St. Landry democrat., 1880-11-20
Logic OF Machinery.
LCitY Item |

ltllS ttCD'i
MACHINERY. directed by iutelli
aence. now rules the world. True,
there Are times in which there ap-
nears to be a sort Of antagonism
between the thinking and unthluk- !
inc toiIers-bctween the tireless
arm Of the engine and the easily
tired arm Of the human worker -
as soon, however, as an equilibrium
is established, the apparent antago-
nism disappears, and what threat,
ened to be q calamity to the skilled
laborer becomes a blessing. This
is especially true in cases where the
co.operative system has been even
partially invoked and where the
operatives have an interest Ill the
General product. Where, however,
no sympathetic relationship has
been established between the mill
owners and the workmen, and III
order to meet the pressure OF com
petition wages have been reduced
~ the lowest figures, the condition
aR the operatives may become worse
Rstnad of better. There ale al
Hays employers who conduct their
@nsiness on principles of short.
Eehted and narrow minded selfish
Aess, and who strive to reduce those
Eseneath them Us nearly as possible
TO the condition of slaves. hoping
1hereby to increase their own i'm
nortance and their wealth. When
such men get control Of the factor
les OF q village it is not surprising
that deterioration takes place in
the condition of the factory opera
tiyes and that the lack of sympathy
Of the latter for their employer has
An uniayorable effect upon the gen.
cral product and the profits arising
therefrom.
In one of Bradstreet's recent AZ
ticles on the condition Of work peo-
ple engaged in manufacturing in
dustries he says:
English and American statistics, from
authoritative sources, establish the truth
of the proposition that the work OF the
1nulVltllltli HIS UcSIl ttttCnSSu fHi liIo
nav increased. In 1910 the hours OF la
bor for the operatives in cotton mills in
England were sixty-nine per week in
1860 they had been reduced to sixty, and
in 1878 to fifty six and one-half-ln all,
from 1910 to 1878, Il reduction Of twelve
and one-half hours per week, while the
wages had heeu in most instances in
creased. The same was true as tC
skilled trades, and during the same
neriod tho average cost OF living was
reduced from 34s. per week to 32s.
Like changes-in many instances
more pronounced were effected in
New England-and this during the
period which has been most active
in the development of machinery
This, in the language Of Bradstreet
proves beyond the. possibility o.
argument that working time has
decreased and wages have increased
contemporaneously with mechani
cal improvements. Further, it il
shown that the cost of living in this
country is no greater, If as great
as it was in 1910.
In Illustrating the decided ad
vantage of mechanical contrivances
Mr.C G. Coffin, before the Con
gressional Committee on Patents
in 1873. showed that to shell tht
American corn crop of the previou;
wear by hand would require tht
constant labor for twelve months
of no less than 680,000 men, con
dition OF affairs which would ma
terially increase the cost OF corr
to. consumers.
IF the world could not now affort
to have it's corn shelled at this ex
pensive rate, it is equally paten
that it could not afford to do with
out any of the great labor saving
contriyances which SO multiply th'
power of mankind.