The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-08-08
MACHINES DID NOT TAKE AWAY JOBS - THEY MADE
 MORE OF THEM

August 5. 1898 Editor, Waterbury Democrat: Father can no longer insist that what was good enough for him is good enough for his son." Children know something of the progress which has made 1t possible for the American father to enjoy vastly more things under private enter prise, than were within reach of grandfather.
 No other country has made such advances.
 How has this progress come about here together with constantly rising wages and shortening hours of la- bor2
 Increased costs from higher wages or shorter hours must result in high CT prices. Higher prices restrict de- mand, which causes lowered produc- ton and further increases unit costs. There is no permanent good from in creased wages unless costs, and therefore prices, can be kept from advancing by Improvements in labor saving devices. There is but one sure road to lower costs-increasing the rate of production per man per hour
 The attack does not proceed equal ly on all fronts. At that indefinite time when the cycle of reduced costs Is accomplished, the following conditions arc found to have devel- opcd: dD output per man hour has been definitely increased, (2) real wages have advanced, and (3) qual- ities of goods have been improved Over the sweep Of years real week. ly wages have advanced much faster than the reduction of the hours of work, and therefore the general standard of living has been raised, and periods of leisure heightened. The rate of progress Is never the same in any two enterprises towards the enjoyment of more things at lower costs and at an expenditure of fewer man hours of labor. What are the results? As an ex- ample, progress, taken in It's demo- cratic sensc of greater freedom of opportunity for all. would have been long deferred but for the invention of movable type--the discovery Of mechanical printing. This hastened it's advance because 1t made the wis., dom of the past the common prop erty of all. The developments from moveable type down to the linotype machine, which have produced our inexpensive printing of today, have brought the accumulations Of learn- ing within the reach of the humblest worker. During this period wages generally have been increased from a few cents a day to cent A work ing minute. Hours of work have been reduced from the limits set by the hours of daylight to eight day, five days q week. Mans span of life has more than doubled and his enjoy ment and satisfactions have increas- cd imneaSurably.
 There arc four outstanding truths we must keep clearly before us in thinking of progress under private enterprise:
 | l. iHc ulCTehbeu uDe OI Uth- chinery does not make fewer jobs except temporarily; it makes more jobs.
 2. Mechanical Improvements do not result in lower wages. They make possible higher wages.
 3. Labor saving machinery makes for lower costs of goods and easier jobs.
 4. Higher wages and lower costs increase greatly the amount our wages will purchase.
 Between 1899 and 1887 the average hours of manufacturing industries declined from b68 to about 70 hours per week, or approximately 90 per cent. During the period from 1914 to 1897 again, the purchasing power Of real wages increased by about 30 per cent: and since 1870 their pur- chasing power has more than dou- blcd.
 Further. as machinery increased. the working age was raised and the number of children employed de- creased. Between 1900 and io30 the number of employed children be- tween ten and fifteen years Of age inclusive declined by 62M. Today the number Of children under six teen years of age employed in tHantifactiifia0 if1dtiakFias efss4 fSrtaaa