The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-10-19
Machinery ANp LAnoR.
Commissioner Wright on the Effect OF Me-
chnnienI Improvement on Wages.

Commissioner wright on the Effect OF Me-
chhnicnl improvements on Wages.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 1S.-The thirteenth nm
nual report OF the Commissioner Of Labor for
1S0S takes up the subject Of hand and machine
labor and is one OF the most exhaustive docu-
mcnts Of its kind that has ever been Issued.
Tho report Is in response to q Joint resolution
Of Congress providing for an investigation re-
lnting to the effect OF machinery on labor,
under the provisions OF which resolution the
COMMISSIONS OF Labor was authorized and
directed to investigate and report upon the ef-
feet OF the use Of machinery upon labor and
the cost Of production. the relative productive
power OF hand and maohine labor. the cost Of
manual md machine power IA they arc used
In the productive industries and the effect upon
wages OF the use Of machinery operated by
women and children; aud further, whether
changes In the creative costs Of products arc
due to n lack or to n surplus OF labor or the in
PRODUCTION OF power machinery. This joint
resolution was approved Aug. IL. 1904. since
Then.the investigation has been In progress.
The results OF the inquiry bear upon all
points specified In the joint resolution. except
the question relating to the effect OF the use OF
machinery operated by women and children
upon wages. and upon the question IA to
whether changes In the creative cost Of prod
ucts are due to a lack or to n surplus Of labor
or to the Introduction OF power machinery.
Commissioner Wright says In tho preface to the
report that the facts collected may be used In
pm arRumentative sense upon these two points.
wages have constantly increased since the fa,-
tory svstem was established. It will be difficult
due to an Increased standard OF living. or the
increased productivity OF labor supplemented
sSym mbSiSni59eryW; or TO ohth aSe nsysS OR be TO an s ssSsss
During periods OF depression there. Is usually
e e decrease. not only IN rates. but IN earning.
fore: Involves too much. OF. speculation for q
statistical presentation that, Is. the statistical
ments which might be used for or against the
use of machinery in its effects upon wages.
co pssrS S"n that Ss mo 2S Slhdinesl; he has saiE owe M1sh the the
cost OF products. and when IL is known that
under the machine method, there is increased
the supply Of labor becomes problematicsi.
Sometimes there is a lack, oftentimes there
changes In cost are therefore. involved. and
/ the statistical method. as in the effect upon
to those who believe that machinery has in
general lowered cost, conclusive. 1t is evil
dent on examining the statistics presented In
text analysis. that there has been a large in
crease IN the number Of persons required for
order to meet present demands. than were
necessary TO meet the demands under the
One OF the interesting results Of this report
is to show how extensive is the hand method
OF pr oduction. even at the present time. Hand
yet 1t is surprising to learn in how many d.
r~ections It has been possible to ascertain facts
Data were obtained and have been given In
tabulated form OF, eiChty;four different
ture. mining. .quarrying and Transportation.
embracing n total OF U7S articles. in which
me f9ad t aRd ma SaaoSp 5s69f Sou t6e be 1s SSntra sbeI
fluctuations in prices at different periods, both
in, the hand and machine methods of labor.
overproduetion or both;
Herewith are given a few extracts from the
ployed. the time consumed in manufacture
and the cost Of certain articles Of manufact9re:
Dor and on Which two men we're eimpIoyed a
total OF LOG hours. cost. when made by ma
One hundred blank books cost s219.79
when made BY hand; and on them 3 men
cost 5000. employing 20 men 245 hours.
person o" 400 hours. and de-" cost I e. Wills two
persons did the work by machine in 2 hours
and 5n 80 b m55qtss nS SGst IL m SnIy me e So6t., made
BY. one peTs9n by hand in 2,225 hours cost
S558.24, while by machinery it took 296 hours
with 40 men employed and cost S74.39.
One hundred pairs OF women's fine shoes.
made by hand n By one workman IN 1,998 hours,
$54.G5.
TO make 100 dozen Of brooms by hand took
SSoo38,ai9i T. by ,o ma1c n Say t the same f1@e W sG6 WAS was
One gross Of wire;drawn brushes cost s16.75
when made by hand. employing ~ men a total
ing % men and costing, $3.50. ,.
$11,26. employing six. men Q total Of 115
Vas done 5y nine & bands in a total Of II hours.
pet by hand cost sS370I in a total OF 4,o477 hours.
work was dom. b. 81 men in a total Of 5G9
hours and cost sol %.
One hundred and twenty yards Of rag car;
net made by hand took six persons a total OF
q hours and cost S44S Done by machinery
2 men a total OF G60 hours time and cost
Of 8 hours and cost Sill ''A ~' .o'A'
large REDUCTION II cost and hours Of Ia
Page PRf i ha H1RISIssa and d e tn9 msGtsa'F The COST ss Of
u, buggy made by hand. q persons being en-
ployed a total of POO hours. was $500 BY
employing liz hands in a total OF 80 hours
To make LOCO watch movements by hand
be ma made al, a cost Of 81, 768 1D'l'Ds'' '"'' Gun
One hundred mems fine coats cost by hand
$SO3nl while by machinery they can be made
Fl EnggT4yjDg 9 , wood cut 7,tT9 inches he. by hand an
Fifty dozen files cost when made by hand
$l3i Made by MACHINERY the cost was S2s
size I0xi5. cost by hand Ss02'S7. and by ma,
One thousand feet of pine lumber cut by hand
machinery costs only ,$5275. $3.50
The figures given above as the cost OF arti.
cles Is for labor only.