New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-12-08
AMERICAN COMPETITION.
FOREIGN MANUFACTURERS ALARMED
BY RECENT RESULTS.
John THOMSON. THE NEW-YoRK ENoi-
NEER, POINTS OUT SOME OF ihE
CAUSES OF BRITISH FAILING
TRADE AND OF OUR
From London Engineering.

fexlbIiity to meet conditions, and because de
low priced craftsmen In Great Britain may anu w
more quickly become high priced master w orkmsn'
or foremen or superintendent ana tPnns are
not reasons. 1t is the examination OF those tSis
which in the opinion of the writer permit ans yusT
Low priced labor IS not necessarily, nor Is II as
a rule the least expensive. The lower the price
paid for a defined term OF service, the iess ~ tne
term This IL nborn it is human nature; the
principle is correct Il VIII outilys traces tho ma
chine or process or plant the better should be
the man who responsibility controls or operates NJ
the corollary to this is: The better the man, the
accurate and the keener ms inteIlsenoe W.
better Will be the thing which he VIII fashon every
British Swedish. German French and Swiss
dexterous through long, careful apprentices IAN. IAN
ing in the Of hand and of machine Tools maEs s
been largely the foundation ana the madnstay VI
the success OF American manufacturers TO a con-
siderable extent they occupy that position romnete
develop that training, and quite properly ue hn
the benefit. Do you begrudge such result "ne"
Environment in its broadcast aspect. should be
given, it IS believed the first place among tie rea
possible that an engraver MATCHMAKER c9ud
ply MS S b the eebP eHSn d dSe that the
quantity of his and the degree Of it's excellence
formed at the surface in the full volume and steadi.
ness OF the north light. Would auld Scotia have
naa national tppe been less inspiring than usquc
baugh? Think OF fording Highland burns or truds,,
beer! These simple Illustrations must suffice as
well for the intellectual and the moral as Tor the
closely allied to this phase Of the matter is free tS
operator and measurabIy proportionate pay for the
results obtained This covers the great principle OF
the proprietor Americans can in no wise claim 10
have reached ideal position In this respect, Du!
II is maintained that this principle has been carried
further in America and has produced better eneccs
than the system In vogue In Great Britain ana else
uybor ba Of WI ig o
average result equal to that of the least efficient
member
The position as manufacturing nation, OF Great
Britain is that derived from dear bought and long
as an axiom that that which is obtained slowly and
by arduous effort will be the longer cherished and
nee Is the most ydua tbs sTese
bar to progress. Pig headedness, obtusesn.ess and
stupidity often excused on the plea or expert
ence" 1t is mainly from too firmly anchored oPinr-
ions which have sprung THAT SGcs sev co
trayene present ideas and practices, and against
t he Other hand. the reativey high place occu-
pied by the United States in ali except the heaviest
to a considerable degree from successful expert;
mentaton. the consequence being greater 1St an, ana
is possible by old methods. 1t is confidently as
necessity or the desire or the spirit Which con-
ceived the vision OF an improvement IN process or
successful practical demonstration, is the most
likely to be eager and ready to Improve upon the
EVERY undertakng pTopery executed @houd
bring about improvements in the process OF execu-
There is no doubt that the interchangeable, or
more properly the duplicate system Of SonsrT nd
structural steel members has been carried to a
where. The contingent ADVANTAGES arising from
this development could hardly have been foreseen
doubte s S' has Rad much to do in the
q paying for 9 3a the RfbS OF
parts or operations produced in given time Win
out Of this method that the ability OF the operator
can be ascertained and obtained It is only by this
Wsses for TO the f hghef lis skill
over 1t Is only by this method that the 1p Tools S
or fixtures be derived. Thus. the engineer
hS Go pTev prPa is entitled
that Increase Again. the operator who by an,
greater ' output from that tool entitled 70 the
larger remuneration. A really successful @
operation The consequence Of this co-action Win
us and there has been much OF 1t: has De cen u
higher average Of wages to the workman; anu q
greater better and hence more salsolgr b Is
would seem to come fairly close to the business
end OF the matter. 10000 ,ro,o
another point OF view. one which because both
complimentary and rSthfn may Ss sae Sas
been largely produced or made possible ron M pT
splendid British pafence loyalty
respect for usage and or under orders
These ownes o Change from existing
tIon ~ Modification: satisfaction with that which
has been in the to paih e Of the
future Great may be the impetus que 10 n,
precedentl And Just how this may operate in prac
tical life may best be illustrated by the preSe e e
cheers r. British born and bred each the equal OF
other echGGs ran nj shar qa 81 Sn old
tabshed manufacturing plant yen .! ,be opera.
machine With IegeHoasy RE as and only
as their forebears skfu on all sSss
DIsHa as WHY apply hand here WHY bs
not maintain the even TENOR od HiS naxban the
Sn me may Continue Imagine our other
engineer with exactly similar plant "a an saw the
hear OF OF our NewEngiand with its all Peryaadn Eng
atmosphere Of energy. inyentlon r. sssoutnue com
aStnssi 10Y Theoreticay not day
until his e GaP 4emas s put but the business must Of
Certainty vanish change hands ,, .he spIrt of
nroress he necessity here, Of existence ne soof
| the archaic tools aside ana raneS tbev he Verify
The shadow Of antiquity will have depar'eHa And IN
the seed and essence h9 n9,D Dee No. may with
some som stable elation supply Engineerr ba NG ZION
With SLOWLY the raFe his shaggy head and srOw
h h,N hnt We'll otis his nature to- .o, % Ga
, the Of rTeverence Undoubtedly that Is true
Rut while II has chiefly been employed 10 po' o I
moral 4I ~ well defined characteristic and
nrartce peculiar to American constructors maei -
promptly discard outfits Of special tools even wnS zen
originally very expensive and yer measulaSSy nora
9cient in performance. when stu better anu iioio
nrndmctlye design Is suggested for substitution
| fbis is where American civil and mechahlcal ~
dinSers have scored their greatest successes, the
ougrowth may be said OF GuiyaUeG
such actions frequently involve sweeping chahEsS
! and complete rearrangement OF machinery ana per.
severe test of the duplicate system Right mere
| may be quoted some observations recently eN,
pressed to the writer by one Of the most expert ana
| Successful mechanical engineers and superntend-
ents in New England: Tho chief trouble win ror-
| eign mechanics is that they know only one praDch
| of the business which is due TO the laws OF their
! trade unions which In many cases prohibit the
/ wording or running OF more than one machine,
hence thev learn only one branch of the business.
| 1,t,Io - IN una nd