Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1830-06-25

the greater evidence Is there Of the perfection at
tanned, and Of means having been discovered of per-
forming the processes Of labour at less cost II by rs
perfection Its application could become unver-
sal as TO exclude, from every department of execute
all operative labourcrs. the Of production would be
indefinitely diminished. But Will now be asked what
to become the labourers whose places have been
usurped by the operation of machinery | reply that
In the case supposed. which is AN extreme one, the
wants If would be at once supplied without the
necessity Of labour This would be the acme of ndvi-
dual and national wealth II then the limit 10 which
the employment OF naeincry tends. lie the amcliora
ton oil the condition OF society be, ond cption is
not absurd TO contend that in its several POINTS OF APP
PRESENTATION !. "eH ~ ..-:ncnal 10 the webeing Of
any community, OF any class of citizens in that
munlty! We will now consider in what manner par
a dimnntion in the Of production benefits society
Every individual OF community is consumer Of the
necessaries of fe All ranks then, be interested in
procuring them nj the least possible xpense The
price, which is the exchang eabe value of the product
must vary with the real price--tha, is with the cost Of
production. II large amount of value has been con-
sumed in producing article the alue which must be
given In exchange for IT, The price at which /, can be
purchased must be great But, say the enemies 10 the
Introduction of machinery, il is the community that
- benefited by reduction in the cost OF production oc
casone by the rapid and less expensive opcraop
Of machinery-t is the producer only, who will continue
to demand the same price as before the employment Of
cheaper for furnishing the product Impossible
when is discovered that any channel OF industry yields
excessive profits, this circumstance ITSELF will he enough
TO attract new adventurcrs-Competiton will thus he
creased, and The consequence will be fan of he
price nearly TO level with the of produc un. Ii
appears, then, that is the whole community in the "a
pacity Of consumers, that will be ultimately benefited by
any savings the advenurer may make in furnishing the
article Of value We have granted in the foregoing
soning postulatum, upon which those VITO prescribe
machinery rest the wh3ia weight of their arguments
viz that in proportion its exiccd application is the
number Of those excluded from occupation, who from
their education and condition in society, doomed
procure subsistence by their services operative work
men i'm that department of industry demon mated cxecu-
ton. The Instances which occasionally presented
Of the sulferngs Of individuals and their rlnies upon
the immediate introduction OF new machinery and the
consequent dismission from employment. of number
Of trained and habuated TO peculiar species OF
labour IL is often sa irresistible appeals humani-
ty and reason to oppose Innovations, which nome
reduce class of industrious citizens, without any fault
Of their own, to the extreme Of perjury.
Such reasoning bears the appearance OF plausibity;
but II Is only necessary TO take extended view
Of the real effects Of the operation of machinery de-
tect its falacy. IL is not the part OF philanthropy
when considering cause which involves in it,
qucnces the existence OF society, 10 have regard 10 the
particular interest OF very limited poi; ton OF the
munty Besides, the position, that machinery shuts
up channel OF industry that would have maintained
numerous class OF the INDECENT il grauously assumed
and easily controvered. Machinery il not the poor
mans rival, but his protector and friend; il affords him
the Lecessaries OF life at diminished cost- does
more-it extends instead of contracting his held OF
Ipoymen yeike the mailman who n,agines the clothes
which are meant TO defend him, chains for his confnc
men how often is the poor seen, under the exacer
baton OF temporary distress 10 deprecae the cause
his sufferngs what, in few years, would open new
avenues to comfortable subsistence both fer himself and
his rising family But it will be sail how is possible
that machinery, which cfIcc,uay TO supply the
place of human labour increase the incnsiy of the
call for operative werkmcn. answer, by cheapenine
the cost OF the product. Every fall in the price of
product puts il in the power of larger number TO pro
euro it--consequently the sphere Of consumption i
extended, and the demand for the product increased
Is observed by one of the most rcasoncrs in tn,
science OF Political Economv, that ssthe fall of Price
tends so strongly to expand the sphere of
that in every instance the increase OF demand has nva
riably ourun the increasing powers Of an improved pro
: ductive agency operating upon the same productive
Means SO that every enlargement of the power of pro
ductvc agency has increased demand more of tNa
agency in the preparation of the product che
the Improvement" So then, the demand for nro,luc
whose price is diminished by the operation OF machine
ry, viii not only cause more extensive of machine
ry, but will likewise require for its supply human abou
TO satisfy the excess of the demand above the supply
must likewise be remembered that TO superiniend am
conduct the operation OF machinery, gives employment
TO vast number Of hands, and il the fact could be as
certancd il would be discovered that in all fac
turing countries there are more hands employed h
preparation OF the manufactured article than there wer
before machinery attained such perfection rs TO intro
duce into general or the truth of the assertion
that machinery instead Of diminishing increases the NO
ccssiy Tor human agents, the author above quoted
en- i'iustra ION by very strk ng example. 10 use hi
own words: When printing was first brought into ,,sc
multitude of cop lists Of course Immediately do
Prved oil occupation; for ii ma, fairly reckoned tina
one ourneyman printer does the 'usness of two hun
dred copysts. We may, therefore, conclude that 100
out oil 200 were thrown of work What followed
why, IN a Elite time the greater facility of reading
prncd than written books, the low price 10 which boo
fell, the stimulus this invention gave TO authorship,
whether devoted 10 amusement instruc ton the com
olnaon in short OF all these causes operated so efecu
ally, as to set at work in very little time more iour
neyinan printers than there were formerly copyists
And II we could now calculate with precision the tots,
NUMBER oil other industrious people, that the press finds
occupation Tor, whether journeyman primers tvpe
founders and moulders, papcr.makcrs carriers com
Po''0rs, binders or booksellers and the like we
should probably find that the number of persons occu
pied ia the manufacture of books is now 100 times
IL was before the art of printing invented" EnoupI
mas now Deen SAID 10 prove beyond doubt that the pcr
lection oil machinery and its application TO the purpo.
oil lille should find advocate i'm every friend TO the
Improvement OF the individual and social condi n OF
man. But 1t is the hard lot of philosophy TO be opposeA
al every step by the prcudices of ignorance or the ca
mours OF interest. How much more r,pidlv would il
advance il tie only obstacle to its progress was the in
herent difficulty in the discovery of truth Yet the
phianphophis may be comforted by the consideration
thsirom the pages OF history may be learned this CON
soiatory iact-tha the ameioraion of The condition nj
mankind keeps pace with lapse of time The proeress
OF Improvement is accclera,ive: it NAV be imneded nv
the VIC ent inerposon Of external causes; but like the
motion OF body urged along by the unceasng agency
OF gravity, viii, when the temporary resistance of on.
posing causes shall have ceased be renewed undcr The
impulse oil constant power, which acts moi the less
iorcibiy Tor being imperceptibe. YAUCANSON
l- The author Of tho above wewten spccu,oo doc, mi
touch the question: how far the Introduction Machinery ouyb
no len TO the ponsneous pule Individuals active and
eny enlightened IN such cases about their interests
e requires tho intrusion OF GOverrBcnt
by few graspns indvduaThe did not deem il
TO enter into this branch Of the discuss M does
me question whether this w. States
Introduction Of machineyNof doe writer discuss tho
ton OF the Immense productive of the Nature
cd forth in tho cultivation Of the effect
bw be