The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-11-05
1he LGec,. OF ,InehInery


The Effects OF Machinery.
We are constantly being told by a GER
tain class OF writer's. usually Of pessimistit
tendencies, that as iuyentions multiply
and machinery comes more and more into
use, the condition Of the wage-receiyert
deteriorates, the cost OF living increases
and wages decrease. Such statements arf
usually without statistical backing, beinG
merely the utterances OF parties making
them, and entirely from an individual
point Of observation. They are prompted
BIZ a few extreme cases, which are consid
cred as illustrations. From one case, they
feel justified in drawing conclusions appli'
cable to the whole subject OF the effect o.
mechanical devices. .-".' +
When the statements alluded to- are
made by Americans, they are seized upon
by writer's abroad who desire change II
our industrial policy, and who use them
to pacliy diSconten,ed operatives at home
A case in point. The Manchester Eng
land) Guardian, in q recent editorial, uset
ths following language; "The deteriora'
lion which has taken place within the
past twenty years in the condition OF the
factory operatives OF the United States is
described by writer in the October num-
Der OF the Atlantic Monthly. Taking a
typical New England village, whose in
habitants are mainly occupied in spinning
and weaving cotton, he gives minute &C.
coun. Of the social and economical state oil
the working people, which in nearly
every respect appears to be much wore
than that Of the factory population OF this
country"
The statements Of the American writer
upon which the editor OF the Manchester
Guardian bases the conclusions quoted
are that, "Years ago, previous to the panic
and the French emigration, reasonably
good wages were paid in the factories, and
the native Americans, Irish, English and
Scotch, who then constituted the populs-
lion, lived comfortably; snd come Of
them, with the assistance OF their families,
acquired by close economy competency.
ITO the ordinary operative this is now
an impossibiity, nor does there seem any
Liz elihood that revival of business will
so change affairs as again to give the cot,
ten.miIl operative the relatively good
wages he formerly earned. Here, New
Epgland) as well US in other Centers Of in
dustry, the work Of the individual opera
live has been increased and his pay re-
duced. Close competition is the cause o.
this, and the tendency 10 30 to improve
machinery as further to facilitate thi:
doubliug.up process. Machinery is being
perfected more and more, and in many
places where workman was required, ar
automatic attachment now does the work
Laborets by these agencies being more
plentiful, and the demand for them beinl
relatively less, the natural consequence il
small wages, and rs these causes bid lail
10 continue, no change in an upward di
rection can occur"
We submit that hardly one OF thesC
statements is susceptible OF proof; on the
conlIaTy, we maintain and can readily
show, ist, that there IL only apparent de
tetioiRtion; I'd, that the work Of the indi
yidusl operative has been decreased anc
his pay incIeasedi Sd, that the cost OF liy
ing has not increased as rapidly as wages
Ali, that laboreTs are more plentiful thar
formerly, and that the demand Tor them II
greater instead Of less; and, 9th, that {
change in IN upward direction can occur
1t requires but the most superficial con
sideration 10 understand that ierty yesrl
ago the mills in this country were iilleC
with English and American operatives o
nigh grade of intelligence. The Ameri
can pirls came from our farming districts
and we're the daughters, in many instances
Of the best citizens, As msChiner!
was improved the Irish came in
and former operatives stepped out
lint did not thereby deteriorate
on The contrary, the Irish gill stepped u
in the grade Of employment. Now, with
in A decade and half the Fienct
Canadian has been displacing the Irish
operatives, and rapidly too, but the latter
has not deteriorated thereby; on the con
trary, by the simplitication Of the processes
Of Manufacture, the French Canadian
operative has been able to take step IN
advance Of his old condition. And 80 II
will always be, % one grade Of intelligence
progresses, the vacated position must be
oiled by the lower grade, and this process
which Is in itself progress, the pessimist
never fails to designate as deterioration,
All the books and articles entitled "Race
Deterioration" should have the true title,
Race Development. The weakness in.
cIdent 10 growth should never be mis-,
taken for that incident TO imbecility and
abuse.
English and American statistics, from
authoritative sources, establish the truth
OF tho proposition that the work Of the
individual has been decreased and his pay
increased. In 1870 tbs hours OF labor FOL
the operatives in cotton mills In England
we're sixty.nIne per week. in 1850 they
had been reduced to sixty, and 1873 to
fiy.six and one-half-in all, from 1910 70
1873, reduction Of twelve and one'hall
hours per week, while the wages had
been In most instances increased. The
same was true "a to skilled trades, aud
during the same period the average cost
Of living was reduced from S4s. per week
10 S2I.
The facts relative 10 our own country