The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-10-12
Greni,,o State aostraaI.
THURSDAY EvENPG. OCT. IL. 1871.
from the Oneida Circular.l
DIVISION OF LABOR-ITS APPLICATION
TO HOUSEHOLD INDUSTRY.

Smith down to Arthur Latham Perry, |
grow eloquent when they touch upon the |
question of division of labor. This, they |
all tell us, is the grand means of increasing |
production and perfecting its results. The |
Cd illustration, introduced by DR.. Smith in
his "Wealth of Nations, is often cited, and
admirably answers its purpose of showing
how greatly the processes of production
are facilitated by the division of labor. In
an establishment employing ten persons,
DR.. Smith found land this was nearly Gen.
fury ago. that AS 900 pins were made in
day, when probably not more than 200
would have been made if each individual
had performed all the varied processes
alone.
There are many other advantages besides
improved dexterity resulting from division
of labor. Prof. Perry sums them up as
follows:
80. The saving Of the time which is COM
monty lost in passing from one species OF
work to another, and in the change OF place,
position, and tools.
's3. The invention of great number OF
machines which facilitate and abridge labor
in oil its departments. Because the simple
task which complete division OF labor gives
to each operator is precisely what machine
nv may most easily be made to perform,
and what the operator. if intelligent, Will
be most likely to devise machinery for.
"a. The saving of the waste OF material,
partly as the result Of this improved dex-
terity and frequently, also, as the result
of the shorter time required to finish up the
product. e,
Dor by CHASING the operatives according to
z4-a,,rr4l, clr;Il- and axnariauca Tho easier
parts NAV be performed by women and by
children, whose labor is less expensive |;
the ruder parts by ruder hands and only
the more difficult processes by the most
skillful workmen, who must be highly
paid. Next to the first, this advantage is
the most important. ga
sc There is saving in tools. The va
rious implements, being now in constant
use, yield q better return for their original
cost and therefore their owners can afford
to have them of better quality, .and this,
too, facilitates production"
The political economists do not stop with
this enumeration of the advantages of Dir
vision of labor. They affirm, what is OBJ
viously true, that without division of labor
very few things would be produced at all
s'As to the numerous comforts and luXu'
ries of civilized life there are few that coulc
be made from beginning to end by a single
man, unaided by previous Accommodations
resulting from division of labor. For be j
remembered, he must make his own tools
there having been previously no mining, NJ
forging, no wood-cutting for him. lie coult
not make pin, a button, a shoe-tie." (Se'
american Eachange and Reoieio for Sept.
p. g.
The thought suggests itself on reading
4 L L.
these laudations of division oil labor tina
comparatively little advantage is yet take
of the principle. For example, the idea ]
not generally considered of applying IT t
that department of industry wherein Their
lis the most unattractiye drudgery and tn
most need of its OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
labor. With its advantages as above spec
fed in mind, watch the daily routine OF an
housewife in this country or elsewhere, an
see how completely she is debarred fror
them. Observe the lack of skill and deS
iterity that would result from continuou
attention to more limited range of duties
the countless losses of time, III the evel
recurring changes of employment; col
slider how little her labor is aided by ms
shinery notice how at one moment ST
does what properly belongs to strongt
hands, and at the next moment occupit
herself with what small child migl
easily perform. And, worst of all, thel
is no hope, absolutely no hope for radio
Improvement in her circumstances II
hope that she may reap the advantages
this great principle of modern civiizatio
so long as individualism controls hous
hold arrangements. The evil may be pa
tally avoided by the rich who can affol
the patience and expense of keeping
Bridget or Dinah. But the millions
housewives will go on as they have don
distracted from morning till night by Il
demands upon their attention and labor
now doing O mans work, and anon
child's, accomp ishing comparatively littl
and that little often imperfectly. Nothil
appears more patent than that cooperate
Ito say nothing of Communism mig
abolish large proportion OF househo
and kitchen drudgery, while securing fo'
and all the other great necessaries OF i
in great abundance, of improved quallt
and at reduced expense. 1t seems
though the rankest selfishness would le
to cooperation for the purpose OF CANT
the rewards promised by this principle
the division of labor. Every housew
might be an artist i'll some branch OF lndt
TRY, if permitted to give continuous attic
ton to it; but SO long as the syste
ETeVallS tllat cOnpeiS Icr W ucNoto Nv
self daily to multifarious duties, ma
cooks and man-milliners will gain the pl
miums. Every man knows that one W
man has natural talents adapting her to {
Gel as cook another, talents that wol
make her eminent as superintendent
children; another, talents for order a
economy and so on. Now as househ'
raatters are arranged, not one Of these p
sons may be able fully to develope her
tural gifts the chances are that each
go through life doing a hundred things
differently well, and so not fully pleas
herself or others. If men do not look
this matter philosophically, and dey
forms of cooperation which will facllit
the extension of the great principle OF q
sion of labor to household industry,
not ut sIl unlikely that the women will
and by urge still more radical changes.
Of course, the principle of politi
economy we are considering cannot be
stricted to household matters in its APP
cation to women: it will demand and u
mately secure the right of every womay
pursue that employment in life for VII
She is best adapted. Wespeak particula
of household industry only because our
tention is called to it as department