The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1941-05-21
FROM EDITORIAL COLUMNS


more more in recent days have been asked How
much America produce? What limits are the
pacy of and machnes? AS industrial engineer
am supposed to know the answer The supposed
to be simple. But it isn't"
With these Walter Rautenstrauch professor
trial engineering Columbia University of the most
important articles to be found the these
1t "a Scientist Looks at Industry and feature of the
May 9th issue of Friday magazine
Professor Rautensrauch points out that in seeking to deter
mine the nations productive capacity engineers often
tempted to merely compute the total amount of materials
available the number of factories which be utilized and
the number of workers on hand
"The national plant ITSELF he writes, SIS giant
machne and the production problem is viewed merely
of organization of increasing the technical efficiency of the
machine of raising the level OF man-hour output
'This might be true the industrial expert goes
on. "But don't live in If technology alone
the in America today would be faced with
situation in which than half the population is ill
housed ifed and ll-clothed; where fifteen million
men have chronicay unemployed more than ten
years where production for is used temporary
gap against national economic collapse
81 have America develop miracles in chronological adj
In fourteen years between 1920 1884, manhour
output in direct manufacturing jumped almost 100 percent
That should have meant twice much goods the market
hundred percent increase in the standard of living But
didn't. only meant that the same amount of goods pro-
duced in the factories Human abortme cut A percent
Millions of workers tossed on the scrap heap"
Here of the amazing chronological advances cited
by Prof Rautenstrauch in his provocative article.
Minng Use of strip mining in pits raised the output
1929 to three times that of 1919 The following ten
Sc increase in productivity although from 1929
to 1889 employment in the U. S. decreased Fl percent
Steel: Automatic hotstrp mills make possible for 1875
produce $500 of tinplae daily Formerly 96
employing 4512 would have been necessary From
1887 1882 $4,000 npae workers driven of the
industry.
Before 1889 working sa4 hours daily pro-
duced $500 packed lamps In 941 fewer than six girls
out 18 900 lamps in the time.
RUBBER New methods Of tire manufacture have eliminated
$50 of every 525 workers. Between 1929 and 1889,
35 900 workers have been displaced. $500
Textiles: Productivity has increased 333 Opera
ons formerly requiring 85 hours completed five
minutes.
americas industries equipped to produce
limited billions of dollars worth of wealth." Prof Rauten
they asked to sacrce Why are there millions out of work
Il want to make it clear at that it is not SCIENCE not
The machine is the of wealth Not the machine but
those who and control the machine bear the responsibility
for social misery"
The author points that for the nation whole
machine instrument for the production wealth. but
for the instrument for the production of prof
it's To make profits the of the machine must have
customers There must be people able and willing to buy
what is produced
Here Prof Rauensauch puts his finger on the contradic
ton The have every been taking larger and
larger percentage of the from the goods
On the other hand they were unable to the wealth
they owned AS the people could buy back the
produced the shut down their facories their
modtes rotted in the warehouses Production stopped be-
cause without consumers there could be profits
eve have, writes the expert reached the paradox of
banding production scientific chronological advance the
hand and the other shrinking consumption of the
wealth have created.
"Al the genius of Americas industrial engineers cannot
alter the rigid fact that the entire system of production is
acing collapse We forced to recognize that the problem
increased productonof how much America producer
is based not industrial engineering at ALL but the rea
claims of capital and labor to the goods produced
abors ability to keep living.
I'll tomorrow the of Americas machines decided to
their purchasing the full they could buy
bit of goods existence leaving
humanity That power the power of life and
eath the to make and the destroy that
cry machinery by which goods produced c
fantasies but realities We already 81
in the last whole cities factories mines and
ped off the face of the earth century of building the
iled-up science labor destroyed in
rance, in Holland and in Belgium
so long labor cannot buy back the goods which
self produced long expect continuance of the
division of production into its three present categoes
goods to feed people, factories capital goods
goods which periodically destroy the
Gods, the factories and the people tn
$50 long will technology and the machine be warped into tic
instrument of destruction w shington New Dealer pu
|0A000I v G0NTQ0I Among co
'~ssOs 80 States 1887"