Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-06-29
Mechanical Perfection.
U. s. EcOnom ist.

The development of the industrial
forces is necessary to carry out the doc
trine of the greatest good to the largest
number of people, and every country
which occupies the first rank in modern
civilization is dependent upon these same
forces for their superior power, as is
manifested in commerce and manufac
lures, the arts and sciences, and the crea
ton of sturdy literature and an elevated
code of laws. It's due entirely to modern
industrial forces that we can supply food
to the four quarters of the globe, that
we excel all other nations in many
lines of hardware and agricultural i'm
Elements, furniture, ETC., and that We
can outsell all other nations in certain
lines of goods The reason is obvious
when we consider that the business of
our merchants is classified, and in many
departments of mechanics, like our
American watches, the parts are made
so perfect and interchangeable by the
aid of machinery, that we can success
fully compete with the cheap labor of
Switzerland, England and other lands.
The industrial forces in such instances
are carried on by the supremacy of
thought acting upon automatic ma
chinery.
The commercial value of an article is
not always determined by its utility but
moresfrequently by its graceful form of
intrinsic beauty, and in this respect civ
ilizstiOn offers the most steady and en-
during demand. A vase might be re-
garded by savage as only fit for domes-
tic uses, whether plain or decorated, and
its ornate and artistic outlines might not
convey any greater degree of excellence
to his mind than the purposes to which
it could be placed. The fabrication of
any appliance is increased in value by
the amount of thought and skill expend-
ed in bringing it to the highest degree
of attainable perfection, and in
this respect it is well worth the
time and attention of our artisans to
carefully examine the salient features of
their handiwork, and to render their
products so essential to the convenience
and welfare of the consumer as to make
them indispensable to his comfort and
the thorough nature of the employment.
If man at the antipodes, in Australia,
or New Zealand, or in Africa, or the
islands of the sea, should find that
an American made axe or pillow,
or any other instrument, will serve
his purposes better than a cheaper
and inferior implement, no matter
when or where the latter is made,
the man of work and practical knowl-
edge will hasten to avail himself of the
better made tool, instrument fabric or
mechanism. Herein lies the advantage
to be gained by our merchants and ex.
pOrters. Direct communications might,
and certainly would, hasten and expedite
a more general trade between America
and the English colonies in the Pacific,
but only the most careless methods, and
RETAINING from making known to other
countries what we have and what we can
supply will prevent our merchants from
reaping an extended harvest in the new
as well as the old civilizations of the
countries on the opposite side of the
earth.
1t is systematic and efficient effort, in
the long run, that is destined to come off
the conquerOr. A cheap, plentiful and
excellent raw material will do very much
to give prosperity to community or to
State, but the liberal expenditure of
money in improved facilities for manu-
factUre, the complete training and
thorough technical education of opera
tiVes, and intelligence united with skill
in the executive ranks, are all essential
to grasp from the hands of sharp COM
petition a considerable portion of the
trade that now in some instances goes
past our very doors 1t is but little use
to fill our warehouses with manufac-
tured articles, however valuable they
may be,unless we can find available out.
let's for such fabrics as we can make bet.
ter and cheaper than our neighbors.