Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-01-03

&C., 1t reaches the same figure in pro-
portion.
eve have stated that the shipment
of our goods has largely decreased. |
Shall we attribute its cause to the
crisis? Certainly in many respects
we may do so it cannot be denied
But the American competition con-
tributes still more largely to il.
"The Americans have already COM
menced to send their manufacture to
Europe. In England they sell annual
ly from 10000 to 1000 watches. The
American watch commences to drive
from the English market the Swiss
and even the English watch. The
Americans commenced by creating q
demand for their goods in the Indies
and in Australia and then-thanks to
some powerful exporting houses
they invaded England. At Moscow
and st. Petersburg they have already
established important branch offices.
They do not keep it secret, but loudly
advertise it; their aim is to drive us
first out of their own country, and
then to compete with us on our own
soil, If our sluggishness and our blind
confidence leave the field free to them.
l sincerely confess that I personally
have doubted that competition. But
now have seen-I have felt it-and I
am terrified by the danger to which
our industry is exposed. Besides, I
am not the only one to think 90; the
"Societe Intercantonale" have sent q
delegate to make inquiries, and his
report perfectly agrees with mine.-I
Up to this very day we have believed
America to be dependent upon
Europe. We have been Mistaken
The Americans win send us their
products since we cannot send them
our own. We ask ourselves whether
the Americans can maintain their
prices? answer, yes, they can, for
If they obtain q good profit on their
superior quality goods they can af-
ford to be satisfied with q smaller
profit on the lower grades of watches.
In America everything is made by
machinery here we make everything
by hand. We count in Switzerland
about forty thousand workmen, ma
king on an average each per annum
40 watches. In the United States the
average is $50 watches. Therefore the
machine produces three and q half to
four times more than the workman. IT.
remains for us to solve the situation,
But how can we get out Of the corner
into which we have been driven p
To-day, even without machines. we
cannot dispose of the Loco, 600 watch
es which our people can manufacture,
How will it be if we establish ma
chimes which will thrice increase our
production We must either dimin-
ish the number of our hands and
make machines, or else cling to our
system and be resigned to see our in
dustry decline.
Gentlemen, / do not pretend to
point out the remedy. simply call
your attention to the evil-that is all.
1t remains for you to find the cure
However, believe it will be good to
do for our mechanism what we have
done for our watchmakers-that is,
to create schools. You must not des-
pair; you must not desert the field !;
we must, on the contrary, organize
for resistance, and to re-conquer the
lost ground. If America closes her
gates to us by customs duties and ex-
orbitant freights, we are, at least, left
the resource of theoretically fighting
against her in European markets.
"Had the Philadelphia exhibition
taken place five years!later, we should
have been totally annihilated with
out knowing whence or how we re-
ceived the terrible blow. We have
believed ourselves masters Of the sit
uation, when we really have been ON
a volcano. And to-day we must &C.
tually struggle If we do not want to
encounter in all the markets that ri
val manufacture. Did we not sheer
at Besancon at the outset? And now
Besancon suffices for France, and be.
sides, she exports her surplus Of man.
ufacture. We ask ourselves if, in re-
ducing the price of watches, We can
increase their sale in the same pro.
portions? And if the sales do not in.
crease what will become of us? We
shall have an enormous stock of
goods and q permanent stagnation.-
The customs duties you know, amount
to 25 per cent. For long time hopes
have been entertained that they might
he reduced. We cannot count ON it.
America needs all her resources, es-
pecially in the present situation; and
whether democrats or republicans be
in power, we cannot hope for q re-
duction in import duties. We must
therefore make up our minds to lose
the American market!
"It has been said and it has been
complacently repeated, that the Amer.
leans do not make the entire watch,
and that they are dependant upon
Switzerland for several parts of the
watch. This is q mistake. The Wal
than Company make the entire watch
from the first screw to the case and
dial. 1t would even be difficult for
them to use our products, 80 great is
the regularity, SO minute is the pre-
cision with which their machines
: work. They arrive at the regulation
Of the watch-so to .say-without
i. having seen it. When the watch ia
0 given TO the adjuster, the foreman de-
Q livcrs to him the corresponding hair
spring and the watch is regulated
: (Sensation among the audience.)
Here is what l have seen gentle
s men! Iasked from the director OF
D the Waltham company watch Of the
q fifth grade. A large safe was open
watch out of it and fastened to my
a chain. The director having asked
:. me to let him have the watch for q
: day or two to observe its motion,
e answered, ON the contrary, I persist
9 in wearing it just as it is to obtain an
: exact idea of your manufacture AT
: Paris I set my watch by regulator on
e the Boulevard, and on the sixth day
J. observed that it had varied thirty-two
seconds. And this watch is Of the
e fifth American grade; it costs 75
e francs movement without CASEY. AT
: my arrival at Locle I showed the
: watch to one of our best adjusters
II who asked permission to take ii
!, down-in other words. to take it to
It pieces. I, however, wished first to
! observe it; and here is the result,
e which noted: Hanging, daily vari.
# alton, one and one-half seconds; va
g ration in different positions, from
# four to eight seconds; in the heated
u room the variation was very slight
j Having thus observed it, l handed
b the watch to the adjuster, who took
!. it down. After the lapse of few
h days, he came to me and said, word
n for word: Il EN- completely over.
0 whelmed; the result is incredible
4 one would not find one such watch
d among $4,000 of our manufacture
"This watch, gentlemen, I repeat to
;, you, took at hazard-out of q heap,
n as we say. You understand from
0 this example that the American
n watch may be preferred to the Swiss.
| have finished, gentlemen, and
J, have told you Of things such as have
a seen them. 1t remains for us to profit
from this sad experience, and to inn
, prove our manufacture. Competent
men are not wanting among us they
s must go to work at once"
E New hame-Paris bills of fare call
frogs flesh water chicken"
To escape trouble from noisy chill
8 dren send them to your neighbours
| visiting.
The Rev. Mr.. Talmage remarks as