, 1877-09-08
American s. European Workmen.

| observe the couInoti0n III business circle
in Switzerland, as the reports of the Swis
commissioners to the Philadelphia exhi
bition were made public Affairs wer,
not in a cheerful state 1t the time. TIL;
hard times that tei begun in Americ:
| were already sorely felt in tie center o.
Europe. Production was slackened in al
the factories, and the yalues Of many fa
| vorite Investments had shrunk to one half.
i When the report Of NJ. Farre PcTTet OF
| American matchmaking wasreadto to crowd.
ed meetings OF watch makers at Neucha-
tel and Geneva, the general expression
w,.s that OF abicct despair. Work was
suspended for months on the costly bald
| ing OF the School Of matchmaking found
ed by the Geneva government 4 com-
mission was appointed by the Csntonal
! legislature to inquire what new industry
! could be introduced in place of that which
must henceforth be abandoned to AIaeri-
,, can competitors
Among those interested in the other
leading manufacture of Swi,zerland-the
silk factories OF Rasle and Zurich-there
We're Ike searchings of heart This same
report of NJ Fayre Perret warned his feI-
sOw-c;tiZers that the silk business was AS
sure to be run away with BY the Yankees
as the watch business. The wonder in
both cases is that facts which had lons
been accumulating, and which had never
bcen hid IN a corner, should have taken
anybody by surprise. The expectation of
ribbons from Basic to the United States
has been dwindling regularly, ard is now
reduced 70 one-sixth OF what it WIS only
four years ago. 1t is Curious that the
next step for the Americans, after sup
plying their OWN market, is to compete IN
9th 7 inark5ts.
The productions Of the Swiss dairiei
are p,.l:ed IN all the markets OF Eurcpe
Lest Jaunary, NJ. Grcn;cr, 1t meeting
CT the Agricultural Society of the Can
ton de Naud, inforIued his associates TO
what extent the dairy productions of the
great establishments OF the Northern
States and Canada were over;Iowing TIE
home market ''There are thousands Of
these establishments" he said, with
capital amounting to SO, 600, 600, already
producing TO the amount cf S3I ,000, 900
annually. The export Of cheese wa 3S,-
600, 900 pounds in 1868, and 80 ,00G $50
pounds III 1871 The export Of butter
has grown to J2,030, ESQ pounds Year.
The competition IS getting formidable, for.
the manufacture OF cheese has bes;: So
perfected IN America that, unless We look
oat, It vii be utterly impossible for Us to
compete with It. "
: very large dealer in leather, NJ Raiiy,
declares that the same IS true Of this :.r-
tic!e. Europeans no longer control iAe
leather market. Prices arc ROW set By
America. Every E:tl; tanncry feels the
Influence o. Tie iIrpac..::,tioRs from A:a =
Ic2 Cur oTn expJrt;a -lO:ls IL the New
World has dWinGied almost To nothing"
1t fist thought 1t vas supposed that the
superior advantages OF the American man
factare. arose iron. las use OF machinery
IGr operations that continue IL the Old
World to be wrought OF: by handEcri,.
If ta;5 were all, OF Gtasiiy al, it would be
al easy matter to import CT to initiate the
mac.aaery are 10 pat NJ laws in
STi-Zeriia2d-2nd, by combining capital
In great establishments, TO 90 on with
their business with the double advantage
Of the low wages and abundant skilled
labor Of The Old World and the organizl-
ton and appliances Of the New.
One eminent American house, however,
with ample capital, Lad made this hope
fui but expensive experiment. The finest
OF four years $50, by Americans, and
stocked with the best American watch
making machinery TIE most skilIful
Geneva va:eh-naakers were sought for at
high wa:g;es-high, that Is, fer Switzerland,
bat low for Amer:ca-and the world
looked for z splendid Success. But tie
beautiful building is BOW lei ont in iodgg
ings, and the machines are advertised Tor
sale. Evidently the secret of American
success lay in something else.
Ihave followed the cor,iectures and pro-
posals OF the Swiss newspapers on this
point with great interest They demand
patent laws for the encouragement Of in
vei,tion, schools OF technical instruction
for artisans, relief from the interruption
OF work by militia service, AMI other GOV
eTnHental paliativeS; but they 90 not
touch the main point of the superiority
Of the American manufactures, and that
is the personal superiority of the Ameri-
can workman.
The secret Is revealed in an extraordi-
nary pamphlet by H. Baily, whom we
have already quoted, and who is the pro-
prietor Of the great boot and shoe factory
at Schoenworth, in German Switzerland.
Z; The pamphlet Is printed both in German
and IN French, and has made profound
! impression abroad. 1t gives, l will moi
say the impressions, but the shrewd and
careful observations, of practical man ON
his visit to the United states during the
Centennial year. The title Is sensational
Garde T0us! Look Out for Your
selves " but the matter of it is solid.
Our travellers first wonder in Americs
is to see how much is made Of a man il
a business point Of view. He gets into ;
stage on Broadway, " the most crowded
thoioughfare in the world, and is strue!
by the contriyance OF fare box and doc!
strap. which enables one man TO do tht
business OF three Oh a Paris line. In ;
horse car he admires the bell punch, which
saves the company the salary OF a coatro
lsGr, and DOES his work more etfectualiy
On railroad train he Is amazed to fr,
only one conductor, and nothing OF tn
army of watchmen v no on European road
stand guard at every curve and crossing
He recalls the starting of Swiss train
each one of a series Of conductors erie
succesziyely, "Fertigt' then the chef d
train calls AiFortf' then he whistles
then the bell rings; then the locomotive
whistles; finally the train starts Il
America the conductor surveys the Who'll
train. When all Is ready he makes sig
to the engineer, and off she goes. 1t
the travellers business to know the tim
of starting, and if he gets left once, he
likely to take better care another time
L -. of 81 bor ox-avr