The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1878-11-14
Effects Of Laber-Saying Machinery.

1t is worth while to consider the gen.
eTal as well as the special effects of en-
. pioylnS iabor-saving machinery, says the
( chicago Tribune. Let the most extreme
case be taken of some production where,
by the introduction of machinery, the
number OF persons employed has been
reduced to one-fourth and the production
quadrupled. This would necessitate the
discharge of three-fourths of the men en-
gagged in that trade. We eoncede that
Tor the time being, and until these same
persons could find employment at some
other work, the change would be oppres-
sIve upon them but they necessarily form
but minute proportion of the whole
population, and the welfare and benefit of
The whole Is of such magnitude that pri-
vate losses must be endured The in
crease OF production is so great, and the
cost 70 os.AaD..-- ----a-->-~-<9, 9,-.s---.
the whole population share and enjoy the
blessing OF increased abundance. Thus
all classes OF population are of necessity
consumers, and all enjoy the abundance,
comfort, and luxury of the increased con-
sumption OF this worlds goods made pos
sibie by the reduction in the cost of pro-
duction. Thus the stone-cutters enjoy
the benefits of having shoes, cotton goods.
woolen cloths, hats and caps, fannels, car
pets, furniture, glass and earthen ware,
cutlery, breadstutfs, meats, and everything
else entering into domestic uses for them
selves and family at prices not averaging
one-titth OF what these articles would cost
in the absence of labor-saving machinery.
To stop machinery would raise the cost of
sawed granite, but it would also proper
tionately increase the cost of everything
the stone-cutter stands in need of for his
own or his family's use,
There is one universal law from which
there IS no escape. Human wants grow
increase, and expand in the exact proper
ton to the ability to crafty them.
When cloth was made by hand, suit of
clothes not only served as long as three
or four suits now serve, but also descend
cd IRON sire TO son. and at best was in
ferior compared with what is now aittttain
able. The househocil1C, furniture of half a
century ago would be extremely plain in
the humblest houses Of to-day home
mace carpets, the product of long years
accumulation OF rags, where then a lux
ury. 10 abolish the use of labor saving
machinery would be to turn the world
backward to comparative barbarism, and
the remanding of the people to wooden
shoes, leather breeches, and home-spun
ilnsey, would in no part of the world pro-
duce such revolt as among the free
working people Of the United States.
The comforts and abundance, in the mat
ter Of clothing, variety Of food, and house.
hold conyeniences, would never hA eur-
rendered. The steam saw and planning
mill worked a revolution in the cost of
wooden building material, and though it
took away an immense amount of labor
once performed by hand, it increased the
demand for sawed and ;laned lumber,
giving employment TO an Increased nun.
ber Of carpenters and joiners, and with
increased wages. There has been no in
wef mad the permanent effect OF reducing
the number of workmen or their wages.