Mexico weekly ledger., 1878-07-18
OVER-PRODUCTION.

has COLHC hidAilLy IIO" idlC opCi
These have attributed cheapness Of
labor and want of employment to
multiplication of machinery. Is it
too much to say that such sentiments
are the prolific source of communistic
organizations in our cities, or that
they convert our tramping laborers
into a constant menac in the rural
districts?
Recently a prominent manufac-
turer, in endeavoring to account for
the depressed condition of industry,
committed the mistake of saying
much to confirm such erroneous ideas
in his own workmen and those OF
others.
1t is Mr.. G. F. Filley, the well
known manufacturer of the Charter
Oak cooking stove, that speaks this
time. In praise of that gentleman.
too much .annot be said. He is a
successful, warm-hearted and far
sighted operator. He is noted for
integrity, his convictions are deep,
and he is as sincere as he is earnest
in his expression of them. What he
says, though it may be erroneous,
will have its weight and yield its har-
vest, and he has announced it to be
his opinion that Through machinery,
production has oyertaken consump-
ton, and the resulting distress is to
be cen in the long and still length
ening record of insoIvencics.'
Mr.. Filley contents himself with
directing attention to what he con-
sldcrs the misfortune of the age. lie
is too modest to propose remedies.
He barely hin,s that production
might be limited to demand as soon
as that could be ascertained, and over
looks the fact, that persons less
modest and perhaps less honest have
suggested Legislative limitation of
labor, as q means of maintaining
perpetual demand for its produc-
tons.
We were the more astonished at
the contents of TIE paper read by
Mr.. Filley before the Stove Manufac-
turers Association at Cleveland, from
which the foregoing extract is taken
and which is being widely circulated
by the press, because we had not
thought that stoves were to be class
ed among the articles, whose increas-
ed production is due to machinery.
We supposed and still consider that
no method has been discovered tC
supercede the old fashioned hand
mode of making moulds to cast iron
in. We still think that a foundry re.
quires as many moulders IN proper
ton to its products as it ever did. OF
course stove makers have availed
themselves of some of the modern
facilities. These relate however
mainly TO concentrations, carvings.
polishings and paintings. We had
supposed also that the founders eX'
pcrience with machinery, was SINH.
lar to that of other trades. The
sewing machine has not diminished
the number of those employed in IA
bricating dresses or lessened the
amount of those worn. 1t has only
added fri to fri, tuck to tuck, and
skirt to skirt until notwithstanding
celebrity of the machine as much time
is spent in getting up garments as in
the old fashioned way.
In order to arrive at correct con-
illusions in regard to what has been
preached, let all consider that the
main object of life is to supply its
wants and that perfect satisfaction OF
them has never been realized. Per-
haps not a single individual in this
or any other land exists who has had
or enjoyed moro than he wanted. Al
the same time there is millions every
where that feel that there is mucf
that they would like to have had
which has been held at values beyond
their power of acquisition. Witt
such facts before us the theory o
over production and superabundan
supply falls to the ground. We mus
look in other directions for the solu
ton of the difficulties by which w
are environed. This can only be sug'
gested by our experiences. w
know what we have seen, that wer'
the reasonable wants and actual ne
cessities of communities supplied, eX
: listing surplus stocks of fabrlck
would vanish like ice under the hea
of a tropical sun. Why then hav
stocks accumulated? What cal
have occasioned such a stock o
things, but individual improvement
|, which unfortunate condition of socie
ty is intimately related to recent ex
pansions and contractions of money
high taxes and political and social ex
travagance and Encouragement
This accumulation of goods too, ma.
in great a degree be due to inability Of
the part of manufacturers notwith
standing the immensely and improved
character of their machinery to pro
duce fabricks sufficiently cheap fol
existing ability to purchase. Hence
our conclusions must necessarily be,