The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-11-15
HORSEPOWER ON
INCREASE, MAN
POWER REDUCED
Industrial Tendencies
Officially Viewed
BY LELAND OLDS.
Federated Press).

ldSJ % years IS again LNe SUBJECT -OI
U. S. department of labor state
ment based on figures in the depart
ment Of commerce year book for 1926.
These figures show that between 1899
and 1925 the output per worker in
creased 45Ge in agriculture, 99e6 in
mining and 1870 in manufacture and
railroad transportation. The average
increase for all 4 groups was 1870.
"This MEANS" says the department,
that for the major industries Of the
country the total output Of 1925 could
be produced with not very far from
cne-half the number of workers re-
quired under conditions existing in
1890"
Values Rise.
Between 1889 and 1925, the state
ment shows, the number Of agricul-
tural workers remained practically
stationary at 1O,5OO,0O0 but the agri-
cultural output increased 45es and
the value produced went up from 49,
5OO,0O0000 to ,40O,O0O,0OO The
number employed in mining increased
77lo from 100000 to 1,O65,00O but the
output Of the mines increased 248@a
and the value of the output from
$500, 100000 to $4,300,000, 900.
The number of factory workers in
creased from 100000 to 9,772,000 or
88fe, while factory output increased
1880 and the value produced from
S4,830, 100000 to $26, 744,000,O00 On
the railways employment increased
from $4,000 in 1899 to 1,846.O00 in
1925 or $3.50, railroad output 1880
and the value of the output from ST.
100000 to $500, 100000.
Output Gains 25Oqe.
"The combined output of agricul-
ture, mineral and manufactured COM
modities, and of railroad transporta-
tion," says the report, Increased
nearly 21a times between 1899 and
1926. Population meantime had in
creased 549s, so that, per capita of
the total population, the output Of
these branches of industry increased
nearly 500.
The chief factors producing this
huge increase in productivity, accord
ing to the department, are the adj
vance in education and scientific re-
search, increasing use of capital in
volving the development of machin-
cry and power, mass production and
the elimination of waste.
Students Increase.
The department shows that be-
tween 1870 and 1924 the percentage
of the total population SIT years of
age attending elementary and second
airy schools increased from $40 to
800 and the average days of attend
ance year from 70 to 1872. 1t shows
that the percentage of the total popu-
lation ID to II years of age in high
schools and academies increased from
$50 to 1920 while the percentage
of the population II to 81 years of
age in collegiate work increased from
1850 to 7.7Gc.
The combined capital invested in
mining, manufacturing, transporta-
ton and public utilities, according to
the department, has reached total
of S90000,000,0 There is S10,500
capital per wage Garner in mining,
$3.50 per wage Garner in manufac-
turing and $4,000 per wage Garner
in the railroad industry. The amount
of capital used is constantly increas-
ing.
Mechanical Power Doubles.
The mechanical power per wage
Garner in manufacture increased from
81 horsepower in 1899 to 4.3 horse
power in 1925. In mining and quarry
ing the power per worker increased
from 40 horsepower in 1902 to SO
horsepower in 1919. In the railway
industry the increase was from T10
pounds tractive power per worker in
1899 to 1900 pounds tractive power
per worker in 1925.
The department points out that
there are more than 10000 manufac-
turing plants in this country with an
output each exceeding 100000 and
that there are nearly 1000 factories
each employing more than 1000 wage
earners. The relative importance OF
the large plants has been steadily in
creasing.
"The great magnitude Of the do
nestle market" says the statement,
"has much to do with large scale OPP
Grafton Of plants. The United States
has a population much greater than
that Of any other country Of high
standard of living and the per capita
income of its people averages much
higher than in most other countries.
Fer many manufactured articles the
American market is greater than that
Of all other countries combined