The Detroit times., 1910-11-26

of human activity as to be beyond the
influence of invention.
Ii Is only 90 years since manufactar-
| ing began to be one OF our natlonai
| activities. Since that time the value
Of our manufactures has Increased
more than fifteen-fold; the wages OF
the employees OF the countrys rae
tories have been multiplied by ten;
1 and the number OF men and women
finding employment has quintupled.
| The inventor has made most or this
possible, just as he has increased the
products of the farm and or the mine.
Many industries have been called
into existence through the work or
! the inventor. One of the most prei-
table OF these Is the use OF electricity
| In the commercial world. In less than
40 years the activities OF inventors In
the field of electrical aprliation
have built up an industry with total
investment OF $7.000,0 900. The pro-
ducts and revenues Of the electrical
industries aggregate billion dollars
a wear. and the 100000 people who
And employment annually receive
wages and salaries aggregating half
billion dollars.
Invention Is the one wonder-worker
| which may take away from and add
| Tn at the same time. II solves the old
problem OF eating cake and having
Il II makes labor-saving machinery;
at the same time adding to the de-
mand for labor. II subtracts from Ia
boris opportunities for profitable EN-
nloyment in one place; and by the
same process multiplies Its opportnni-
nj
train takes the place of dozen stage
coaches or hundreds or wagon teams;
vet there is more work for horses anu
men I'm the transportation world IMAM
ever before. The day was when one
man could turn out from AZ 10 4s
yards Of shifting In a week. NOW, at
tending six power looms, he can pro-
duce l,500 yards. Yet there ure more
men making shifting today than ever
before. :,
A century ago II was only the we'll
TODD who could enjoy the luxury or
bountiful supply OF clean bed linen.
It took the earnings OF 80 days Oh
common labor to buy single linen
bed.sheet Today they are within the
reach Of even the comparatively poor
A century ago II required the earn
ings OF from four to IL days to buy
q gridiron Now by working an hour
or two. one may earn enough TO BUY
good one. The average individuo'
I'm those days had a scant supply or
clothing. He could not have frequent
changes. and consequently was not
physically as clean as he is today.
The rise OF textile machinery has
changed all this. and today the very
poor may enjoy as good clothing as
| tho moderately well-to-do did In The
early days OF the republic. The very
first problem that faced mortal man
was that OF clothing himself. Until
a century or two ago. the activities
OF half the civilized world were en-
tirely absorbed in providing raiment
for civilization. Today only a small
percentage Ct the people are so en-
ployed, and the others give no though.
to the subject except "a they come in
contact with the problem at the retail
counter
The statisticians have attempted to
figure out how many people II would
require to produce the entire output
OF the American manufacturing es-
Adjustments. working under condi-
tons which obtained a century ago.
They figure that at least 100000. 900
employees would be required. Five
million are now so employed. Accord
ing to this ratio between manufactur-
Ing employees and population. II would