The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-09-28

WASHINGTON, Sept N.-In the
course Of report to the state depart
ment Consul B1emins. Of Edinburgh,
Eives the substance Of an interview
which he had recently with an excep-
tIohaIIy intelligent engineer (machinlsD
In regard to American machinery and
us use In the United Kingdom. For
upwards OF twenty-five year,. lnelud-
ing his nve years apprenticeship. this
maehluist has. worked at his trade In
machine shops and factories In Scot
land. England and the United States.
ais varied experience has included
work in many Scottish factories, and
nearly four years as foreman in we'll
known general machine shop in New
York. He iS at present chief engineer
In q large factory in Lanarkshlre. At
one time he was employed in important
locomotive works In England. on going
to the United States he at first worked
IN the locomotive works OF the New
York Central & Hudson River railroad.
He was here greatly surprised to see
the rapldity OF production compared
with the rate of production in the same
branch Of industry In England. He said
to the consul:
AThe average employe was able to
turn out fully twice as much work in
4 given time as his fellow-workman
across the sea in Swindon- This re-
markable result was accomplished
largely through the use Of improved
machine aud other tools. l ufterward
found much the same difference in the
rate OF production existing in many
other branches Of manufacture. This
was number Of years ago. Meantime,
and especially during the past two
years. the proprietors of engine and
machine works in this country have
been, by foreign competition. awakened
to the necessity of dIscardlng some Of
their British machinery in favor Of
American labor-saving apparatus. The
result Is that few well-organized works
in the United Kingdom are now with
out a considerable proportion of such
apparatus, and the proportion Is con-
SANITY increasing. That 1t should thus
increase is only natural. for this Amer
lean machinery recommends itself at
once. My present employers were in
duced to try American machinery only
about year ago. They now have five
machines In use, while another Of the
same kind Is at present on its way over
from New York. 1 expect the amount
OF American machinery used by them
viii at least double within the next
twelve months. The cause Of their sud-
den conversion is not far to seek, and
IT furnishes a 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
fbre for rope making. The combined
daily output of these machines did not
exceed three and half tons. Each re-
qulred two operatives. An American
machine was introduced. costing $1,000
about the price OF each OF the British
machines. 1t is worked by two opera
tives 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 II pushed. and 1t
actually does turn out four tons each
day. The product from the American
machine is OF better quality than that
from the British. When the American
machine demonstrated Its superior
utility others were added to the plant
from time to time.
ITO make sure" says the consul.
that my informant was not mistaken
In these statements as to the compare
tive efficiency Of the American and
British machines, ] have verified them
fully. However. that this is by no
means a rare example of the marked
superiority Of certain kinds Of Ameri-
can machinery is indicated by the fact
that on the same day another engineer
told me that he had Just finished fittinG
up in printing house in Edinburgh an
American folding machine which is
managed by one operative, and IS here
after to do the work that up to the
present time has required four British
machines, each with a separate opera
tive. have myself seen this Amer
lean machine in operation. Its owners
are greatly pleased with IT. as It does
its work In far more satisfactory
manner than any other machine they
have for the same purpose. The ma
chinist frst above referred to continued;
Ever the most conservative manu-
faeturers in this country are now con-
WINGED. or are beginning to realize. that
they can no longer afford to do without
at least a moderate percentage Of
American general machinery In Hddi'
ton to the common machine and other
tools which have already been adopted
everywhere. A great disqualification
with much Of the British machinery
has, In addition to its Icing SLOW to
work With. Is It's unnecessary weight
II IL often absurdIy heavy. l may say
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