The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-10-29

creates jobs and expands the frontiers for eco
nonic exploitation?
Both points Of view have their champions The
former is expressed vigorously in letter written bv
Harry Cakins, public relations counsel for interna-
tional labor unions, and Frank Finney New York
advertising man.
"Seventy-fye workers can produce as much to-
day as 100 did in 1929. western motor car COM
pany is turning out more than 5000 automobile
frames a day with less than 100 push button en-
ployes in the plant. This same production few
years ago would have required 20 times that many
workers
Another automobile factory turns out its car
door with two stamping operators within few sec
onds whereas the door of it's 1929 model had 26 parts
and required several times as many men to produce
it. Another factory finished 100 eght-cynaer motor
blocks a given lineup with $50 men, Today the
same lineup finishes $50 blocks with only 10 men.
Moreover the demand for window glass for auto
mobiles has reduced the window glass industry to
complete automatic production. Here only three
tenders are turning out the work formerly done by
100 men. 1t is estimated that labor-saving machines
IN the window glass industry have thrown 100000
out of work.
IN the textile-cotton industry weaver who 20
of 60 to 100 looms.
by natural process Of inventng more and more
laborsaVing machines there will eventually be very
little for anybody to do. And if there isn't any work
to do, nobody will have any money to buy anything
with and we will have perpetual depression. We are
on our way to that Utopia today but don't know it."
DUT read the other point of view in an At
~ lantic Monthly article written by Lewis W.
Douglas former United States budget director who
pleads for more conservative government policies to
encourage investment in new plants, and thereby
stimulate employment in the so-called heavy indus
tries which produce the labor-saving machines
Says Mr.. Douglas;
Machines, in the long run, do not take mems
jobs away Machines create jobs This is not merely
belief; it can be proved The period from 1879 to
1929 characterized by an amazing mechanical
ton Of industry in America; but whereas nanufac-
turers were providing only $4,000 jobs per million of
population in 1879 they were able to provide 49, 900
jobs million of population in 1929 These figures
are taken from study Of the National Industrial
Conference Board
The automobile industry provides classic illus
tration of this trend Thirty years ago automobiles
were made almost entirely by hand Today the pro-
duction of automobiles is very highly mechanical
The greater value offered to the public as result of
this meChanization has put the automobile within
reach of people of moderate income and has made
possible great increase in production
consequently, although labor plays relatively
less important part in the production of given car
we find many more people employed by the industry
than was formerly the case In addition collateral
employment has been created in industries supply
ing raw materials in the oil industry the rubber
industry and in road building. Such collateral en-
poyment in itself far more than offsets any loss of
jobs that could concevably result from mechanical
ton"