The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-09-05
PRICES OF TYPEwRITERs.
Influences That Prevent Them From
Declining.

From the New York Tribune.
Why do typewriting machines persist
entity decline to drop in price, following
the example of bicycles? This question,
recently propounded by an operator who
thought 500 too much to pay for a type
writer. has aroused not a little discussion.
and a Tribune reporter, who spent much
time in looking up the matter, succeeded
in obtaining a variety Of statements and
opinions. It is generally admitted by
agents, and even by the manufacturers
themselves. that there is an agreement
among most of the largs firms which
make typewriters to maintain the price
at its present figure This is variously
referred to as a "combinat ton" or a
trust" but under whichever name it
passes It's object is understood to be the
one mentioned. A man who is engaged in
the selling of all makes of machines, and
who consequently is not prejudiced in IA
vor of any special kind, either in or out
of the so-called Combination" said:
THE manufacturers of typewriters have
been successful in keeping up their prices
largely because of the way in which they
have held together and co-operated with
each other. Nearly all of the chief type
writer firms are in agreement, and the
few who are outside have not thus far
been able, nor have they for the most part
made any special effort, to lower prices
much. Until some new machine, in every
respect as good as the best of the present
standard makes, is put on the market at
reduced figure, there will be no change
in prices. At present it does not look as
If this condition would be likely to come
70 pass for some time. The cost of start
ing and maintaining for the first two or
three years, until it became well known,
plant large enough to turn out good
machines al low price would be very
great 1t is true, undoubtedly, that there
is lare profit on many of the best type
writers, and that the makers could afford
to sell them for less. The materials of
which they are composed are not very ex-
pensiVe, and in those cases where the con-
Germ has a huge, long-es tablished plant
the running expenses have become less
than they were a few years ago. I should
say that the cost of making varied be-
tween about $35 and $50, according to the
quality of the machine and the size of
the plant. OF course, that leaves pretty
good margin for profit"
Here is the statement of the manager of
one of the largest and best-known type
writer manufacturing firms in the coun-
try. 1t is in regard to the cost of making
and selling the machines. It will be seen
that 1t differs widely from that of the man
quoted before, who said that the cost of
manufacture varied between $35 and $50 for
each typewriter.
Instead of having diminished, the cost
of production in the typewriter business
has really increased with u.s." said the
manager, lowing to the number of inn
provements which we have bene adding
each year. Each new device invented
makes more work and more expenses nee
essary, and buyers cannot seem to realize
Ia ole 81 Co.
just 100 machines day, and 800 workmen
are employed there. A few years ago.
the capacity still being 100 typewriters we
needed only 500 workmen to do the work
AT the present time, then. it takes eight
men, working an entire day, to complete
one machine 1t is all skilled labor too.
and highly paid. The men who attend to
the assembling and adjusting of the parts
are mechanics of a superior class and
most of them earn s. day. SO you see
That the labor alone is big item in pro
duclng a typewriter setting aside the cost
OF the Iand' the buildings, the ordinary
expenses of machinery, fuel etc, and the
actual cost of the materials of which the
the machine is composed
men, even after the finished tyne
writer leaves the factory, there are still
many more expenses before it reaches the
hahds OF the retail purchaser. We cal
culate that just as 1t takes eight men to
make the machine it takes sixteen men
to sell It, That includes, of course, all the
agents and the entire force of emploves-
clerks, bookkeepers, managers, etc. of orr
different stores, who are more or less di-
recty connected with the retailing of the
typewriter. Putting together the eight
men who make it and the sixteen who
sell 1t, you have 'wenty-four persons to be
supported from one machine What IS
LETT, over and above that, is our profit
1t Is not much on each typewriter The
only reason why the business is on a pay
ing basis Is because of its great extent.
Only by doing a vast amount of work and
by finding a ready market for every ma
chine we turn out are We able to continue
at a profit"
Apparently there are two sides to this
question, as to most others, and ii will
doubtless be a difficult task to reconcile
them to the entire satisfaction of the dis
interested seeker after information