Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1878-08-03

gin with rcaping machines. which fanat-
les would destroy. Reaping and
moving machines first came into use
about the year 1850. They are now used
principally i'm twelve states. The United
States census statistics show the result.
The number of farmers aud agricultural
laborers in these twelve states in 1850
was 1901. 1853. In 1870. the date of the
last census, the number had increased to
1.641. S30-an increase of the number of
working men on farms Of million and
third. But the increase of wages was
still more striking. In 1850. the average
wages on farms was eight dollars a
month in 1870 it was thirty dollars a
month. In 1850, the average wages Of
harvest hands was eighty cents day in
1870. it was three dollars and seventy
eight cents. This year in spite Of the
hard times, the wages of farm hands by
the month was at least twice and a half
what it was i'm 1850. and harvest wages
average in the twelve states two dollars
and half day. This is the result of
the enormous increase in farm machin-
cry. Besides there are now thousands of
men profitablv employed in the manu-
facture and sale of reaping and moving
machines. and other farm machinery.
Take the sewing machines. against
which the tailors of New York struck in
1852. because it was going to ruin tail
ors. sewing women. etc. By the census
of 1850. there were 52.069 tailors in the
United States. having total population
of %, 19I.S76, or one tailor to every 445
people. In 1870, after twenty wears OF
sewing machines. there Were 406579 tall
ors in population Of 3S.55S.361. or one
tailors to every 261 people-one tailor to
half as many people after twenty years
of sewing machines as before the sewing
machine era. Sewing women increased
i'm like iatio. and wages in 1870 fol sew.
ing women and tailors were more than
double what they were in 1850. Besides
20.534 people were employed in manu-
featuring and selling sewing machines.
About 1860 sewing. pegging and other
machines were employed in the manu-
facture of boots and shoes. Foolish
wOrkingmen struck because they said
machinery E3nld rnin their trade. But
the census tells the story in the follow
figures:
Hands, 'oIbo' % .
Wages......... s4!Sol.!lS S1o',ol S Ss
Product ......... 196i16.400 395 15S sos
Ten years of machinery i'm making
boots and shoes produced these extraor-
dinarv results: The number of work
men increased one halt; the wages paid
more than doubled ; and the price of
boots and shoes was reduced, fjr all 9TH
er kinds of workingmen 10 buv. one
third. Besides. thousands of mechanics
were employed in making these
! machines. and thousands more in tan
ming leather TO keep the macl les gong.
| But some my say that these are select
ed specimens. and still believe that labor
saving machinery hurts libOr. Let us
then try all Iabor-saving machinery by
the census figures. These figures include
all machinery. anil all wo: king men and
women employed in the trades or work
inc for wages. The result is sOmpwhf
surprising. and complete answer to the
,liatribes of demagogues against labor
| saving machinery:
| Hands Wages Population.
1S5o...- gIs.n-9 $3.50. $50 464 2, l9I sc SIC
| 1S60......-1 81 246 34S.SIS-9bb ~ AZ. 81
| IS7O2 O.S 996 775,5S4 3t3 IS 55s 81
This table shows that during the last
recorded twenty years of machinery and
invention the hands employed have more
than dOnbled. and the wages have near
w quadrubled. while the population on
ly increased s;Xtv-seven per cent. The
product increased the average wealh OF
every man, woman and child about three
timesi Any laboring MN, if he will
listen to reason. ought to he convinced
bv these statistics labor-saving machines
and invention are the best friends to his
his class. The statistics ofall other coun-
tries show the same remarkable results.
LabOr-saving machinery and inventions
everywhere steadily increase the number
of working people employed; stsadilv in
crease the comforts and luXuries which
working people can buy, because they
mike the prices of luXuries and neces-
saries cheaper; and steadily increase the
| worlds wealth with which to employ
labor. They also steadily increase those
businesses which must employ labor.
They have also steadily decreased the
number of hours of labor per day. and
bettered the social; moral, and political
condition of the working people. New
| inventions CRATE new industries. giving
new occupation to thousands. And
willie large factories are increased. the
number of small workshops is much
more increased. A single machine is
often all the capital required to start IN
business. No one can point TO a single
great invention. which has ever injured
labor; or which has failed to largely help
labOr.-DetrOit Post and Tribune.