The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-12-08
YANKEE TOOLS ARE BEST
PREFERRED BY GERMAN
TURERS AND MACHINISTS.
Model shop Near Berlin Fitted
with Machinery
from the United states.


manufacture machinery and heavy tools,
and they are not only working with Ameri-
can machines. but upon American patents
under the direction of superintendent
who were educated in the United States.
In 1893 Ludwig Loewe sent two of his best
master mechanics TO the worlds fair, who
spent most Of their time in machinery hall,
and after the exposition closed visited sew
eral Of the most modern machine shops in
the United States, studying our methods.
machines and tools. They selected an out
fit of the machinery which 10 their minds
seemed best adapted to German require
ments, and fitted up a shop in the suburbs
of Berlin. which has since been considered
a model and is constantly visited by en-
%gineers, manufacturers and machinists
from all parts of Europe. Unlike most of
the German establishments. II is always
open to visitors, for the proprietOrs are
proud of their plant and have nothing to
conceal. 1t has become one of the show
places in Berlin. Whenever an industrial
convention or an assembly of mechanics
meets here the delegates always go in a
body to inspect the Yankees machinery.
There are several other American manu-
factories in Germany. The Niles Tool
Company and the Worthington Pump Com
pany rave branches here; the Luxfer
Prism Company Of Chicago is making glass
reiiectors for the German market. The
Sturtevant Company has recently fitted up
a big department store on the American
plan. Colonel FL. r. Lemley, a retired Of
icer of the army. has a factory for weav-
ing cotton cartridge belts upon a patent of
Colonel Arson Mills. They have been
adopted by the British army. by the Jap
/ anpSo and several of the South American
republics, as well as our own military
service. but Colonel Lemley has not yet
been able to persuade the German authori-
ties to inspect them. Emperor William has
a hunting outfit for his own use and brags
a great deal about it, but his military
boards prefer the old-fashiOned cartridge
box.
Tne cash register. the graphaphone, the
monograph and the zonophone are here
occupying fine buildings, and the Cheese
borough Manufacturing Company has an
establishment for the sale of its petrole-
UNI products. The Mccormick Reaper
Company, the behring's and the Walter A.
Wood Company have Independent branch
houses. and many other manu-
facturers are represented by German
agents.
TARIFF Bull DOOMED.
After interviewing nearly ali the local
representatives of American manufacture
1 find an almost universal confidence that
the proposed German tariff will be defeat
Cas MS OBtAAoA 10 uoC pm a hAAO ANb5C
of the uncompromising attitude of the
manufacturing interests of Germany, who
will never consent to the enactment of a
law which sacrifices their interests for the
benefit of the farmers, fixing a minimum
rate for treaty negotiations on one class
of goods and refusing to do so on others.
As L told you the other day, the Agrarians
have secured a provision in the bill which
prohibits the government from reducing
the duties on agricultural products by rec
iprocity treaties. There is no such ~restric-
ton on mechanical PRODUCTS. and, as the
exports of Germany are almost entirely
mechanical, and her imports are almost en-
tirely agricultural, the manufacturers fore
see tariff wars with all the countries in
which they have been building up markets
for German merchandise. The entire for
elgn trade is in peril because of the de-
mands of the farmers, and the determina-
ton of the manufacturing industries is al
ready disclosed TO a degree that makes il
positive that the new tariff bill will not
pass unless considerably modified.
Mr.. Hutmaker, the Berlin manager of
the Mccormick Company, seems to be sat-
lshed that the new bill, which threatens to
advance the duties on agricultural ma
chinery from 20 per cent. to 40 per cent. viii
not 1nJure their trade to any serious de-
gree. do not compete with the local
manufacturers in price" he said. but i'm
quality. Our machinery costs from 20 per
cent TO so per cent. more, but well-to-do
farmers prefer to pay the difference be-
cause they get a better machine. The poor
er classes OF farmers buy the German ma
chimes because they are cheaper. but of
course. if they pass "a new tariff Law and
ado $2e, or so, or even 50 to the price of a
machine it will make sales more difficult"
John Muller, local manager of the Walter
"A. WOOD company, says: Il don't believe
the new rates will be adopted, although no
one knows what will happen. The agra
rians have asked an arbitrary minimum
rate on all farm products and the manufac-
turing industries will not consent to il The
government is willing to assist the farmers,
but II II comedies their demands it prac-
tically destroys the export trade of Ger
many and provokes a tariff war with all
the countries of Europe. OF course that ic
impracticable, and hence there is no proh-
ability OF such legislation. So far as our
Speclalties are concerned, reapers, mowers.
hay rakes, spring tooth harrows. hay ted
ders, cultivators and other agricultural ma
Chlnery, an increased duty would cripple
us some, but not very much. We have com
petition from England and Sweden. Int
they would be placed upon the same basis
as ourselves. So far as the German manu-
facturerS are concerned we are not afraid
and to monopolize the trade ii would be
only necessary for us to put up a frst-class
plant and make machines in this country
upon American methods.
FEW MODERN EQUIPMENTS.
'The German manufacturer have few
modern equipments, and work upon old
fashioned methods, mostly by hand. We
can make forty machines while they are
making one. For example, we build our
steel tire main wheel with eighteen spokes.
Each spoke is fastened with a rib on the
outside and each rib has four rivets. The
two ends of the tire are fastened by a con-
necticn piece with sixteen rivets, so that
los holes are needed. We punch them all
by one stroke. The German manufacturer
drill each hole separately. We do il all in
an instant; IL takes them two minutes TO
drill each hole, and at least two minutes
moro TO nnlnGf the ffrn pnnLin1 400 -
utes for the job. In making an axle for a
hay rake we punch all the holes for the
teeth with one stroke. They bore each hole
separately. All our pieces are made in the
same mold, as you might say, and are ex-
actly similar. Their pieces are made by
hand, and il takes them longer 10 fit each
piece than for us to make them. We can
put a machine together I'm a few minutes:
they require several days. While the Ger
man machines are much heavier than ours,
they 90 not wear as well.
"A well-made American mower or reaper
Will outlast everything they can get up in
Germany. because the material and work
manship are so much better. There are
peculiarities, however. in all agricultural
machinery made for the German markets.
We have been here thirty years and have
adapted our machines to the requirements
OF the people. They like our plows. ~cultiva-
tors. spring tooth harrOws and our hay ma
chimes. but we cannot sell a drill because il
Is not adapted TO German methods of cult
vatiOn. or a thrashing machine because the
Germans require their grain separated i'm
the field. Our grain is famed in the eleva-
tors. American mowers and reapers are al
most universal"
asked Mr.. Muller what he thought OF