The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-05-11
AMERICAN LABOR METHODS
Machine Tools Develop Intelligence
and Prolong Working Years.

So much has recently been written
and spoken on the subject of American
ism and the dangers which are likely to
grow from the development of American
methods that it is only fair that we
should look at the matter from all
points OF view; and as one who came
to the states two years ago unfavOr-
ably disposed toward these methods 1
feel conscientiously bound to give the
result of my incidental study of the
subject When l left England the i'm
preston, from a workers point of view
was that the methods employed on the
other side were tending to turn man
into mere machine and in this way
to lower the intelligence of the individ-
ual worker; bat everything I have seen
points emphatically to the very OppO-
site conclusion. The Introduction Of
Ia Dor saving appliances has almost en-
t1rely done away with physical skill as
aPpHed TO the ordinary work of the
mills. but IN its place we have a mental
activity and keenness of vision which is
having an almost unlimited influence
on the brain development of the worker.
and in this way raising the standard
OF Intelligence in the ranks. This in
itself is strong factor in the market OF
manufacture, but it is only the fOunda-
ton Of the growth which is gradually
taxing place IN the strenuous life" OF
the United States, which, unless intro
duced in other countries. will eventual
ly cause them to be left behind in the
march Of commercial supremacy. From.
ngures L have before me, prepared by
Mr.. James H Bridge, late librarian as
sistant to Mr.. Herbert Spencer, 1 find
that the average work power of nations
IS as follows Taking the work Of the
ordinary dock laborer at 325 foot-tons
per day, the average daily force exerted
by the citizen of the United States is
1000 foot-tons, the average of the Eng
iishman is l. 400 foot-tons, of the French
man or German 900 foot-tons and of the
Italian 400 fOOt-tOnS This force NAV h.
safely taken as the earning mower ~
the individual worker, and from that
standpoint I will show the logical out
come of the increased work power of
the individual
1t must be borne in mind that these
figures are the result of the labor. and
not the actual labor expended. The
reason of the large capacity of the
American workman is the introduction
of so much machinery. which enables
him 10 do a great deal more work by
Of course the physical strength of the
different nations is not as shown here
This method of increasing the working
power of the individual raises his value.
and by diminishing his physical effort
naturally gives more chance to his in
tellectual advancement. The very ma
ture of his work is such as to call for
a higher rate of intelligence, as he must
control a larger output Gin most cases
a larger number of nachineS) and ex-
ercise his mental faculties to a much
greater extent than the worker with the
smaller output. Taking the case of the
steel trade, where the American has so
rapidly advanced in the past few years,
the introduction of mechanical appli-
ances has almost completely done away
with the class of labor which tended to
make worker an old man at fifty;
and in this way, where the work con-
sists in great part of the control of
levers and switches requiring small