Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1889-09-06
MARVELLOUS FACTS.
DISPLACEMENT OF HAND LABOR
BY MACHINERY.
Wonderful Results That Have Been
Attained in Various Fields of
Work Comparisons
With Europe.

L
exclusive of water, with AZ, 900 miles of
navigable rivers more than there are in
the whole of Europe, is S9,S54, 900, 900
foot tons daily, against 1890, 900, 900
foot tons in England and France to-
gether.
The horse power of steam used in the
United States on railways, steamers and
in factories and mines was, in 1888, H.,
100, 900, against /, $40, 900 in 1850.
The United States census of 1890 will
probably show population of about &C.,
900, 900, with an aggregate energy of
nearly 100, 900 millions of foot tons daily
and an accumulated wealth Of 10000
dollars, figures never before applicable to
any nation in the world. Comparing
with population, the earnings in 1880 per
capita averaged S165 against $105 in
1850.
The earnings in the United States in
thirty years were $149, SOC, ,000,O 900 and
the accumulation of wealth has been $37,-
965, 900, 900, or nearly one-fourth of the
earnings, made up Of SO, 100, 900, 900 in
farms, $4, 905, 900, 900 in railways, $2,-
800, 900, 900 in factories and $50, ,520,-
600, 600 in houses, etc. The annual ac-
cumulation of wealth average 81, 265,-
900, 900, or about fifty per cent. over the
accumulations of either Great Britain or
France.
The inventive genius of the country
has devised abor-saving machinery for
the advancement of agriculture, manu-
factures, commerce and mining, to which
very much of the credit for the country's
wonderful progress is due. In the race
for advancement machinery has displaced
labor to re-employ it in the manufacture
of labor-saving machines and new meth
DDS of working. The cost of manufacture
of most articles has been diminished and
sold to consumers at a diminished price,
the laborer reaping a benefit as con-
sumer. The rate of wages has been
generally advanced, but the wage-earner
has not received, as a general rule, the
pro rata advance to correspond to the
diminished cost of manufacture.
Cotton being taken as the standard
commodity, the ratio Of cost per pound
of common cotton cloth in 1928 and 1880
was as 6.79 to 3.31, and wages for the
same dates being as 2.62 to 4.S4. The
per capita domestic consumption of cot
ton in 1881 was $50 pounds against
1891 pounds in 1880. The working
time has been reduced 12per cent.
In the manufacture of agricultural i'm
plements 600 operatives with machinery,
including eighteen classes of wage earn
ers, do the work of 2145 wage earners
without machinery, displacing 1916
workers.
In manufacturing gun stocks one man
by manual labor was able to turn and fit
one gun stock in one day of ten hours,
while three men now by division of
labor and the use of machinery can turn
and fit 125 to $50 gun stocks in ten
hours. This displaces the work of forty
four to forty-nine wage workers.
In the manufacture of brick, improved
devices save one-tenth of the labor, and
in the manufacturing of fire brick forty
per cent. of the manual labor is dis
placed.
In the manufacture of boots and shoes,
the work of 500 operatives is now done
by 100, displacement of wage earners
Of eighty per cent. by aid of machinery.
In another class of boots for womens
wear, one worker by manual labor could
make six pairs per week, which has by
aid of late devices been increased to eigh-
teen pairs per week, displacement of
sixty-six per cent. of laborers.
In certain grade of goods the work
of 120 wage workers by old methods is
now done by the aid Of machinery by
sixty wage workers work, better in fact
and in appearance, displacing fifty per
cent. of wage workers.
Goodyears sewing machine for turned
shoes, with one worker, can sew 250
pairs in a day. 1t would require eight
hand workers to do like number, dis
placement of S71 per cent. of workers.
Kings heel shaver or trimmer, with one
worker, will turn out 300 pairs of shoes
per day, where formerly three men were
required.
One worker with McKay's machine
can handle 300 pairs of shoes per day,
and without the machine only five pairs.