The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-12-02
THE HAND AND THE MACHINE.

THE HAND AND THE MACHINE.
 One of the most remarkable changes that has taken place in recent years or modern times Is connected with the employment of labor-saving machinery of all descriptions. It is not more re- markabis in it's material aspects than Is the change in mems minds. The history of the saw-mill is notable in- stance of this change. In the old method of saving lumber. two men were employed. one Of whom stood on or over the log to be sawed into blanks and the other in . pit underneath. Then the whip-saw. as 1t was called, was alternately drawn up and down and after this method blanks and scant- lings were made. There are those yet lying who have seen lumber made in this way in regions remote from mills, though saw mills have been used for some centuries. Their introduction was stoutly resisted in England, be- cause it was claimed by the sawyers that they would be thrown but of em- ployment if mills were built. As late as 1863 an effort to establish . saw mill in England was abandoned because of the opposition of the sAwyers. and for more than a century no further at- tempt was made. In 17ss one was erected at Lmehouse. England, but was soon destroyed by a mob.
 In the very nature of events 1t was impossible that this intolerant opposi- ton to machinery could continue, and the fight against saw-mills finally woro itself out and they became common in England, as they did in America as soon as civilization obtained control. When we remember that these first mills would only turn out 1,b0o or e,ooo feet of lumber in day, we can smile at the serious opposition to them. If those who fought their first intro duction could have seen one of our modern mills, turning out fifty or one hundred times as much lumber in a day as the first mills did. they would probably have thought the end of all things was at hand.
 1hS OPpo5iStOn bO cd tHou8hs was merely a sample of the feeling ex- cited by all classes of labor-saving ma chinery. The old way of cutting wheat and other small grain was with . reap hook. When the more effective scythe or cradle was invented, there was op- position to 1t, but when reaping ma chimes came. the opposition was as great as was shown in the case of saw mills. We are told that the owners of these new machines did not dare to leave them unprotected. and 1t is fur ther said that in some instances wheat fields were fired because their owners persisted in using the reapers.
 In all these cases the opposition was based on the same ground-that't the use | of machinery would throw many people l out of employment. It was a narrow and selfish view, but probably a legiti- l mate one. under the circumstances. And yet the good influence of labor saving | machinery has nowhere been moro noticeable than on the farm. Not only | can the progressive farmer do much more work In given length of time, but he can do it with less labor and in better and more effective manner. Then. too, 1t enables him In many cases to take advantage of the seasons and complete an important job while the l ground and the weather are favorable. Another point Is that if machinery has caused less demand for day laborers, 1t has enabled or induced more of them
 to secure farms of their own. The progress of events and public enlight- enment have shown that labor-saving g machinery has almost invariably proven a blessing, and the narrow ignorance
 which opposed it has departed. On the
 farm as well as in the shop, the mill and the home. the desire is now to
 make machines relieve the hands wherever 1t is possible. and no one can claim that the result is not for the bet | tefment of mankind