Tonopah bonanza. [volume] (Butler City [i.e. Butler], Nev.) 1901-1909, 1907-06-01
ALL-AROUND men
NOT NEEDED
SPECIALITY is THE KEYNOTE OF
MODERN LABOR THESE
DAYS.

UALNOA Aub tAAA AA4 1
for It's acquisition. Every man pos
sessed of a trade was considered a
sharer in a monopoly or a holder of a
vested right" A trade was a "mys-
try" into the secrets of which none
could enter without first having
passed an apprenticeship of several
years. Before being called a trades
man it was necessary that the worker
be proficient in all branches and sub
divisions of his peculiar trade. If
he happened to gain entrance to a
trade by other means than through
an apprenticeship he was stamped as
an illegal man and mis- employ
ment was prohibited.
In recent years, however, this old
conception has changed, lays George
A. Rush in the Chicago Tribune.
With the gigantic strides of modern
industry, the rapid Introduction OF
labor-saving machinery, and the sub
division of labor process a man, In
most trades is no longer required to
undergo a long period of training be-
fore he a be called a full-f1edged
tradesman. For the mechanic OF ar
tisan TO acquire a knowledge of all
branches of the trade or craft in
which he is engaged is, in most in
stances, entirely superfiuous, for 1t
is two chances to one that he will
never be called upon to display his
skill in any but one branch of the
trade. In fact, the acquisition OF
manual dexterity under modern in
dustrial conditions often is rendered
useless, owing to the introduction OF
a machine or the employment of some
mechanical device which does the
work more effectively than it a be
done by hand.
At the present time a man need
learn but one branch, or subdivision,
of a trade In order that he may enter
his chosen calling as a proficient
tradesman. AS a direct result OF
these modern conditions, the old
time trades are being disintegrated,
thereby multiplying occupations at a
surprising rate. Years ago 1t was
a necessary factor that the mechanic
learn his craft in its entirety; he
must be capable of performing a
single occupation ~ of performing a
complete mechanical process.
Perhaps the trade of machinists
has suffered more through disintegra'
ton in recent years than has an,
other occupation. This has beer
caused mainly through the evolution
of machine shop equipment, through
the introduction of automatic ant
semi-automatic machines, which have
made it possible for the ~unskillet
worker. who has had a few days
practice, to do the work formerl.
done by skilled machinists.
The trade of machinist has beef
split up until today it bewilders
man to define it. The former branch
es of the trade have been separate,
from one another so thoroughly tina
they are classified as separate trade
lathe hands, wise hands, shape
hands, planer hands, milling ms
chine hands, screw machine hands
boring mill hands, slotting machin
hord. roar outtasc dviIl nracc hand,
linotype hands, die sinkers, Jig worl
ers, TOOL grinders, ,oclmakers, an
a raft" of others.
The cabinet and furniture make
is another victim of disintegratioi
In former years the cabient and fui
niture workers were all round mel
capable of exercising n and a
branches Of the craft. Today he ma
make a table top, but not the leg
The man who makes the legs cannt
make a wardrobe. The man VII
makes a wardrobe cannot make
chest of drawers, or a sideboard.
a chiffonier. The repair man pract
cally is the only all round cabine
maker of the present time. tt
others perform only q small part
the craft, and like the trade of m
chinist, the industry is essentially
machine industry employing, to
large extent, unskilled labor, cor
posed mostly OF immigrants wi
learn to operate the woodmaking m
chinery In a short time, thereby ma
ing it practically useless to gain
thorough knowledge Of cabinetma
ing. According to a recent report
the industrial commission, out
se~venty-hve men employed in a furi
ture factory only five are skilled n
chanics.
Carpentery has experienced a gre
change in the last thirty years. Or
the older generation of house carpe
tiers and a few younger men W
have learned their trade under
old regulations can make doors, shl