The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-02-22
SHOE MACHINES COSTLY.
Half the Value for Annual Rental Of
Machines.

Washington, Feb. o. -Representativ
George w. Norris OF Nebraska. insurgen
Republican, asked some embarrassin,
questions of the witnesses of the UniteC
Shoe Machinery company when they ap
peared before the House committee OF
the judiciary yesterday morning. TIT
witness was John H. Cross of the Johi
II. Cross company, Boston.
Mr.. Gross, under the questioning o
Attorney Charles Il. Littlefield, WAS tell
ing the committee what great advan
tage TO the shoe manufacturing business
the United company is. Mr.. Cross re
lated his experience with other makers
Of machines, relating how, for example
he was forced to pay $50 week il
wages to two men to look after button
ing machines which should have beer
kept in condition by their makers. FL
nally the witness came to the so-callel
tying clause, and here he told the com.
mittee that as a matter of fact he
wished he could buy machines from any.
enc he wished, without restrictions Of
any sort Mr. Cross laid particular
stress on the efficiency of the machines
belonging to the United.
Judge Norris has been doing some fig
uring "You pay" he said, "about one
half the value of your machinery each
year," The witness admitted as much,
Suppose, them" said Mr.. Norris, that
your factory was equipped with new ma
chnery, how long before you would have
to have a new set, keeping your maehin-
cry always up to date, that isT Mr..
Cross replied that the average lie Of q
machine is five years.
Norris; "Theu every two years you
would have paid the value of your ma
chimes in royalties In five years you
would have paid two and one-half times
the value of your maehinesp
Mr.. Cross admitted as much At this
point there was consultation among
the United Shoe people--Attorney Lit
tleiield, Fish and Louis A. Coolidge,
Therefore" continued Norris, "yod are
paying more under this system than ii
you had to buy outright" This was
also admitted
But from your point of view" said
Representative Rowland OF Ohio, "you
are able to make for yourself more mon
ey than under the old system!"
A nat Is True fepHeu tFOss.
That began Representative Norris
again, brings up another question. Isn't
is true that the consumer of shoes has
to pay in the end this extra amount in
royalties?"
Cross-The cost is not important to
me / am after the efficiency.
Norris-We ought to take into consid-
Grafton the consumer You are engaged
in system Of manufacture which costs
cost and one-half its value in five years.
Isn't that wrongY There is evidently
a large amount Of money that somebody
gets and that the consumer has to pay,
Somebody is getting more than q rea-
sonable profit. That is one objection to
your system.
Mr. Cross and Mr.. Littlefeld answered
Mr.. Norris with statements to the eff
feet that shoes are being produced more
cheaply than ever before under the sys-
tenn controlled by the United. "And IT,"
interposed member of the committee,
"the consumer gets his share, the system
undoubtedly is beneficial" At this point
the committee adjourned until late in
the afternoon.
There were present also Jonathan
Brown, jr., of Brown Sons Shoe company,
Salem, and Martin Il. Welch of Lynn.
Representatives Thayer, Harris and Me-
Call attended the hearings.