New-York tribune., 1903-02-02
AMERICAN METHODS.

Speeches made by Lord Kelvin and George
Westinghouse at a recent dinner in London
must have raised in the minds of their hearers
the general subject of the industrial prosperity
of the United States, although no direct refer
ence was made TO that modern marvel. 1he
first speaker mentioned Englands debt to the
second for introducing american methods TO
the mother country. He left Mr.. Westinghouse
to tell the company what these had done for
American manufacturers, and both gentlemen
ignored one other group of factors in the prob
lem For their purpose il was unnecessary 10
discuss the natural advantages which are pos
sessed on this side of the Atlantic. and for
which Americans deserve no credit. There is
nothing especially praiseworthy, for instance
in having deposits of cheap ore, exceptionally
inexpensive means of transporting 1T from
Michigan and Minnesota to Cleveland and
Pittsburg, natural gas, a sUperabundance OF
food and an enormous cotton crop. These, as
well as traits of character and modern prac-
tees. must be included in any broad survey of
the causes which have contributed to American
success Natures bounty is just cause for con-
graduation, but not for pride
Three American methods" are now clearly
recognized by foreign manufacturers and econ
omists They have discovered that in this
country more labor saving machinery is used
than anywhere else; that in some industries the
mechanical equipment is driven harder here
than in Europe, and, finally, that when the
American sees a chance to introduce improve
ments he is likely to do SO at the earliest possible
moment regardless Of cost. Mr.. Westinghouse
offered a striking illustration Of the effect OF
these several policies in combination AT Home
stead with four thousand men, three times as
much steel is turned out i'll the course of a
wear as at the Krupp works, where fifteen
thousand men are employed Such examples
have already gone far toward convincing Euro
pean manufacturers that they have something
to learn from this country.
With one other American method" however,
they are less familiar. Electricity is as COM
monty used for lighting on the other side of the
Atlantic here, perhaps. Europe is making
heroic efforts to catch up with the United States
in the matter of electric traction and once in a
while it looks as if she had succeeded. In the
employment of electric motors for driving fac
tory and mill machinery though America is
distinctly in the lead. Here, certainly, is one
of the secrets of the economy effected at Home
stead Mr. Westinghouse told his hearers the
other evening of visit made by party OF
Englishmen TO that important centre under his
guidance One of the things they saw was the
removal of huge ingot from a steel furnace
and its transportation on a car to distant rolls
bv electrical appliances of one sort or another.
all under the control of boy fifteen years old.
They also witnessed the charging of twenty
furnaces in succession with electrical appa-
ratus The work required the services of only
three men. but once took those of two hundred
One of the visitors calculated: England has no
chance in competition with such methods! lie
might have added: what may she not accom-
plish. though, by their prompt adoption" The
moral, so far as the use of electricity is in
volved, may be enforced by another illustration.
BY the use of electric motors in handling sails
and hosting the anchor ii has been possible TO
reduce the size of the crews Oh the largest