Omaha daily bee., 1899-07-02
THE TREND or INDUSTRY.
A DISCUSSION,
By LAURIE J. QUINBY.
9sao9o30ao9o9:@:Soao"c:lcaoaGc9

Some time ago il was suggested TO me that
might contribute something to The Bee
pertaining to the industrial problems OF the
day ! am inspired now to do so by your
editorial on Industrial Evolution in last
Sundays issue.
While ! candidly confess that ! cannot
endorse all the policy OF The Bee with refer
epce to economics, I wish to compliment il on
its attitude with reference TO public owner
.hfp OF public utilities and the several able
editorials on this line that ! have read from
time TO time. Five or ten years ago few II
any, Of the great daily papers dared 10 speak
SO freely Oh these questions. Five or ten
wears hence the daily that does not do so
will he a back number indeed
In the editorial you referred 10 q Chicago
| blacksmith who introduced resolution al q
Chicago labor meeting 10 prohibit the use OF
the streets and public highways 10 horseless
! carriages and vehicles. What is TO become
OF the horseshoers and harness makers ex-
claimed this mechanic, 'k horses are done
away with"
This is a common thought, or rather
thoughtless notion. II has been suggested
with reference TO every invention by man
since he first discovered that q crooked stick
would facilitate him in the ttlling Of the SOIL
| and be more agreeable 10 him than the Dig
| ging Of earth with his fingers. Such reason
| ing is the result Of the mistaken idea that 1t
is work not bread, that We want. Some
people seem TO forget that the only cbject
| Of work is TO procure for ourselves the neces-
sites of life. II that is true, then any ma
| chine that enables a man to produce N one
hour what formerly required ten hours time
to perform is a blessing, for 1t enables MIN
10 produce ten times as much wealth as he
| ,-5 he's ThArHfOre he ten
| times wealthier.
| Excessive time consumed in completing
| given Job by hand while it may be done as
| we'll in one-tenth OF the time by machine, is
essentially that much time lost-totally lest
II is just as much a loss TO lose nine hours
! of time as II is to lose the fruits OF nine
! hours of time, less the amount OF energy
consumed in producing that amount OF prop
| erty II il is only work and not the result
| Of labor that we want why not burn up
few towns and cities few railroad trains,
few vessels a few thousand acres Of ripenea
wheat? II it is only work and not the result
Of labor we are after, then every war is
rodsend, for every shell that is exploded and
every ounce O. property destroyed is so much
accumulated labor, and if It is destroyed
labor must be employed to reproduce it. II
il is alone work and not the result OF labor
we must have then the train pobber who
| wrecks train is a public benetactor, every
cyclone and hurricane that destroys property
on land or sea Is blessing in disguise
every forest fire that destroys timber and
everything in its wake is special bounty
Of Providence. The proposition is absurd
Nor was this short-sighted blacksmith
answered By the man who said that THE
characterization Of the horse and the mule
would open employment for builders OF cleo
trical carriages and electrical machinery
md in the end enlarge the circle Of en-
| ployment Al better wages
That is not true as any student OF eco
nomics viii attest. The object OF the
labor saver is 10 reduce the amount OF
energy consumed in producing a given
article This would not be the case if
what is above quoted be true; II would only
be the shifting OF labor from one thing to
another, from the breeding and shoeing OF
horses and the making Of harness TO the
manufacture OF electrical vehicles, gaining
absolutely nothing. Both Of these con-
clusions come from the same false premises
that II is work, not the result OF labor
that Is desired.
AS an example OF this let US look into
our railroad system. II the above reason
ing be true, then there are more people
employed today in railroRding lin the
/ pQllQlnE OF rOa1s, eloCkt ana 81
branches OF industry connected with rail
roading) than there would be II the same
amount Of labor we're performed by the old
methods. But. on the contrary the same
amount of transportation OF freight and
passengers as is now done by the railroads
OF this nation could not be done by five
times the number OF people now employed
by the railroads and their kindred indus
tries on the old stage coach plan
II our friends proposition be true, the1
the people OF this nation and Of the worlt
today ought 10 be better of materially
than chose Of any other age for it il
true. you say, ''the nineteenth eentur,
has witnessed more momentous changes II
the organization Of Industry than hav.
taken place in the 5000 years Of previously
recorded history OF mankind. The inven-
tions OF labor-ssving machinery, operated b.
steam and electricity, have completely revo
lutionized production and displaced handi,
craft from its sphere Of individual competi,
tion. One by ooe all the trades which fol
centuries had offered an incentive 10 me
chanical skill and ingenuity have been foreet
10 give way 20 The machine And the maj