The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1880-01-22

The most valuable work that is now
being done, in the intellectual point
of view, is what may be called the
popularization of science in those
branches which have a direct bearing
on the struggle for life. For long
time science, in a sense, disdained to
make itself plain to the average man.
1t was set forth IN ponderous and
| heavy books, only accessible to the
learned minority. But now the great
effort is to simplify. Bagehot, Sum
ner, Wells, Jevons, Cernuschi,, and
nearly all the economists of the mod
ern school, write and lecture in style
which can be comprehended by the
masses. There are also cheap publica-
tions and monographs upon various
economical subjects intended to con-
vey instruction in Il popular form.
Whenever error begins to exercise any
influence on the course of events, all
these appliances are at once brought
into operation for its eXtirpation.
One Of the most venerable fallacies
with which we have to deal is that
labor-saving machinery reduces the
area of employment. There are traces
of ii as far back as the time OF Louis
XIV, and Queen Elizabeth. 1t seems,
at the first glance, to be an obvious
| truth that if Il machine be invented to
do the work of ten men, nine will be
deprived of II job. But if the matter
be searched further it will be found
that human wants are Unsuitable, and
| that they increase with the means of
| gratifying them. 1t is, in fact, in this
respect that civilization differs from
| barbarism. Science had long been
satisfied rs to the soundness Of this
economic axiom. But it takes Il long
| time for abstract truth to win its way
in the world. When political parties
are beginning to be organized on the
notion that machinery is taking away
the bread of large masses OF people, it
| is time to resort to the inductivc
method by which alone old opinions
can be revolutionized.
This is partially done in a mono
Graph recently published. . GaVhcr
Some of the illustrations are quite
strong and convincing. \ writer
holding the opposite view having as
serted that eighty compo>itors and
proof readers, four press-nen and two
presses do work in the Irj5Wc Office
of New York, which in the processes
in use by our fathers would require
267 presses, 53i prcssmen and 1000
compositors and proof readers, the au-
thor upscts the whole calculation hy
merely inquiring: Did the THbU7c as
Il matter of fact employ coca men? If
it did not, how can the $500 men be
said to have been thrown out of en-
ployment? He holds that if the steam
press had not been invented the Ylib-
Ui1c would not be issuing its vast num-
bers of sheets at cents copy. He
adds: "Whcn one thinks OF type max
ing aud press making and paper maxi
ing, ii isapparont that the application
of steam in printing has vastly in
creased the number of persons en-
ploycd in the trade"
Some of the other illustrations which
he gives are more clearly worked out.
He takes the ease of the corn shelter,
as follows: ''ro shell the crop of 1877
by hand, Mt the rate of } bushels per
man per day, would have required the
labor one year of over $50, 600 men.
Just think of the degree to which it
would enhance the price of corn unless
the men employed in shelling lived
like the fellahcen of Egypt. The best
shelling machine, with two men, will
shell l,50O bushels per day Less than
5000 men she'll the whole crop. Have
sol, 600 men been thrown out of em-
ployment by the corn shelter? Such
Il question needs no answer"
If lahor-saving machinery should
have marked effect anywhere in re-
ducing employment, it should be in
the ordinary vehicles of transportation
superseded by the railway, but statis-
ties show that such is not the fact
Mr.. Powers on this head says: "The
census returns indicate that in 1850
the manufacture of carriages and wag
ons employed 1880 men, while in
1870 ii employed 81, 1850 men. During
the same period the number of horses
in the country increased not so rap
idly but yet largely from 4,336,7l9 TO
7,li5,370. The number of carriage and
wagon makers increased over 20O per
cent, while the population increased
only 66 per cent" During the same
period the number of persons engaged
in railway carriage building went up
from | l,55i TO 1881, which must be re-
garded as additional employment.
Colonel Carroll d. Wright, of Bos-
ton, contributes the following facts in
II paper read before the Local Science
Congress: "To produce the goods now
manufactured annually by Massa-
chusetts, and To carry on the work of
her railroads without the employment
OF lahor-saving machinery and steam
power, would require Il population of
1900, 900 in place of 500, 900 ms at pres
ent, and this by low grade of labor.
This vast estimated popu-
lation of 100000 in Massachusetts
would be required to produce what Is
now produced, and to be supported ON