Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1904-02-25
ADOPT AMERICAN METHODS.
Man facturers, Farmers and the Ger
mnA People In General Are
taking 10 Our Ideas

1
A query frequently raised by th
German press Is how American mani
A facturers, paying wages at least twic
as high as are paid In Germany, ar
able, In many cases, to produce thel
wares cheaper than they can be produce
mere.
The solution Of this question Is Ger
tainly before the German manufac
turer as never before. He sees tina
the cheaper raw material and bound
less natural resources Of the Unite
States furnish only partial answer
and that the real solution is to b
found In manufacturing system tina
rejects traditional methodist system
the keynote Of which Is to lessen tn
cost OF production; that consigns ma
chine to the scrap pile as soon as bet
ter one is to be had, and In turn con
signs that one to the scrap pile wheI
occasion demands system that oheri
constant incentive to each man con
nected with the manufacturing plant tc
bring out the best that Is In him.
The advantages Of such asystem have
been again and again referred to by the
German press during the past year. II
will undoubtedly be the standard toward
which, In the future, the German manu-
facturer In all lines will strive. He
has already accomplished much In this
direction. How rapidly and to what ex-
tent he may further advance remains to
be seen. He will have the advantages
Of a widely diffused technical training
among the German people, the product
Of a flexible school system which readi-
ly adapts itself to the needs Of manu-
featuring and commerce; workmen who
specialize easily and who are patient In
the mastery Of details. In some cases
he will perhaps be hampered by the
tendency of an ACCIDENTALLY trained
class In a shop to discourage the adj
vancement Of those not SO trained.
Whatever change Of scope or method
may occur In the future Of German
manufacturing, without question the
United States will be the model whose
methods will be chiefly studied and
whose machinery will continue most In
demand. Our manufacturers should be
able to show that their machinery Of
fered for sale here embodies the latest
improvements. II the fact can be DEM
onstrated by actual experience that GER
tain classes Of machinery cheaper the
cost of production Is, 25 or so per cent. |
over other machinery now in use, that
fact will more than ever before commend
such machinery In this market. The ex-
act conditions as to skill Of workmen,
hours Of labor, ETC., under which such |
reductions Of cost are made should be
clearly stated, but not overstated.
No intelligent observer in this part
of Germany can fail to have noticed the
recent changes In methods and appli-
lnces that have been going on in every
Of business as well as In
,ther fields.
Farm machinery 10 rapidly taking the
place Of hand implements. In O small
lrea Of southwestern Germany the num-
YER Of American farm implements sold
ach year runs well up into the thou
ands, showing how the scythe and the
ickle are giving way to the mower and
he harvester. Modern creamery appli-
noes have gone into every cattle-rais- ,
ng locality. Woodworking and iron.
machinery are forcing hand
york to the rear. Hotel elevators
carcely to be found at oil few year,
go--are now used In all the better Ger
ian hotels. II 10 but q few years since
urge apartment houses, with handsome
tone fronts. had neither steam heat nor
MODERN sanitary plumbing. Now all
UGH houses are supplied with both. .
he German porcelain heating stove
Ids fair to disappear before the heater
nd the base-burner.
The suburban dwelling house, stand.
lg apart with large yard and garden, is :
modern innovation In many parts Of ..
ermany. A half dozen years ago !
Iannheim had scarcely single one. Y
o-day It has dozens Of them, costing =
ON $4,000 to $4,000 each.
In footwear, In American fashion Y
ates In tailor shops and American pat =
rms In dry goods stores, In the use Of 4
ltmeal and other breakfast foods, In y
10 popularity Of grill rooms and grill
'om cooking. In the use OF rocking :
airs (now offered for sale In every p
'st-class furniture store). IN an entire =
volution Of dentistry and dental APP y
iances. In the increasing popularity Of y
'e insurance among well-to-do busl- !.
80 men, and in countlesA other things u
Q to be seen the changes that are TAX
9 place.
II. W. HARRIS. n,
ur sulphate of Copper In Austria n,
The demand for sulphate Of copper n,
decreasing. and the receipts fell from r.,
out SO metric tons In 1901 to 22.l tons nj
1909. The imports from the United ~
ates constitute about 70 per cent Of N
Q whole. viz. 1874 tons American ~
cking Of sulphate Of copper has i'm I'm