, 1889-03-21
NEW ENVIRONMENTS.
Compensation for Losses Occasioned by
Machinery.

Machinery.
Appalling computations are frequently
made OF the vast number of workmen who
are constantly thrown out OF employment
by new mechanical inventions that take
the place of human hands. But along
with the displacement OF hand labor there
has gone a replacement. in consequence OF
the increased production which always
follows a cheaper process of manufacture.
This is especially observable In all artis-
tic matters. There are now produced and
given away as advertisements pictures
tnat could only be purchased 10y well-to.do
people a century ago. Processes OF dupli.
cation have made beautiful things access.
idle to people of moderate means, and
thus give employment to armie. of work.
men. In this way art has been applied to
a thousand articles of daily use, and artis-
tic forms thus perpetuated have come to
the homes even of the poor.
There is a signal application of this in
the application OF Photographic processes
of engraving to stone or steel, or wood or
zinc. Before photography was thus ap.
piled the cost OF all engraving was con
siderable drawback in the production of
pictures. Not only was it necessary to
druw everything by hand. but it was also
necessary to draw to the size required and
the slow processes OF all hand engraving
were very expensive. But now the sun
has largely taken the place of the hand.
And yet the cheaper processes OF eDgrav-
ing, instead of causing the employment of
fewer artists, has required the services of
more and better artists, 30 that the most
skilled artists are in greater demand and
better paid than ever. An almost entirely
new class of artists, known as pen.and.ink
draughtsmen, has come into the field and
gone to the front rank of renlunerative em.
ployment, some Of them taking incomes of
from $500 to $l5 600 year. These are
the gentlemen who have made the illus.
trated newspapers OF to-day far superior
in artistic excellence to anything ever
known before. The number of artists
thus employed is far greater than ever.
But it is not alone in picture. making
that the progress of invention gives new
employment for artists. There Is an inl-
menseiy wide field for designers in a hun
dred departments of industry. For wall
pa pers, for carpets, for all sorts of textile
fabrics, for silverware, for furniture, in
cluding carving of all Sorts for the million
products Of iron, India-rubber and brass
there are armies of artists engaged TO
make patterns and designs that were never
needed ia the world until new processes OF
duplication created an almost Unsuitable
demand for variety.
There has, of course, been vast stride
in this direction during the past ten years,
but even the last census shows how wide
ield for employment is supplied. For
instance. the yearly wages for engravers is
put down aL over $4,000 600, for photo
graphing at $l.750,ll9, and for litho-
graphing S2,307 .302. When it is consid-
cred that the materials used also give em-
ployment to many workmen, 1t must be
admitted that the field of employment is
infinitely greater for artistic work than
before the application of machinery.
Other fields of employment have also
been opened in the present generation for
vast numbers Of worknen. In the con-
structiOn Of electrical apparatus. OF watch.
ca, of machiner, I, and tools, aud the thou.
sand and one products of invention. there
Ia room for the laborer. There are more
women employed even at sewing, and ut
better wages than ever, for the skilled
The type writing machine has already its