The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-12-25
BIG CUT IN TYPENR|TERS.
BREAK IN PRICES EXPECTED TO
BE MADE By THE TRUST.
Doom Of the 500 Machine Near 1t
Hand-Too Many In Stock for tho
Demand-The Handwriting on the
Wall-The Factory Cost Il Only
SIS

Before the end Of 1898 the 500 typewriter
will have gone the way Of the 500 bicycle
and have become as much memory as
the 500 sewing machine of the '70s.
This. in the opinion of typewriter manu-
facturers. dealers and selling agents. is
the handwriting on the trade wall ahead
of them. however much they may regret
il. The typewriter trust formed in April
1893. but NOT thoroughly organized until
June Of that year. is finding very difficult
the attempt to maintain its 500 figure so
rigidly held for the last four and one-half
years The price is so high that II not
only allows opposition concerns TO live.
but 10 thrive and fatten as well. One of
the bad features of the thing from the
combination standpoint IS that the old
machines of the trust companies are used
as a club with which TO beat a hole in
the combinations trade. So successfully
has this been done that the typewriter
using public has become acquainted with
the fact that there are many machines
as good as the trust makes and some even
better.
The opposition companies are making
larger allowance for A secondhand ma
chine of trust make than would be al
lowed for IL by the combination itself.
This amounts to cut in the price OF
the opposition machine and has often
served to pat 1t in the place of one of the
trust make. This had a bad effect-from
the combinations standpoint, Of course
as the use of the new make often over
came the natural preiudices of the user
Of the old machines. So rapidly are some
OF the opposition machines winning pub
lie favor. and so great is the Increase In
new machines. that il Is believed, both by
the trusts agents and their competitors.
that a bold cut in prices 10 half the pres
ent figure would kill off fully so per cent.
OF the opposition companies.
Many of the new companies. who are
financially strong. and who are therefore
in shape to reduce their prices. have hest
tated to do so in the fear that the reduc-
ton would class their comparatively I'M
known machine as a low-grade or cheaply
made. Many OF the new companies who
are not so favorably situated. and who
are having a hard time 10 secure recog
milton even under the present conditions,
would be utterly wiped out.
As the patents on all OF the essential
improvements in the typewriter ran out
long since. II is now possible TO duplicate
almost any machine in the market-just
as sewing machines of all makes have
been duplicated for years. The matter
having thus been reduced 10 a question OF
factory cost the time has therefore ar
rived fer a bold stroke 10 gain the SUI
premacy In the market. That the stroke
will fail. and very soon, is not doubted in
typewriter circles. The actual factory
cost of the two makes most prominently
before the public is less than Sl5-one OF
them. according to an ex-empioye. being
made for less than $I2. Allowing even the
most liberal margin for setting. advertis-
ing ard all other expenses, the buyer who
pays $50 Tor any typewriter in the market
is raging very Respectable profit.
Though IL is by no means certain that
the first sweeping and open cuts Will
come from the trust. 1t is from this d.
rcction that the trade most fears it, 1t
Is known that the big combination is
heavily loaded with old and new ma
chimes. and IL is believed II would like TO
make away with the greater number f
the l95 different typewritcrs now made in
this country
= report which has been current that
one Of the leading members of the COM
hination had given notice of an intention
II draw out in January has set the trade