The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1878-08-15

the bread we eat costs more than it
otherwise would by it's share Of each
and all OF these vari 'us tributes; that
each step Of our lives from the cradle
to the grave is increased in difficulty
and cost by the aggregate OF all the
burdens laid upon it Ivy the infinite
number of patents which hedged it
about.
1t is quite possible that the talk of
the gentlemen quoted was sheer bun
combe; but the view indicated is
seriously held by not a few honest
people. For their sake let us examine
the immediate effects Of some OF the
patents complained of. Take those
bearing upon the loaf of bread. The
f,'rmer's plow is patented. We may
assume that certainty; for if it were
not patented he could not hope to
compete with his neighbors who use
patented plows. Space would fail
here to trace the successive patented
improvements in plows, by which the
cost OF blowing has been reduced.
One of the latest, the substitution of
chilled iron for cast steel in the mould
board, has doubled the durability of
plOWS, and at the same time reduced
their price from fifteen to twenty per
cent. Within twenty years the i'm
provement in lines of draught in
plows, patented improvement. has
reduced the cost of blowing at least
one half. With Overa hundred mill
lion acres of land under plow. the
annual saving to the country effected
by plOw-patents must be counted 10y
millions, and the cost of bread is
prOportionately diminished.
The loaf of bread ..pays tribute
also to seeders, on which about six
hundred patents have been issued.
One effect of these machines is a
uniformity and certainty in sowing,
at depth necessary to prevent winter
killing in winter wheat, by which the
crop is increased from one eighth to
one fourth. The lowest proportion of
gain for the crop of winter wheat of
| last year would amount to about 49,
900, 900 bushels; and it would have
been impossible to produce the crop
raised without the Seeders. The
simple fact that 100000 seeders have
been made during the past twenty
years is proof enough that farmers
find them profitable. Thanks to
patents the seeders have been greatly
improved in that time, and at the
same time the price to farmers has
been reduced fifty per cent.
Another tribute" is paid to reapers
and harvesters. The simplest reaper
was the sickle. BY the invention of
the cradle a man daily work in the
grain field was increased seven.fold.
With it Il man could cut an acre and
"a half in ten hours. while two helpers
could rake, bind, and stack the straw.
Now with the combined reaper and
binder boy driving two horses can
accomplish from ten to twelve times
as much harvesting in the same num-
Der OF hours. This machine alone has
proved it's capacity to save the coun-
try a hundred million dollars year,
with Il proportional reduction in the
cost of bread. And of like effect have
been the numerous patents in each
and all Of the twenty-one stages in
the production of the loaf.
The figures we have given are drawn
from the argument of Mr.. Coffin
before the committee referred to.
He goes on TO how that the invention
of Il single improved cultivatOr has
reduced the cost of raising corn from
2 to 3 ~ cents Il bushel. AT this rate
the saving on the crop of last year
would range between twenty-five and
| fifty million dollars. BY the old pro-
cess Of hand Smelling the shelter got
one tenth of the corn. and "A man
could shell from five to six bushels in
day. Now two men with patent
shelter will shell fifteen hundred
bushels a day. and the regular charge
is half a cent Il bushel. The saving on
Il crop of thirteen hundred million
bushels can be Ell lily calculated.
The owner of an invention for max
ing horse shoes taxes the public
TO the extent Of selling shoes at the
| market price of horseshoe iron. He
has a large establishment for making
the iron, and by converting it into
shoes is able to keep his mills in oper.
alton at a small profit to himself,
when otherwise they would have to
remain idle. owing to the depressed
condition of the general iron market.
is twenty-five cents for each set of
shoes. The general use of machine
made shoes in this country would re-
dhce tie aggregate cost Of horseshoe.
ing from twelve to fifteen million
dollars a year. In like manner pat
ented machines for making horseshoe
nails are burden To the black.
smiths to the extent of furnishing
from two to three pounds of nails for
the price required for one pound Of
hand made nails. A machine for fin
ishing carriage shafts has reduced
this part of their cost from eighteen
dollars to seventy-tive cents, and thus
enables the owners OF the patent TO
seiId their shafts 10 England. Gerina-
ny. and Australia. and yet compete
successfully with the cheaper hand
labor of those countries. A patented
knitting machine (American), costing
two hundred dollars. knit stockings
ut The rate of one sixth of mill per
pair for attendance. or sixty pairs for
a cent. American patented looms
, have SO reduced the cost of cloth
making that our mnslins and calicoes
can BE- sold at the doors of English
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