The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-01-22
TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 1901.
AN ENGlIsnMAN,s VIEW

Not long ago an Englishman, repre-
sent;ng a firm Of Manchester engineers,
a Birmingham metal house and North
a.rpton boot and shoe concern, was sent
10 the United States to make investiSa-
tons His report. as printed in one of
the English magazines, is OF intense in
terest to The Times, as illustrating an
article which appeared in these columns
several days ago on the United States
as Great Britains rival in trade.
This Enslishman says that the success
of American rivalry is due in the main
TO the fact that attention has been con-
centrated in this country on improve
1nents in machinery rather than on ques-
tons Of wages Modern machinery,
says he, had its remote origin when
man first struck out the idea OF operat-
ing d tool by mechanism rather than
with human hand. From that time on
warG lis constant endeaTor has been to
increase the efficiency of modern tools
and &c multiply the number OF tools held
in and operated by a single machine
lJumar muscle is. therefore. Of lesscninS
value before The growth Of this giant.
BY increasing power we increase the
strength Of the people"
He then tells his fellow countrymen
that al the census of 1890 the horse
power OF engines used III the United
States was found to be G0oo,0eo, being
equivalent 10 the work OF SO 100000 men,
when only 4,i76.SA persons We're employed
this nation was multiplied eight times.
Mentioning the fact that Sheffield cut
lcry has suffered by the competition OF
The United States, he says that the well
hnown American type of axe, Which The
English firms would not make, has large
~ suppianted the English make, and
Then asserts that in 1885 the difference
between the cost of American axes made
by hand and by machinery was so and
s. per thousand, respectively to on
the machine product. a dozen pairs CT
handmade shears, which cost S2.25 in
1888. were made for less than 81 in 1895
by machinery.
Various other examples are given, and
This about watches is particularly inter
estinG. lie says:
The English watch and clock industry
has been hard hit 10y Waltham and Wa
1erbury watches and American clocks
The finest English works-thc Lancashire
Match Company-owcs its success Largely
10 the tact that it is equipped mainly
With American tools. The trade has been
entirely rcNclutionized since 1862.
Over one thousand operations so to the
making OF an American watch to-day,
against about $50 under the old hand sys-
lem. Six hundred and fifty of these are
done by women, some OF whom earn from
as. 10 6s d day. The difference in time &C.
cupied in preparing the various move
meuts under the two systems are enpr-
mous-in many instances exceeding 100
TO L
AS for the boot and shoe Industry he
says that that has been wholly rcvolu-
tionizcd by machinery, in the use of
which the United States is now ahead of
English firms and invading English ter
;dtory. Up To 1879, he tells us. one work
man made 4 pair of boots by hand labor
alone. Now the labor OF lao workrnen,
operating machines. is concentrated on
the production OF one pair Under the
first system The manufacture OF zoo pairs
OF ladies kid shoes cost siss and occupied
1896 hours Under The second the same
number cost but $5f, and they are made
in 175 hours.
Now to the main point of the article.
IN treating. this subject the other day VIC
said that further and cognate reason
for the danger which threatens England
industries is that her worknea will not
permit the Introduction OF a labor-sav-
Ing machine IL they can possibly help
It On the other hand The American
werl;men are continually looking out Tor
devices of this kind. and In many shops
rewards are offered TO wcrktnen who can
invent new and better methods for pro-
ducing the output more rapidly and eco
nemically. The English, workman wants
TO be the machine itself: tho American
workman wants to be the master OF the
machine. Sir Hiram Maxim has said
that n the United States every man