The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-02-03
THURSDAY. FEBRUARY 9. 1898.
sOMEILLUsIONs DIsPELLED.

In the current issue of Donahoe's Maya
zine, Mr. Horace G.. Waldin, chief Of the
Massachusetts Bureau of Statistics, has
an article on the influence OF machinery
on labor. which goes far 10 correct the
erroneous impression that machinery has
been a curse instead Of blessing TO the
workingmsn.
At the outset he notes that the innova-
,,on Of labor-saving machinery is com
paratively recent. being comprised within
the past hundred years. He contrasts the
present condition of the working man
with his condition at the beginning of the
century, when the hours of his toll were
from sun TO sun and when he had few
of the comforts OF life. The articles of
beauty and Of luxury which his skill
created we're enjoyed by the rich, not by
himself
Mr.. waldin admits that the first effect
OF the introduction of labor-saving ma
chinsry was TO throw laborers out of en-
ployment in the particular industry af-
fected. but this. he shows. was but tenn
porary. The machine inevitably, in the
long run, expanded the industry and
eventually increased the number OF en-
ployes. In 1850, he tells us by way of illus
iration, Jag S97 persons were employed on
an average in the textile industry of the
United States, in 1890. with the introduce
ton of machinery, the average had risen
TO 5ll. S97. In 1870 the number of employees
in the iron and steel industry was. on the
average. 1855. in 1890. TO- Os. in the shoe
industry the number OF employees rose
from 1924 in 1850 to 159. O97 in 1890.
The writer then cites some figures to
show the large increase in the number
Of men employed in making labor-savins
machinery calling special attention TO the
fact that in 1880 only 1871 persons found
occupation I'm making electrical machin-
cry. while in 1890 the number mad increas-
ed TO s,sO2. II is. Of course, much greater
now.
In general terms he tells us that while
the average number Of persons employ
,d in manufactures in 1850 vas about four
IN every one hundred Of population 1t
now constitutes about seven in every hun
dred. Nor is this due TO the increased
number of women at work as he shows
from the statistics.
AS 10 the great army OF the unem-
Moved" about which so much has been
said. he tells us that ~ has been shown
by a house to house canvass. covering
every person in the State during a year
Of ordinary business actiN ty, that in
working population OF sl641o the total
number or unemployed persons who We're
unemployed during the entire twelve
months. thar is. permanently unemploy-
Cd. was but so. while. on the other hand.
the persons nominally employed in gain
fui occupations were actually at work
little less than eleven months in the year.
II vas shown also that while considerable
numbers We're out OF employment at GER
tain times during the year. nevertheless,
more than 20 per cent. OF the entire num-
Der was continuously employed, and only
a fractional pcrcontase was unemployed
for period in excess OF six months.
From these ana other data contained in
the Annual Statistics OF Manufactures. st
Is conclusivoly shown that in Massaohu-
setts. which is certainly fair type of a
modern industrial community. employ
ment under ordinary conditions is much
more uniform than is generally suppos-
ca
And so IS political buncombe fclled 10
the earth by the sIedge-h hammer blows OF
fact.
In conclusion Mr.. waldin says that
the manufacturer cannot afford. II he
would. TO create pauper class out OF
the laborers Of the land for the simple
reason fully 50 per cent OF the machine
made products are consumed by the
masses. and that Il the masses are not
able to buy the manufacturer cannot find
customers for his goods "A maximum
OF wealth production says he. with a
minimum OF labor is what all of us desire.
hut the maximum OF production under
the factory system is not possible except