The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1877-05-12
THE SEWING MACHINE MONOPOLY.

InE SEW 1NU MAJHlNE MUNUIVLEs
Mans inventive genius has probably
been displayed to no better advantage
in any department of mechanical labor
than in the production and perfection of
domestic labor-saving machinery and
appliances The invention of the steam
engine, and its general adoption as Il
motive power, necessarily produced an
entire revolution in the various and
diversified manufacturing processes
The perfected reaper and mower super
seeded once and forever the laborous
sickle; and so in every department OF
commercial. manufacturing, agricultural!
and domestic industry, laborsaving ma
chinerv has come to the relief of the
countless thousands whom the necessi-
ties of life compel to daily toll. OF ali
modern domestic mechanical appliances,
which tighten the life burdens Of toll
ing men and women, the sewing ma
chine is probably the most noticeable
invention. As has been the case with
most useful inventions, il had to encoun-
ter the preiudices and erroneous notions
of those whose lifetime methods ii revo-
lutionized. At its introduction it was
denounced as destined to take the bread
out of the needle woman's mouth; but
the revolution its introduction wrought
was inevitable, until the much-abused
bread TAKER has, bv common consent,
become the Indispensable loaf GlvER
AND GARNER That it is blessing to
humanity. no one now doubts. 1t Is
not however for the purpose Of descant-
ing upon its advantages as a domestic
convenience in every household, or of
magnifving its usefulness as a bread
Garner for the poor that we now notice
it, but for the purpose of congratulate
ing the public at large upon the termi- /
nation of the rel On of high prices a1G
extortion which the manufacturers of
this domestic SINE QUE NON have so long
imposed upon it. Uniuitiated people
have often wondered at the enormously
extravagaut price charged for reliable
sewing machine The retail price asked
seemed, and really was, out of all pro
portion to the cost of its manufacture.
The simple fact is that the " margin of
profit in tie sewing machine business
has been SO enormous as to allow manu-
facturers, agents, and "middlc men
generally profit of several hundred per
cent upon their goods. BY the conies-
sion of manufacturers, machines hereto
fore sold at $50 and $40, cost hut Sl2
to So to manufacture. The enormous
increase in price heretofore charged for
them has been over and above reason !
able percentage Of profit to the manu- !
facturer, the iobber and canvasser, and |
has gone as royalties into the pockets IT
rich monopolists who held certain pat
ents under which machines were manu- |
featured The exclusive right to use
these patents, of which noticeable ones
are the Bachelor needle plate and the /
Howe shuttle patents, which have just .
expired, were owned and held by a COM
bination Of leading manufacturers, who, !
for many years, have exclusively con
trolled the business and eXacted rcyal- !
ties from other companies. Large as
the amounts realized by this combna-
ton Of leading manufacturers was,
amounting in some cases to as much as
$4,000 per year from single COM
panv, yet so enormously has the bust
ness developed by the almost general !
use of sewing machines that companies |
outside the combination, composed of |
the Singer, Wheeler and Wilson, and |
Grover and Baker companies, could !
afford to pay such amounts and still
find the business remuncrativc Buy |
ers, however, shouldered the burden o! |
high prices, and when the fact is con
sidered that during 1876 the Singer |
Company alone sold over 26G,000 ma
chimes and the other leading concerns
almost equally large numbers, some
idea may be formed of the lucrative |
character of the business done by the !
combination companies. The Bachtl- |
der patent, however, under which the
combination acted, has, after two cx-
tensions of 1t, just expired and under |
which these companies have realized a
net profit of nearly five millions Of dot
lars. Every effort was made before the |
last Congress to secure another eXten- |
sion, but without success and the manu-. |
facture of all machines under this pat
ent is now free to manufacturers rencr-
ally. The public imposed upon so lon
by these wealthy monopoliStS, at one
reap the benefit Of the expiration Of
these patents. Leadin" machines have
been reduced one half in price, and the
hard-earned savings of the industrious
mechanic can supply the needed house
hold helper by a reasonable cXpcud.- |
ture. One of the benefits following
this reduction will be the destruction
of the odious and unjust system hereto
fore in vogue of leasing machines on
the installment plan. Some distressed
mother or widow compelled, by press
ing necessity, "to lease" at an cxorbi-
tant monthly rental machine as a
means to keep the wolf from the door.
too frequently, by failure of health, for
feted the savings of months by failure