Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1877-02-03

Americans sufficiently supply the demand OF
their markets Yes they can We are driven
out Of the American market. In 1860 the
American Companies produced only 1870 0
watches. To-day, they produce 10000. which
can be easily doubled We sent TO the United
states, in 1872, $4,000 watches. In 1876 We
shall barely send them Is. 900 watches. The
Americans have already begun TO send their
manufacture to Europe. In England they sell
annually from 10000 TO $4,000 watches. The
American watch commences to drive from the
English market the Swiss watch and even the
English watch. The Americans begun by Gre
ating a demand for their goods in the Indies
and in Australia, and then-thanks to some
powerful importing houses they invaded Eng
land. At Moscow and 81. Petersburg they
have already established important branch
offices. Their aim is to drive Us first out of
their own country, and then to compete with
us on our own soil. / sincerely confess that
personally have doubted that competition. But
now l have seen-I have felt it-and | am
terrified by the danger to which our industry is
exposed. Besides, am not the only one to
think So: the SOciete Intercantonale have sent
delegate to make inquiries, and his report
perfectly agrees 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 own. Their importation
is not confined to watches alone. Already
America has commenced to send cotton goods
to England, which hitherto monopolized that
article III 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 10000 work.
men make, on an average, each forty watches
per annum. In the United States, the average
is about $50 watches. Therefore the machinery
produces three and half to four times mere
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 situation when we
really have been on a volcano. And to-day,
we must actually struggle if we do not want to
encounter, in all the markets, that rival manu-
facture. For long time we have hoped that
the customs duties, amounting to rs 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 complacently
said shat the Americans do not make the en-
tire watch. but are dependent upon Switzerland
take. The Waltham Company makes the entire
watch from the first screw to the case and dial.
1t would even be difficult for them to use our
products, so great is the regularity.so minute
the precision with which their machines work.
They arrive at the regulation of the watches
so to say-without having seen it. When the
watch is given to the adjuster, the foreman de-
livers to him the corresponding hair-spring,
and the watch is regulated. [Sensation among
the audience.l Here is what have seen, gen
tlemen! l asked from the director of the
| Waltham Company watch of the fifth grade.
A large safe was opened before me 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, 50 at
to observe its motion l answered "On the
contrary, persist in wearing it just as it is tc
obtain an exact idea of your manufacture" Al
Paris, set my watch by regulator on the
Boulevard and on the sixth day observed thai
| it had varied 80 seconds And this watch is Of
! the fifth American grade; it cost rs francs
| movement without case). On my arrival al
Locle | showed the watch to one of our frs
adiusters who asked permission to take i
| down-that is, to take it to pieces. l. however
wished first to observe it, and here is the resul
which | noted Hanging, daily variation, ont
and one-half seconds variation i'll different pc
sitions, from four to eight seconds in the heat
ed rooms the variation was very slight. Hav
ing thus observed it, handed the watch owe
to the adjuster, who took it down. After fey
days he came to me, and said. word for word
/ am completely Overwhelmed; The result is IN
credible; one rould not find one such ,oatc
among fifty thousand Of our MANUFACTURE !!
This watch, gentlemen, repeat to you, too
at hazard-out of heap, as we say. You un
derstand from this example that the America
watch may be preferred to the Swiss. hay
finished, gentlemen, and / have told you o
things such as | have seen them. 1t remain
for us to profit from this sad experience, an
to improve our manufacture.