Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-25
England Forced to Employ Ameri-
can Machinery.
W0RKMEN'S EFFICIENCY DOUBLED
Compulsory Conservatism Of the
Foreign Manufacturer.
CONTRAST IN CONDITIONS

Rufus Fleming, United States consul at
Edinburgh. has written at length to the
State Department concerning the use OF
American machinery in the united king
dom Of Great Britain and Ireland. Consul
Fleming reports the impressions and OBJ
servatons of an exceptionally Intelligent
machinist, who for upwards of twenty-five
years, including his five years apprentice
ship, worked at his trade in machine shops
and factories in Scotland, England and the
United States. His varied experience has
included work in many Scottish factories,
and nearly four years foreman in we'll
known general machine shop in New York.
He is at present chief engineer in a large
factory in Lanarkshire.
At one time he was employed in impor-
tant locomotive works in England. On GO
ing to the United States he first worked in
the locomotive works of the New York
Central and Hudson River railway. He
was here greatly surprised to see the rapid
ity of production. compared with the rate
of production in the same branch of indus
try in England. He said to Mr.. Fleming:
Superiority of Our Machines.
THE average employe was able to turn
out fully twice as much work In given
time his fellow-workman across the sea
in Swindom. This remarkable result was
improved machine and other tools. L af-
forwards found much the same difference
in the rate of production existing in many
other branches of manufacture. This was
a number of years ago.
Meantime and especially during the
past two years, the propretors of engine
and machine works in this country have
been. by foreign competition awakened to
the necessity of discarding some of their
British machinery in favor of American
laDOr-Sa wing apDdratuS. The result is that
fel well-organiZed works in the united
kingdom now without considerable
proportion of such apparatus, and the pro-
portion is constantly increasing That 1t
should thus increase is only natural, for
this American machinery recommends itself
at once. My present employers We're in
duced to try American machinery only
about a year ago They now have five ma
chimes in use while another of the same
kind is at present it's way over from
New York 1 expect the amount of Amer
lean machinery used by them will at least
double within the next twelve months.
The cause of their sudden conversion Is
not far to seek, and it furnishes striking
and convincing illustration of the value OF
American machinery. Before they began
to use this machinery the company had
four British machines for preparing manila
fiber for rope making. The combined daily
output of these machines did not exceed
three and half tons. Each required two
operatives. An American machine was in
tIoduced, costing 81 0O0-about the price of
each of the British machines. 1t is worked
by two operatives of the same class and
receiving the same rate of wages as did
those who managed the British machines.
1t is capable of turning out five tons of the
product per day If pushed, and it actually
does turn out four tons each day. The
product from the American machine is of
better quality than that from the British.
When this American machine demonstrated
its superior utility. others were added to
the plant from time to time.