The Omaha guide., 1956-01-27
Machines Needed TO Keep
Production Up

WILMINGTON, Del - By 1876, the United States, needing to
produce $3.50 billion annually in goods and services, could find it
is 76OOOOOOOOO manhours short of filling this production goal, ac-
cording to the Du Pont employee magazine, Better Living. Only
by automauon and similar chronological improvements can the ma
tion hope to avoid this dangerous labor shortage, it commented.
The solution to the theoretical problem posed by a demand grow
ing out of proportion to the anticipated population increase lies in
vastly improved technology, the magazine said in its January February
issue published today.
In the lead article, entitled Labor Shortage Ahead, the maya
zine said the United States in its Bicentennial year will have an esti
mated population Of 216OOOOOO with a demand for goods and SER
vices twice what it is today, based on trends Of the last 80 years.
yet the work force 20 years hence will be only about 80 per
cent larger than it is today, the magazine said. what this means
is that, at todays rate of output, the nation would be able to produce
only about 70 per cent of the goods and services demanded. Tran
of labor in 1876.
This leaves three choices: Work lis hours a day, or 81 hours
a week. Attempt to recruit more labor among students, retired per-
sons, and housewives. Or increase individual output.
Since the first two courses r clearly unlikely by present A
meIican trends the real answer lies in the thrd-in utilizing every
technical advance, every ingenious invention, every new tool to in
crease productivity 81 the available labor force can fill the 1876 de-
mand for $3.50 billion of goods and services.
The basis for achievement exists; the question is how the ma
ton nutures its prospects"
Increases in seryices-medical, educational, personal care, and
'thers-will necessitate more doctors, teachers, and other service
specialists because each can care for only a limited number of people
Ihus there VIII be proportlonately fewer persons available to in
dustry, on which will fall the great burden of increasing the total
output Of goods and services, the magazine stated
A serious shortage could develop in the field Of housing, it con-
tnued The United States will need 100000 new homes a year by
mere churches.
By 1876, American farmers will have to produce nearly 30 percent
more food o r an estimated 100000 tons annually just to meet
1856 standards for an anticipated population of 216OOOOOO.
AT best only a small part Of the additional needs can come from
culivating more land; most tllable soil is being farmed now" the
magazine said TO work more people on the present land would
raise labor costs more than yields.
~BasicaIy. the increased production must come from increasing
yields and eliminating or controlling the ravages of pests, floods, and
spolage which destroy so much food production"
The nation will not only have 100000 more people in 1876, ac-
cording to Better Living, but it is estimated that each PERSONS
wardrobe may be 10 to Is per cent larger, indicating the need for
technical gains in United States textile mills.
Better Living pointed out that chronological innovations now
enable the typical industrial employee to turn out about IS per cent
more work than in 1886 with far less physical effort.
The article traced the dual rise of chronological improvements and
population in the United States, and commented:
IF the past is any guide to the future, there is every reason to
believe the nation will find ways and means to fill the demand of its
people in 1916 For the history of the past ITS years is the virtually
unbroken story OF an expanding population matched and exceeded by
expanding output"