The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-01-24
Total

Total .....................$ 25, 9O6, 9n
Our question is, if these articles must
be protected from foreign competition
here, how do the manufacturers sell
them in foreign markets, in competition
with foreigners. unless they sell them
cheaper abroad than at home?
8. The Journal says that limitations Of
American manufactures are made in
foreign countries and marked as Ameri-
can goods. and that this has been
demonstrated as to Singers sewing ma
chimes We doubt the statement, but
whether it is true or not is immateriaI.
We give above the official statement Of
goods actually made in this country of
high wages and actually exported. If
they are sold i'm competition with foreign
goods of similar make, falsely labeled
as American goods, and, as the Journal
admits. sold cheaper than similar goods
in this country, they must meet even
greater competition than we stated.
How do they meet that competition if
they are not sold cheaper abroad than
at home? As to sewing machines we
not only exported them to the value of
$S133192 last year. but our makes of
sewing machines drive competitors out
of foreign markets. In bulletin No. So
of the Bureau of the American Repub-
lies we find these interesting statements
in regard to them:
AS to Brazil, p. 100:
In sewing machines America has a
monopoly. 1 think fully SO per cent. or
the dwellings in my consular district
have sewing machines under the roof;
cupboard. nor a wooden floor, have a
White. or a Howe. or a Domestic, or
some other American machine.
AS to Colombia, p. 142:
The sewing machine is the only ma
chine that is sold in large numbers. and
these are all of American manufacture.
AS to Mexico. p. 204:
There is hardly a town of any import
ance but has one or more agencies of
American sewing machines. These
agents sell machines on the installment
plan, and thus even the poorest can buy
The German limitations of Ameri-
can machines have not found favor in
Mexico, although sold very cheap.
AS to Uruguay. p. 1913:
In sewing machines, the Singer has
been known here for a good many years
and the company has its own depot
Their sales are considerable, German
competition, however, pressing them
closely. Large profits cannot be
realized, though sewing machines as
we'll as other machines are admitted free
Of duty.
And so as to Peru, Cuba, Curacao and
other countries. How do these sewing
machines meet this competition in for
eign countries, which they cannot meet
here, unless they sell cheaper there than
they do here?
4 The Journal declares that can arti-
Gle was patented in this country and
abroad" and that 1.-The owner of the
patent sold it for what he could get
for it, and as American wage-workers got
higher wages he got a higher price for
it in this country than abroad" This is
startling. but it has nothing to do with
the question. What we want to know
is how our manufacturers compete
abroad unless they sell at lower prices
abroad than at home" Anyone can say
that they sell at lower prices abroad,
and attempt some explanation for that,
but that is not what we want to know.
How do they compete without selling
cheaper abroad? We trust that the
Journal will devote its attention to this
question, for although we shall submit
it's article to the committee we fear that
it will hardly secure a prize.