The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1899-04-27
MACHINES AND MEN
A Discussion with Carroll D. Wright,
Labor Statistican.
LABOR SAVING DEVICES
And their Effects. Need Of Increased Cur
rency to Meet Increased Production.
Copyrighted by the McClure's News Bureau.
April "a, '99.
Mr.. Carroll D. Wright,

April "a, w.
Mr. Carroll D. Wright,
Sir;-Your lecture of March Ia,
before the citizens of Boston, on
The Relation of Inventions to La
bor'', having been lauded as mas
terly exposition of the problem of
our age, I am compelled by candor
to point out few considerations you
overlooked, as my heart is strongly
in sympathy with the snfferings and
struggles Of the laborer, and the
question is fraught with momentous
seriousness
You say:-"Civilization must see
to it that labor is better rewarded,
but you offer no remedy. You say
every step Of advance is over the
graves OF sufferers, over buried am
bitions and lost opportunities The
permanent good effects of inventions
do not prevent the temporary dis
placement of laborers, = enforced
ideness-you say, and then you
maintain that the expansive force Of
inventions offsets the displacing force,
in opening up new trades and occu-
pations for those displaced. Ii it
we're an offset there would be no en-
forced idIeness. This is not the ques-
ton the aborer asks you to solve.
The fact that 100 threads of cotton
are as easily spun rs one before, -
or that 600 men today can make as
many plows as 2145 formerly did
or the speed of the heel-sbavors of
Lynn, Is well known to us. l can
not see that you touch the real ques-
ton. 1t seems to me to he this
How can we stimulate the consump
ton of the excess Of production Of
every substance needed for material
welfare? How shall the producer
right to enj"y an ever increasing
share of the fruits of his labor be re.
stored to him? Clearly, the keeping
the effective demand of every sub.
stance equal to the actual demand
will do it This primary perception
of the human reason is generally
overlooked, in discussions Of th'
great law of "Supply and Demand
i No matter what q man wants, it i
how much he can buy that influence
.Nhe market. Man is never satisfied
A Nor can we quarrel with this reslles
\ discontent, for it is the motor of al
Eprogress. Fix upon any rate of wa
ges and he will strive for more.
it not clear then, theoretically, tha
: we cannot satisfy the actual deman
of our home market, even though W
double our productions many times
Why, then, have we heard the cry c
over production? 1t is the lack {
effective demand, or money demand
There must always be this scarcit,
: if we get no new issues OF none
) with our increase of production, al
this causes the existing money
to enhance in market value, which
shown by the commodity price d
clining. Improved machinery lo'
ers labor value, but not the mark
value of products. Let us see ho
! 'scost of production" is affected, f
nThe Relation of Invention to Labo
: was your text Let us clearly def
the three terms, worth, labor al
market value, for find you oft
contradict yourself. You assert th
"The division Of labor has gro'
G finer and finer as machinery has groN
more and more essential to the pl
duction of goods. The consequen
is that trades are hardly essent
: now" and later, you add; "I
- greatest want today is for men
= know some trade TO keep them {
{ of penal institutions Pronounce
= The ethics of question to be m'
ten =, important than a scientific solutl'
re- YOU turn from the dark picture
siI sni the displaced laborer, and plead
lls the life of the machine: "Let
not call it abor-displacing but rat
labor assisting machinery and II
YOU assert the monstrous fallacy:
g assists in Gripping the purchas
- power of the community" How
tied the name of Hargraves and A
wright can improved machinery CT
ole a community,if, as you say la'
It leads to ga better and gref
and more equal diffusion of wes
and all that wealth brings?'
your latter statement is not true.
it were, we should rightly expec
see wealth much more equally
-. tributed today. when machinery
100 lists in abundance, than it was "
ago; while it is an all acknowled
fact that tue reverse is true. Bu
return 10 the definitions OF worth
Dor, value and market value
worth OF commodity is its pc
r. of satisfying human desires The l