The Omaha guide., 1936-09-12

".American industry was created by the American people.
IN return, industry has created for the American people the
highest standard of living in history SO says Factory Man
agement and Maintenance, one of the MeGraw-IIil publica-
tons, in "a brief history of manufacturing industries in the
United States.
Biggest internal change of the last hundred-odd years has
been America transition from a primarily population to a pi-
manly industrial nation. Between 1920 and 1890 the eountry's
population multiplied 13-fold. Power-frst steam, then cleo
tric-was the prime cause of this boodless revolution. Where
the average factory worker had 125 horsepower at his in 1879,
he had 1856 at his back and call in 1929.
In the half-eentury preceding 1929, the survey says, the
machine created over 100000 jobs in Is manufacturing IN
dustries alone. Biggest employer Of the manufacturing in
dustries in 1929 was electrical apparatus and supplies, with
32S, 700 workers. Runner-up was motor vehicles with 224600.
Third by a nose was motor vehicle bodies and parts, with 222,
700. No other industry even came close to these giants, 4th
place being held by tires and tubes with 80, 300 employees, and
fifth by gasoline manufacture, with 39, 400. Industries employ
ing around $4,000 men each included typewritersi refrigerators;
cash registers and computing machines; cottonseed oil, cake
and meal aircraft Photographs.
Between 1899 and 1929, manufacturing industry created
"a per cent of the total national income. And between 1928
and 1884, its tax contribution to government almost doubled
rising from 7 cents to 1919 cents per dollar of wages paid.
The pre1929 figures don't include depression-and, as
everyone knows, the record darkened plenty following the crash.
Where manufacturing employed 8800000 men in 1929, it en-
ployed 100000 in 1893. Where its total wage envelope held
$11 600,000000 in 1929, it shrunk to |, 200. 100000 in 1888
Value of goods produced was more than cut in half in this
period, dropping from $69OOo,oooooO to $31 OOOOOO00O.
But the picture would have been blacker yet had industry
insisted either on making both ends meet or folding up during
the bad years. From 1880 to 1894, inclusive, manufacturers
spent almost $4,000, 100000 more than they earned, out of sur
pulses.
Big question is, What can be expected of manufacturing
industry in the future9 Can it absorb the 100000 unemploy-
edf Can it bring back our longlost recovery, make relief un-
necessary and Danish the breadlines9
Answer, according to the survey, is yes-if the American
standard of living is raised well above even the high 1929 level.
On the 1929 standard, manufacturing industries could employ
1~0,5OOO,0OO workers-and that is only 10000 900 more than they
are employing at present. However, a so per cent jump in our
living standard, over the 1929 level, would give employment
to almost 100000 men in our factories.
The survey has little use for such cures as the 30-hour week.
1t says that this would simply mean employing more men at
lower wages per man, is basically unsound.
Where is the future industrial progress that would
raise our standard of living to unprecedented heights, to come
from. The survey answers. "From new products of research
and invention. And it further points out that if the estimated
housing deficit is made up, SIS, 000,0O0O00 must be spent for
manufactured products; that there Is a market for $4,000
100000 worth of electrical equipment in wired homes; that
farm electriGcation provides a prospective market for $5,000r
100000 worth of electrical equipment; that modernization of
the textile industrys machinery would require 81, 100000 900;
that 65 per cent of the machine tools now used in industry are
obsolete, should be replaced at an expenditure of 81 000,O00,000,
etc. Finally, it points out that the automobile offers one of the
$4,000 100000.