Smyrna times. [volume] (Smyrna, Del.) 1854-1987, 1884-12-03
0verproduction.

IN every civilized land, at TINS time,
there is complaint that times are hard.
Everywhere the cause is said by many
to be OverproductiOn. But how can it
be curse to mankind to have the OBJ
jects of human desire supplied in great
er abundance and more cheaply? If
there is overproductiOn all over the
world, as some reason, that means
merely that the supply of things useful
for human happiness j. greater all over
the world than the present demand.
In reply to this natural suggestion, we
are told that a vast amount of labor
has been displaced by machinery, that
a general disturbances of the labor mar
ket has been caused. and that a great
number Of persons have been thrown
out of employment The very change
which some call blessing brings ruin
to many producers, and forces many
employers to cut down wages, and cur
tails the ability of we. kerS to consume
products of other industries Thus we
are taught to believe that the progress
of science end invention is a progress
toward human misery.
Is it true, then, that machinery has
displaced human labor? A century
ago relatively fewer persons were en-
ployed in any other avocaton than in
tilling the soil than are now so en-
plOyed. Machinery has created a new
world; it has cheapencd almost every
thing that man desires. 1t has brought
within the reach of the humblest not
only a vast number of products wholly
unknown a century ago, but luxuries
and comforts which century ago even
| the richest could not afford to COM
monty enjoy. Meanwhile has it dis
! placed labor? On the contrary, it has
made work for a vast population out
! side Of the ruder arts which were for
merly pursued Has it displaced the
shoemaker? No; more persons than
| ever before are making shoes, because
more shoes are made and used, cheap
ness permitting multitudes to wear
them who formerly could not. Sc
there are more sewing-girls, in spite OF
sewing machines. There are more
farm-wOrkers, in spite of all the agri
cultural machines. There are more
cotton and woOllen and silk weaVers
in spite of those numerous improve
ment which seem to do with steam anC
iron the work of human hands better
than human hands could do it. AnC
to crown all, the wages in all branches
of labor have risen. In every Occupa
ton, from the rudest to the most skill
ed, from farm labor to the most delicat,
manipulation of tools and machinery
labor is better paid in money than i
was before the age Of invention. And
moreover, each dollar of the money re
ceived will buy far more food than
; dollar would have bought a centur,
f ago, far more clothing, and more thing
for the supply of all human wants.
| Thus it is simply laundering to sa!
that machinery does, or can, in tn
/ long run, supplant or displace huma
r labor. On the contrary, the use {
= machinery is limited only by tn
f human labor that can be brought
4 employ it. Every lahor-saving inveu
r ton enables one human want to b
r more cheaply supplied, so that a pal
? of the human labor expended in salts
flying it can be turned to the supply {
D other wants. The overproductio
+ theory, except as limited to a very ma
o row field, and within narrow compas
/, of time, is altogether without POUNDS
IS ton. The human race as a whole dot
o not suffer because its powers of PR
e duction are increased, or because il
e wants can be more easily and cheapl
: supplied, or because things needful fl
o human comfort and use are mol
IS abundantly produced. Temporary
r and within some particular market, pr
l. duction may at times so far Outrun Il
d demand that a disturbance result
r, But that is not the phenomenon whiC
5, we are now witnessing. The distur
II ance of industry in these days affeC
1t many countries, though in differe
al measure; and while it would ha'
S. affected this country but little, if at a
h but for the disturbance of the tar
lie question, and has affected us only wit
e, in the past year or two, it has CONT
IS ued in Great Britain and other cou
in tries with increasing force for near
Id ten years. The philosophers wi
or preach of overproduction have not Y
le detected the cause of the evil.-M
e. York Tribune