The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1908-02-12
SWAIN DESTROYS
A FEW ILLUSIONS
American Typewriters Not to
be Purchased For Song.
ENGLISH DISCOUNTS A JOKE.
AS to Sewing Machines They are all
Made Over There.

CEDAR FALLS. la. Feb. 2 --Spe-
cial: Hon. j. w. Jam; g n today re-
ceived the following letter from All.
bert w. Swain. for many years the
editor of the Oskaloosa Herald and
now consul to Southampton, Eng
land. from this country. The letter
follows:
Southampton. England. Jan. 20. 1908.
My Dear Mr.. Jarnagin-Your note
of inquiry. with printed enclosure.
came to hand in due time. and have
delayed answering it Until l could
reassure myelf as to what may follow.
as to fact stated:
First-As 10 buying a standard
Remington me chine here for $50 in a
retail way. can only say that l
1 have never card of it and l have
made some dilligent inquiry in sever
al ways to find out the truth of that
statement. | am compelled to say
that it appears to be untrue-and fur
ther. it never has been true. | know
from actual personal experience that
other makes of standard American
typewriting machines are held at 20
pounds-which is S97. 33-and when
you pay spot cash you get per cent
discount-a common discount the
world over for cash. This l know
from actual purchases, made by my
self. should be glad to find stand
ard new American machines over here
at $50. for should take one. person
ally. for home use. and should be de.
lighted for someone to put me wise"
on this matter-if | am not.
Sewing Machines.
Second-As to sewing machines.
American make: The machines on
sale here are American in name only,
Tor all the large concerns have their
own factories on this side. and they
make price that is about 10 to IL
per cent lower than the same kind of
machine can be had for in the aver
age Iowa town. AS the difference in
wages paid between the American
and English machine is about As per
cent in favor of the English manu-
facturer, he ought to sell good deal
cheaper than he does. But he is pro-
tected by patents, and by concession
of territory-and he keeps his prices
SO that he may hold the MAJ ket-and
be safe from export competition that
might flow from other lands.
There is no duty here of any kind
on any machines of any make for any
purpose on earth. 1t is absolutely
the freest market in the whole world
and also has one million human be-
ings now on the poor lists in regu-
lar way. and should labor be anyway
interrupted for three months. an Eng
lish statesman gives it under his own
name. and which adoption by pc.
iitical committee as sorrowful fact
there would be ten millions more
needing public or other relief than
that which their own honest laboring
hands could supply.
do not say that free trade and
poverty go hand in hand. but do
say. and do know. that have never
seen free trade land of any standing
but that the most popular thing-as
we'll as the most necessary-in it was
the free soup kitchen. have had
some experience in this sort of way
at home-you remember something
about "kelly's army and that ] 1900
men going down the Des Mcines river
and how later on. one room in the old
Head office building was used as a
store house. and where -four and meat
was bought by the ton--for the feed
ing of men and women whose work
had gone out with the incoming of the
Wilson bill! And l know that men
had to accept supplies from that
source who never in all their lives be.
fore had eaten meal that they had
not honestly worked for-or one of
common courtesy. That is practi-
cal remembrance that shall never
forget-is lesson altogether too bit
ter for one believing in the common
kinship of humanity.
Agricultural Implements.
Third-As to agricultural imple-
ments. Here in England. American
agricultural machinery has hut little
demand. and what there is falls chief
ly on what might be termed special
ties.'' in distinction from the great
line of real machinery-th things
that do the gr at work of the field.
| have seen some American ma
chimes in use here and have inquired
the rates paid and they are generally
quoted as about even with these cur
rent at home-in equal quantities
plus the freight.
But down in South America. where
we do sell vast quantity of agri-
cultural machinery. | can tell a very