The toiler. [volume] (Cleveland, Ohio) 1919-1922, 1920-06-04
Arts and Institutions
CHAPTER ELEVEN.
Civilization Middle nr Machine Are

The middle age Of civilization began with the ap-
pearamce of the steam engine, invented by James Watt
in 1853 A. D.")
The invention Of the steam engine gave mighty
impetus to the development of powerdriven machinery
and this machinery in turn substantially modified the
entire plan of industrial and social relations The
hand tools of former age here gave way to the power
driven machines of the
The difference between tool and a machine con-
sists in the method Of the application of power. If the
power is directly applied the implement is tool If the
application of power is Indirect then the implement is
machine. A ecythe i'm the hands OF the reaper is
tool. The modern selfbinder is machine.
Steam engines and power-drven machinery did not
develop by chance but were the natural result of the
economic urge of the age The multiplication of the race
in Of the of local food supply made in
creased speed in the methods of production and ranspo
tatiOn imperative.
The rapid development of the Western Continent
along agricultural and industrial lines made necessary
the concentration of vast of people in cities in
order to supply the necessary tools and machinery with
which to carry on the settlement of continent. This
gave impetus to manufacture and transportatons')
The commerce between the cities of the coast and
the rapidly developing netrior made the old handtoo
methods of production and oxcart methods of ranspor
tation totally inadequate with the result that power
driven machinery and transportation an econmic
necessity Power machinery forced out the shop of the
artisan and instituted the modern factory system.
In every age of human evolution the methods of de-
stuction have kept pace with the methods of pro-
ducon hence i'm the machinery age find guns of mon
strous power, range and destructivity
The machine age witnessed the application of steam
power to every branch of industry especially to trans
portation on both land and sea-
The subsistence of this age was similar to the age
preceding it, with the addition of the canning factory
and the further development of the art of chemical pre-
servation of food.
Concrete and steel frame structures were further
evolution of the building art of this age
Homespun garments gave way in this age to factory
made clothing, thereby greatly modifying domestic
economy.
The machine age transferred industry from the
home to the factory. 1t took from the home such in
dustries ais spinning weaving dyeng, knitting tailoring
apmakng, tanning, boot, shoe and harness making
laundering baking, canning, fruitdryng, candlemak
ing etc.
The machine age worked revolution in the home
transforming it from an industrial to social unit
Factory production with its social labor led to
great concentration Of wealth. The perfection and extern
sion of the wagessystm led TO the clearer division of
society along class lines
The concentration of wealth with the resultant in
vestment of capital in foreign lands made necessary the
extension OF naval and military power for the protection
OF these investments Concentrated capital now invaded
the halls OF representative government, transforming
those organizations from bodies representative commit
tees for the dominant class The tightening of the class
lines forced the development of labor unions based upon
craft and skill l.t .n.