The advocate., 1894-11-14

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and welted shoes.
Another machine made by the same COM
many does the stitching around the edge Of
the sole Of ladies' and gents shoos. Each
OF these machines will easily do the work Of
from twenty five to thirty men. This work
was formerly all seWed By hand with the
old-fRshiOned wax thread.
The advent Of these machines had a dis
astrOus effect on the lasting and second
lasting branch Of the trade. This opera
tiOn consists in drawing the upper portion
OF the shoe over the last and taoking il into
place preparatory TO sewing on the sole.
Most Of the former hand sewers were
skilled in this branch, because in their time,
when machinery was not in use, to be a
shoemaker was TO have q thorough knowl-
edge OF the trade, from the skin OF hide
from which the work was made, TO the An
lshed product ready for sale.
This vastly increased number Of skilled
workers in the lasting branch, where form
erly there was not sufficient employment for
those in that branch, resulted in wholesale
reductions. Then TO make the efforts Of the
lasters to stem the tide still more hopeless,
various kinds Of lasting machines were put
upon the market, and although they were
mechanical failures, without exception the
manufacturers sought TO make Of them a
financial success by using them TO reduce
wages, and they succeeded. A notable con-
test in this connection occurred between
the International Boot and Shoe Workers
union and the p. Cox Shoe Manufacturing
company in May, 1880, the Shoe Manufso-
turers' association Of Rochester, assisting
the Cox company. The fight eliminated in
q genRrRl look k-out being declared in Rooh-
ester on December /, 1890, and after
siege Of six weeks the strike was declared
off, since which time the shoemakers have
been practically disOrgsnized. The Cox
strike cost the local shoe workers unions
Gave in number) S44 600, most of which
was raised by assessment on the members
while working previous TO the lookout.
About the time the aforementioned ma
chimes were placed on the market, the heel
trimming and edge trimming machines
were introduced. These serve for shaving
and forming the various styles of heels on
all kinds and styles Of work. This work
previous to this being done by hand with
knife and heel shave similar in oonstruO-
tion to spoke shave. The edge trimming
machine, as its shape indicates, shapes the
sole, from the corner Of Che heel on one
side Of the shoe, around TO corner Of heel
on the other side. This work was also for
merly done by hand. Each Of these has
capacity for doing the work of from three
TO Ave men at a low estimate. This depart
msnt Of trade, under the hand method, was
considered as requiring the most skill, but
ib is safe to say that either of the last named
machines, in the hands Of good operator,
will turn out work superior to that Of the
hand method, being more uniform in shape.
The heeling machine must not be over
looked. Probably not 1 per cent. Of the
shoes now on sale are heeled By hand. Each
Of these machines will do the work of five
men.
In this necessarily brief review only the
most important machines are considered,
such as these displsCiDg five or more hands.
There are q multitude of other labor. saving
machines in the trade which will displaoe
two or more men, and are not mentioned in
the foregoing. They are suoh as the sand
papering machine, securing machine, seat
wheeling maching, outing machine, level
ing machine, eto.
Having endeavored TO make myself under
stood by readers who are not posted on
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