Mr.. Dennison Travelled through
the Canton Of Neuchatcl, studying our
mode administering, seeking to in-
turm himself Of everything, and care
fully noting the weak parts in our indus.
try. After his return to the United
States, he founded factory at Boston
The Boston Watch Company This was
in 1851. The capital-scarcely $780,
VOO-was subscribed by capitalists more
than by practical business men. In the
beginning the company turned out only
the rough skeleton movement, and at.
tended 10 the finishing; all other parts,
such as trains, balances, jewels, &c, &c,
we're imported from Switzerland. Little
by little, however, the factory extended
it, operations, and produced other parts.
Notwithstanding all this progress, this
mode Of doing things not suiting the
American character, no little inclined TO |
let capital remain almost reproductive,
the capitalists abandoned the factory, and |
it failed in 1856.
"Another American, Mr.. Robbins,
whom you have also known, gentlemen,
when he had business relations with us,
scented a good speculation, and bought
in the entire factory, took included, for |
$4,000. A new Company The Ameri-
can Watch CompaHy'-was afterwards
formed, with capital OF 100000. Soon
this capital became insufficient, and it |
was increased to 5000 900 before the war
Of secession. This war, which SEEM
ed calculated TO destroy such an enter
prise, was, on the contrary, the cause OF
lis prosperity. America pnt on foot n
million OF soldiers, and, AZ every one
wanted his watch, there was great ANNA.
ton in the watch business. Al this June |
tire, which might have been lucky one
Tor our industry, we failed to comprehend
our real interests. Instead OF sending |
good watches TO the. Americans, the worst
trash was sent. Had mere skeleton move |
ments been sent in cases they would have |
been thought good enough! The Ameri-
cans, however, went to work on IN en-
tlrely different plan. The company in
creased their plant, and turned out a
better ordinary watch than the Swiss
watch. At the end OF several years, and
with the aid OF patriotism, the American
Il fVnnl .n.,,,N.0s,.. tgktta
our own was discredited everywhere. In
1865 the capital was increased to $780,
900, and the operations Of the new COM
pany grew TO immense proportions.
During the following years business went
on so we'll that everywhere new watch
factories sprung up. Every one wanted
TO make watches. TO day you can count
about eleven factories. The most impor.
tant, after the Waltham Company, is the
one at Elgin, which turns out about 800
movements day. The Waltham COM
psny give employment to 900 workmen,
and make about 42j movements per day.
The company again increased their cap
ital IN 1872; it amounts to-day to 81 800.
900, besides 100000 as reserve fund, or
capital Of 100000 francs. This watch
factory is a real power; there is none like
it in Europe. We have seen it in all its
details, and We have admired its splendid
organization. Last May, on the eve Of
the Exhibition, we still seemed masters
OF the situation. One event, however,
dealt US mortal blow. Be il through
the effect Of the crisis, or from any other
motive, the Elgin Company made, all Of |
a sudden, reduction on the price Of |
their movements Of 40 per cent to 80 per |
cent, 30 that all stocks Of Swiss watches
were seriously affected. Lever move.
ments, with visible pallets, were sold at
10 francs, How can we meet this? Tn.
der such circumstances, how can we
maintain competition? 1t will DO nee.
essary 10 turn out our movements at Is
or IA francs to pay the custom duties and
10 leave little margin Of profit. The
Waltham Company, however, would not
be outdone by the Elgin Company; they
even proposed to do better. They an.
nouncsd reduction Of price from 40 to
% per cent on prices already lower than
their rivals, but at the same time they