, 1893-11-01
HOW N EDS LEADS TO


There is perhaps no truer axiom than that
which declares that Necessity is the mother
of invention" 1t ID recognised as the spur
which has from time to time urged human
minds to fresh efforts in the direction OF
novel appliances of already existing means,
or of the adaptation of new and more econo-
mioal means Of attaining an old END. The
most frequent of these has been IN iaoour-
saving appliances, 5. g, IN the application OF
machinery in substitution of hand-labour
Although in most instances this has been the
means Of ~effeoting economy in the production
Of an article, it has not in all instances been
adopted with that precise end in view. But
whether that was so or not, nearly all these
improvements in the production OF ARTICLES
have been brought about by some pressing
mead existing at the time, often caused 0y tins
perveisity of labourerS.
1t is probable that 'strlkes' amongst the
labouring classes have led to moe inventions
a1d improvements in mechanical Appliances
than any other cause. The labour troubles
of 1891, when dock strikes were followed by
strikes amongst the workers at gas factories,
whore skilled labour was deemed q necessity,
were one source Of invention. seeing that
they led to the employment OF ingenlously
oontrived mechanical appliances Tor coalng
the gas retorts. The use Of mechanical stokers
HAS DTONS0 SIli1Chbly SObCNOoLOiJ 49,
entering on the question Of greater economy
which they certainly effect, they have sue
oeeded in the far more important object OF
rendering tue South London Gas Company
to q large extent independent of the Iaboursr,
@yho has such q weakness for stalking tor
higher wages.
Another phase of the strike movement
amongst lockers WAS the strike of the coal
porters who loaded steamers with fuel from
barges. Here again strikers have. been
confronted with labour saving appliances.
Your Trode UniOnists may see steamers being
expeditiously loNded with coal by machinery
whilst the misguided Trade Unlonlst worker
looks on in evident disgust and dlsmay.
All this invention translated into plain Eng
lish means fewer labourers wanted for coailng
purposes. and therefore less money circulating
amongst the working classes. for all OF WHOM
results they have themselves to thank.
A combination amongst the hand spInnerS
and weavers Of iute in Bengal, led in 1860.
to the substitution of the steam spinning ma
chine and the power-loom in the manufacture
of lutte saoking and jute bags, which has IN
consequence attained snOrmOus proportions In
Calcutta. It was not then a question OF pay but
Of quality. So great has the demand for this
soaking become thatBengal spinners and weav-
ers took advantage of the rush Tor their goods
to supply an inferior article, SO INFERIOR III
deed that the quality rendered the bags use
less for seeds. The writer of this started the
first power-loom ever worked in Calcutta. IN
1856. AT the present time there are upwards oil
twenty extensive steam factories for spinning
iute yarn and wssving iute sacking, without
which power the trade could not have at
tanned it's present vast proportions.
The latest invention, promising more fart
reaching results than perhaps any other, is
that of an engine by which steam may be
generated without having recourse to coal
which amidst so many strikes possesses great
interest for all steam navigation and to our
colonies, / dependent as they are on steam
packet companies, .must prove Of paramount
Importance. The fuel used Ia liquid, as
stated in tho following paragraph 1.-The
Great Eastern Railway are fitting up twenty
FIVE extra locomotives with Holden's liquid
fuel apparatus, which will burn, with slight
notifications, almost any kind of oil or tar.
Both gas tar and shale oil are at present to
be had in immense quantities and very cheap"
This 10, Of course, the outcome of the pre-
sent excessively high price of coal, which bids
81 - ly;II vrr0h Of %ba dividaud aarnIuo