The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-01-07

cepting other things. Mr.. Halstead says
there are in the Birmingham district
many factories that in the past two
years have put in the first new machin-
cry that they have bought in a gener-
alton. The introduction of American
bicycle machinery stirred them up to
knowledge of their out date equip
ment, and they made changes for the
better. Much of the machinery they
have been buying is of the American
pattern. They begin to see that the
American theory of construction is
money-making one, even il it does not
coincide with the ancient British no
tions. To be without new machinery
generation would horrify the American
shop superintendent. A few days ago
furniture manufacturer in n Pennsyl-
vania town said that one of the most
difficult things for his factory was to
keep its machinery up to date. I'VE
bought a machine one day to JOINT the
ends of particular pieces that we use
in the manufacture of beds. 1t was an
ingenious machine, and simplified the
work materially" he said. But that
machine is old already. Another ma
chine has come out that joints both
ends of the piece at the same time. In
our machine a man must put one end
OF his slat in the machine, then turn
the slat and offer the other end. The
new machine does both ends when the
slat is offered once. 1t increases the
output of the one man just 100 per cent.
1 know firm that uses a lot OF ma
chinery, and it is their practice to
throw out two or three machines every
year just to get more modern ones.
Those removed are in no sense worn
OUT. Many times they are in perfect
condition, and capable of doing the
work for which they We're built, and
sometimes a machine will be disposed
Of when not more than two or three
years old. But new machine has been
built for doing the same kind of work.
and doing more of it in a given time,
and the factory cannot afford to keep
the old machine. for it costs twice as
much in wages cooperate it and get the
same amount of work from it. The
new machine costs less to buy than the
old machiue costs to operate.
PROGRESS.
Consul Halstead says that hundreds
of thousands of dollars worth OF Amer
lean machines were put into British
shops as result of the bicycle, and
that the impetus given the one branch
or trade in particular has awakened
the American manufacturer to the new
possibilities in other shop centera.
While he finds that there is field
for American machinery in many di-
| rections. the bicycle has not sold all
| yet. The EngliShman is conservative.
| There is much missionary work to be
| done before the American shop tools
! will become the common tools used in
| the shops of the world. and many of
the European manufacturers are catch
| ing the other end of the American sug-
| gestion. In Germany, particularly, 1t
| is becoming the practice to build ma
| chimes after American models. Ger
| mans who have been in America go
| back home after a few years of eX-
perienCa in American shops, and they
| carry with them a knowledge of Amer
! lean methods and American patterns.
| Americans are also encouraged to 60
/ abroad to assist in setting up machin-
| cry that has been sold from this Coun-
try, and they are kept until they in
struct the European mechanics to on
crate it after the American fashion.
| All these things are helping to make
| the foreigner Il competitor in the lire
which American ingenuity and rest
less activity have placed p-e-eminent-
| Iy in the hands Of the designer and
builder of the new world.
| But even with American machinery,
and its superior powers of production,
the foreigner cannot get the results
| the American does. The European
workman does not understand driving
| his machine as the American shop hand
does, and the machine that it sold
abroad as one capable of producing
given results often fails of turning out
the work because the shop hand can
not manipulate it at the speed which
| is common in this country. 1t Is ap-
parent that the American fashion Of
| keeping strictly in the front with new
machinery will in time, and not a very
| long time at that give the AmericaN
the same position in the markets Of
the old world, that the British and Ger
mans once held in the markets this
side OF the water. Already the Amer
lean is feared, but the marked super
iority of his machines cannot be ig-
nored. and if he adapts his effo:ts to
sell his stuff to the peculiar trade Gus
toms of his prospective buyers the
| American machine is the machine Of
the old world in quantities that will
| grow greater every day.