The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1877-05-18
SEWING MACHINE PATENTS.
What the ManufactOrs Say-Past High
Prices the Result OF Expensive
COmpetitiOn--Great Reductions
to he Made at Once.
correspondence OF n. Y. SUM-


Correspondence of n. Y. Sun.l
BRIDGEpoRT, Conn.,, May To
morrow the combination sewing ma
chimes patents expire, and in this city
OF factories there is great wonder and
the effect will be not the effect in the
market or in the demand for machines,
but in the daily wages of thousands
who literally get their daily bread by
their daily labor in the great establish
ments where the sewing machines are
made.
At the Office OF Wheeler Il Wilson l
learned that no final determination is
reached in respect of further reductions
in prices. One of the principals said:
sThere is great deal OF bunco,nbc
about reductions. The Singer people
dO announce :, reduction from 500 to
$40, but they do not specify the partic-
"lar machine. II people bought for
cash we could afford to sell \ machine
that costs $I5 for :s25, ,:and would he glad
to do it. But they don't buy for cash.
They pay an installment, So Il month
0r SO, take two years to pay up in
even if they pay ut all. Then, again,
we sell but little ut the factories. We
spend the extra cash in putting our rna
chimes before the people. There arc
agents and bills of all kinds to pay
Advertisements, pamphlets, ana all
that sort Of thing take an immense
amount of money. We really get only
about s25 ourselves. The rest goes to
others. No one would be more glad to
make reductions than we, if we could
have the WSrld come TO lis and buy for
cash but tho world won't ,lo it,
Correspondent-Wh royalty did
you pay?
Otlicia!-Oh, the royalty is nothing.
Three dollars on machine was the
whole of il. The money didn't go in
royalties, but in commissions.
C.-And the public have to pay il.
How many men do you employ in this
factory:
Ofitcial-In busy times about Il thou.
sand. They make good wages and live
well. We keep them busy most of time.
Dne. Of our machines has sold over nine
hundred thousand, nearly Il million in
fact; others run up to 10000 ana so on.
We sold over l5O, 900 last year, and you
observe one of the other companies, adj
vertises sale OF 276,OOO. There are
millions of sewing machines in this
country, and 4 great deal of money has
been made in the business. We nave
had our share, and if purchasers
bought for cash we would make more
profit, and they would get machines
cheaper. We can sell our $l5 machine
tor $225, ana will do it. We have not
concluded what to DO i'll general, but
shall probably not make any very OK
t..nsive changes. found in New York
that the Singer people purpose taking
advantage of the public excitement to
secure, if possible, the lions share OF
future patronage. They say they viii
from day to day sell machines which
have heretofore brought them $50, for
$50; but they want the $50. They tell
the same story OF costly agencies.
C.--Has competition increased the
demand?
Oflicial-Ics, in an unhealthy way.
1t has been the ruin of some comp mpanies
and the bane of all. Competition led
to eXtraVagances Of every kind. The
great idea was to sell the most, and
sometimes those who sold the most
were: the greatest iOSerS-lOScrS because
everybody was trusted. "No pay, no
lI,1ci.ine,' is the motto from this time
on.
C.---But isn't sscheap for cash. Il bet
ter motto?
Oficial-Wcll, yes and it's our mot
to, too. There is no reason why Il real
ly excelIcnt machine should not be had
iur $50. You may say that we will sell
our regular $50 machines, as good rs
the hest, for $40 cash.
C.---And OF course. you make a good
thing of it then:
Of1icial--We shan't complain. Nor
will any other company complain. The
fact is. when the public and th.. com
Yanies come together and understand
that the money Of tire one docs not so
into the, selfish pockets Of the other, but
ia spent for expenses necessary TO the
system now to be abandoned, matters
will have. very different look, and
both parties can drive 4 better bar
gain.
The Howe Machine Company are
not entirely settled in their minds rs to
their iuture. They make largely for
+-xport, and are not so much effected as
some of the others. One of their peO-
pie said, "You ha\e no conception of
the. losses VIC make. We hear 4 great
deal about enormous profits, but never
anSthing OF onr heavy losses. Why,
this company alone has Il list of hun
,ire.,ls oimachines bought on the Install
nent plan and then concealed. The
purchasers pay one or two inStallmentS
or 81 each and then move the mlchine
away. We have to employ collectors,
detectives, cinr:tSSerS, and lawyers, but
il doesn't pay \ dishonest woman ,cS-