Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1884-12-12
THE WINc.MACHINE BUSINESS.
An Anomalous State OF nairs-Som,
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[Scientiiic Americana
1t was John Stuart Mill, we believe,
who established the principle that pub
lie confidence could neither be stemmed
nor directed by statute, and, perhaps,
there has rarely been so apt an illustra-
ton of this as is to be had in the expert
ence of the original sewing machine com.
panies. The original sewing machine
patents expired, rs is we'll known, in
1876, and long before that time prepare
tons were afOOt to take advantage of
the principle, now become common prop
erty. Capitalists invested their money
freely, great factories were erected, and
doubtless many had already figured out
their prospective profits for the year
when the time to begin the work of man
ufacturng was at hand and the great
struggle began.
There is reason to believe that thr orig
inal patentecS were not little fright
ened at the prospect. Indeed, in Ger
tain quarters Stampede" would more
accurately describe the condition of af-
fairs when the mlrlct been Hooded"
with sewing y. 80. prices fell to
Il point at viii h t4-!r ...S little or no
profit, with Il Fremont on that there
after sewing m3chlneo were TO he given
away.
This state of affairs had not, however.
long continued before the original com
panies discovered that they were selling
about as many machines as before their
patents expired, and that, better still,
there was a numerous class that did not
hn ma To.
whereat they plucked up their courage.
The fact is, these companies hal for
years been striving to turn out finished,
efficient and durable sewing machine.
They would seem to have dealt fairly
with their patrons, whose confidence
subsequent events proved they pos
sessed. These patrons became accus-
toned to the mechanism of certain
kind of sewing machine, and they would
have no other. Furthermore they I'M
consciously acted as agents for their
favOrite machine among their friends
and acquaintance. All this and more
the old companies learned, and, like
sensible men, they no longer tried to
sell for dollar what had cost them 100
cents.
Do what they would, the new com
panics, though, no doubt, in some cases
turning out an excellent machine, could
not get foOthold i'm the market, and
one by one became bankrupt or went out
of the business. The fact is, this sew
ingmachine business is phenomenal, and
has characteristics which, there is rea-
son to believe, do not obtain elsewhere.
AS the wandering tribes Of equatorial
Africa take with them their own idols,
nor can be persuaded to worship other
gods, though shown to be more potent,
so those who have adopteda certain type
of sewing.machine cannot, it seems, b.
easily weaned from their choice.
So too, in the matter of ornamentation;
the type of machine being once decided
upon, the purchaser is credited with
disposition to put up with nothing less
than all the other exterior arrangements
for convenience, and il is stated upon
good authority, that certain class of
machines being once fitted with move
able top and three drawers, no patron
ess, however poor, will thereafter. what
ever the extra cost, be contended with
out them.
A psychological fact, possibly new,
which has come to light in this sewing
machine business is that woman will
rather pay $50 for machine in monthly
installments of S. than S25 outright, al
though able to do so.
The curious process of reasoning by
which the feminine mind is led to re-
gard the lapse of time as cheapener
and hundred per cent. interest as Of
no consequence, have not yet, we be-
lieve, been discovered.
Seriously, the principal original or
parent companies are yearly increasing
their sales and realizing fair profit
without any patent rights save those
pertaining to certain recent improve
ments. Nine of the newer companies
have got out of the business since 1877,
and of the forty remaining not few
exist in little else but the name; the
field being mOnOpolized by the old rs
tablished ones or those which, long he
fore the expiration of the sewing ma
chine patents, had secured the conf
dence of large and growing constit-
uency.
The machines are best classed by tho
kind Of stitch produced. Four-fifth Of
all the machines now made use the lock-
stitch; according to the last census
there are in the United States to-day 100
sewing machine establishments with an
invested capital of $12, 1901, $3.50, employ
ing 9,2S3 persons, to whom are annually
paid in wages 81 1886, 900. The value Of
materials used is figured at $4,s29, 105,
and the value of the products at ti3,-
1853, 1888. Sixteen states monopolixo
these manufactures, though nearly half
of the invested capital and one-half the
value of the products are centercd in
New Jersey and Connecticut