Document text
ORIGINAL MSS. OR FIELD NOTES (Check one)
PUB.
Living Lore
in New Encland
TITLE Italian Shoe Machine Workers_ Beverly
WRITER Merton R. Lovett
DATE 4/5/39 WDS. PP. 4
CHECKER DATE
SOURCES. GIVEN 01 Interview
COMMENTS
Paper No. 5
Interview with
Roland Damiani
by
Merton R. Lovett
"As well as remembered."
Interview with Roland Damiani
BY Merton R. Lovett
(from memory)
"Yes, I read it in the papers. The government will no longer
attack the United Shoe Machinery Company:
"Well, Mr. Lovett, how can it be a monopoly so long as the com-
pany has competition?
"Certainly the competition is small. That proves, does it not,
that the United Shoe is better managed and has a gmarter organization?
"The royalty system? There is much to be said on both sides. How
could the small manufacturer afford to buy his shoe machinery outright?
Without much capital it couldn't be done.
"A man, I understand can start making shoes with as little as $5000
capital. Many have begun with less. The United installs the machinery.
It instructs the workmen. It keeps the equipment in repair, and in re-
turn the manufacturer pays rent.
"I don't know that the rent is too high. Most manufacturers, I heir,
prefer the royalty system.
"Of course a great concern, would rather own its equipment outright.
If such was possible, they might sell shoes cheaper. Who knows. But what
would become of the small shoemaker? All of them would be forced out of
business.
Page 2
"I do not think it is true, that a manufacturer must use only
machines made by the United Shoe. You were in the leather business.
Was all your machinery made by the company? How about sewing machines,
for instance? Are they not sold by the Siripr Company?
"What was your trouble Mr. Lovett? You objected to paying a mini-
mum royalty, when business was slack and you did not use the machines.
"Also, the repair parts cost too much? And you couldn't return the
leased machines, without paying the company a large sum for overhauling
them? I never heard beforepthatunfortunate companies were forced to
keep and pay royalties on machines that they no longer used or wanted,
because the reconditioning charges were more than they could pay.
"Whypthen, did you lease any machines of the United Shoe?
"Of course they were much better and more effecient. We are always
making improvements. Our inventors are very clever.
"If other machinery manufacturers have not got as smart inventors,
that's their hard luck.
"Sure the government protects inventors. Without inventions there
would be no progress.
"Inventors are queer people. Few are good business men. Most of
them are better off working for a good salary.
"I know lots of inventors. In the engineering department we test
out their ideas. The United Shoe pays them very well. Some of them
would starve if they worked on their own.
Page 3
"Have you ever seen the company's museum? It is marvelous.
There are thousands .of interesting shoe machines and parts there.
Why, they have machines in the museum which are much better than
any on the market. Some are automatic. They will turn out shoes
almost as fast as you could manufacture matches.
"Why don't they put them on the market? Well, I guess some
of them are not wholly perfected. Besides it would not be good
business.
"Well, the company is getting a royalty on each pair of shoes
made. It would cost millions perhaps to replace a line of machines
in twelve hundred shoe factories. And When the new machinery was
installed the royalties for the United would be no more, since the
numbers of pairs of shoes made in this country would be no greater.
Besides the new machines would throw many shoemakers out of work.
"Why do they invent so many machines than if they do not use
them? I don't know.
"For protection, Mr. Lovett? Protection from what?
"Oh, to prevent competition? I don't know. It may be that no
one can invent a shoe machine now without infringing on some patent,
owned by the U.S. Machine Company. If so, that is good business.
"Yes, all the time the Company is trying to invent machines which
Page 4
are better than those sold by competitors. Recently, one of the in-
ventors developed a new cementing machine. Always before the shoe
manufacturer must buy his cementing machines somewhere else. Now
they will lease the new and better one from the United Shoe. It will
also increase the demand for our cements.
"Oh, yes, the United Shoe owns many companies which manufacture
supplies for shoe manufacturers. They are called subsidiaries. They
make lasts) heels, tacks, knives, blacking, cement, thread, shoe boxes,
laces, labels and many other things.
"No, these firms are separate from the Beverly Company. There is
no monopoly for they still have competition.
"Maybe the competition is getting smaller all the time. If a com-
pany makes things better and cheaper, they deserve the business.
"What may perhaps happen sometime, or never, that's not for us to
worry about.
"Of course, there are some inventors that are not happy to see their
inventions filed in the museum instead of being used. But, as I said be-
fore, Mr. Lovett, inventors are often different from other people.
"Well, there was an inventor named Julian. He invented the Julian
rounder, then many other things. Some of them were not manufactured.
Bye and bye he resigned. He wanted to sell his undeveloped ideas to some
shoe manufacturer.
"No, he did not succeed. He is an old man now, on relief. If he had
stayed on with the United Shoe, he would be enjoying a fine pension.