The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1878-07-11

sewing machine industry, to say nothing
of the numbers of people who were EN-
ployed in mining and manufacturing
iron and steel for the machines and lum
Der for the tables, and the thousands O
others indirectly supported by the sew
ing machine business.
In our remarks SO far we have only
cited such points as appeared to have a
bearing on the question of the effect on
labor of the employment of sewing ma
chimes, but have said nothing as to the
gain of the people generally by their use.
We do not have by us any reliable statis-
tics on the prices of clothing, but if any
one doubts the fact that sewing ma
chimes have reduced the price of wearing G
apparel, let him 60 to a shirt maker and
ask the difference in the price that would
be charged for making two shirts of the
same materials, one to be made entirely
by hand and the other by machine.
With regard to the effect of sewing
machines on the shoe manufacture we
have some interesting statistics that we
believe may be relied on. The sewed
shoes which are made in the greatest
numbers are the ordinary gaiter shoes
(women's). These shoes before machines
were introduced for sewing them sold at
about 50 90 per pair, but now shoes of
the same quality can be bought for 81 So
Notwithstanding that the materials in
them have gone up from 40 to 70 per
cent, and that wages have more than
doubled. The women who formerly
sewed the uppers got so cents per day;
they now get 81. 33 on the machine Men
got on an average $125 per day, varying
according to their skill; now they get
about 50 50-some rather less, many
great deal more.
If we consider the textile industries of
cotton goods, woolens, worsted goods,
carpets, hosiery, etc, we find that not
withstanding the great advance in the
number of labor saving inventions, the
hands employed have increased faster
than our population, and that the wages
paid have more than doubled, as will be
page 695 of the Industry Volume of the
Census Of 1870:
Wages ............ 37,3O1,7IO 7S,4Ol,367
Product ......... 195, ,4l6,400 395, 1885, ,565
The last line shows the advantage of
the use of the improved machinery now
employed, as, Notwithstanding there was
only an advance of less than one half the
number of hands employed, the value of
GdO RlOduCI was lHCTGdSCo dDOuG LOU per
cent although the hours of labor in
many factories were largely reduced be-
tween 1860 and 1870.
AS another instance, take the reaping
and moving machine In the twelve
States where these machines are used
most we find that farmers and agricul-
tural laborers have increased from ,301,-
S63 in 1850 to 2.024, 800 in 1865, and q
GAL $50 in 1870.
1t may be objected however, that most
of the States where mowers and reapers
are used are the rapidly growing West
ern States, and that this is therefore
hardly fair argument to use We will
therefore give the following table, COM
piled from the census, showing the hands
in tho various manufactures
of all kinds all over the United States:
Hands. Wages Pop'n.
1867. 95S079 1896, ,759, ,464 23,l9l ,S76 |
1850. Il ,311 ,246 378,S78,966 31,443, ,321 |
1870 2,053,9 996 775,5S1,343 3S,55S,371 |
From comparison of these tables it
will be seen that, notwithst tanding the |
immense number of labor saving ma
chimes introduced in the twenty years |
in the above figures, the hands |
have more than doubled, and |
the wages nearly quadrupled, although |
the population had only increased from |
a little over twenty three to thirty eight |
and half millions, or about 67 per cent.
In considering the effect of inventions |
on the laboring interests Of the country |
we must not forget that many inventions
actually icrease the amount of labor to be
performed, as, for instance, the telegraph |
and photograph. The census of 1870 |
gives nearly 1900 as the number en-
ployed in different capacities in the tele-
graphic offices Of the country, to say
nothing Of those indirectly connected |
with it in building the lines drawing the |
wire, making the instruments, etc. The |
are also large class en-
tirely dependent on a modern invention |
without which their occupation could |
never have existed, and they in their
turn keep large number of people en-
ployed in preparing chemicals, paper |
plates, mats, frames, etc, for their use
The rubber business also employs tens
Of thousands of operatives directly in the |
of the rubber leaving out
of consideration those engaged in other
countries in the collection and shipping
of the raw gum, and the thousands en-
ployed here in the sale of the manufact- |
ured articles. If to these we add the i'm
mense number of people employed in
connection with the railroad and steam
boat interests Of the country, which are
wholly dependent upon the inventions of
the steam engine, locomotive, and steam
boat, it will appear plain to the meanest
capacity that inventions, so far from
throwing peopleout of employment, have
rather increased the demand for their
services.