The Washington herald., 1921-02-26
MILLMEN
REPLACING LABOR
WITH MACHINERY
Lessons of War Force Old
Industrial Ideas Into
Discard.

IndividuaIism in the factory and
mill must give way TO modern
automatic time-saving machines,
whose work can supplant the losr
man power of the country IL French
industries are to regain and increase
the hold they once had in the
worlds markets, is the keynote Of a
paper by NJ. Gripon. prominent
French engineer attached to the Bu-
reau of Technical Studies, which has
just come to American Red cross
officers during an Investigation OF
conditions in the wrecked manufac-
turing sections OF France.
1t is one OF the big lessons the
war has taught French manufae-
turers and will be a hard one Tor
the old-time mechanics to assfm-
ilate, for nowhere as in France per-
haps was the individual such an in
Innate part OF the shop and the
thing he was working on.
To the French mechanic his hands
were better than any machine, and
he considered their product as his
own.
When in 1914. France mobilized.
Irrespective of occupations, she
threw all her men into the \army
The mistake was seen in September
of that year. when both armie,
found their ammunition practically
exhausted and their guns already
worn. '|
The machine shops of France were
almost empty of mechanics: what
personnel there was was completely
disorganized, while. according to
Prof. Gripon. the organization and
efficiency of the German plants.
filed as they were with modern
man-saving machines, gave them a
temporary advantage.
France recalled her mechanics
from the field. but not sbefore they
had suffered heavily. She mobilized
her plants from the smallest tin
shop to the greatest factory. though
many of her largest plants were
even then in occupied territory.
Orders for machines and machine
tools were placed in America and
Switzerland, and thanks to the
French ability to adapt and impro-
wise, the German advantage was
soon counterbalanced.
As the war progressed the need
for standard machines and tools be-
came more apparent. Losses had
been heavy in the ranks of the ma
chinists, and as losses in the army
grew, it became necessary to with
draw men from the factories.
In the emergency the women OF
France responded nobly. but as
Prof. Gripon points out. despite
their energy II was found that good
will could not overcome lack OF
professional experience and the
knowledge required TO give that
precision to shells which is so nee
essary Machines which could be
operated by women. at the same
time giving this needed precision
and also capacity. were required.
Certain factories were turned
from making shells and cannon to
producing standardized machines
and tools. The value of machine Ia
Dor over human labor made itself
apparent, for where in 1914 a cer-
tain factory was turning out six OF
the French 75's a day. in 1913 it had
increased its output to thirty-four
I per day.
Results were also seen in the pro-
duction of shells, with some star
tling figures now being revealed.
In one large factory toward the end
| $4,000 a day, while in 1918 the plants
of the country were making shells
for the 75's at the enormous rate
os $4,000 per day. Equal progress
was made in aviation and automo-
bile works, the demand for parts,
motors. tools, etc, being especially
heavy.
Today the manufacturers of the
country realize that their only SAL
vation in the peacetime battle for
the worlds trade rests in continu-
ing the modern scientific methods
and the use of man-replacing ma
chimes. Machines, Red Cross OFF,
GERS have been told, offer the only
solution for offsetting the loss in
the ranks of the machinists. Fig
ures. it is said, show that the war
has taken by death or incapacitat-
ing wounds twenty out of every 100
French machinists.
Modern methods. it is pointed out,
reduce the number of men needed.
while easily controlled automatic
machines mean employment for
those not otherwise fitted for the
machinist trade. Among the older
machinists there are some objectors
tr machine supplanting men. They
say individuality is lost and that
the results cannot be as good as
before. In reply their patriotism is
being appealed to on the ground
that the future Of the country ne
cessitates the change being made
and that the mills and factories of
France must never be caught again
as theW were in 1914. They are
being asked to sink individualism
for organization and national in