Year: 1879

Labor Saving Machinery.


There is certain class Of writers
who have regular periods of despair
over the iaboring people of the world
on account OF their labor saving ma
chinery constantly being introduced.
They say presently this machinery
will do most or the labor OF the world.
and the laboring class must starve.
An English writer, possessed OF good
enough sense no doubt on the subject
OF nostrums and in the line OF his
profession. betrays II ~ondcrful lack
OF II when he tries his thoughts on
this question, as witness the follow
ing:


"The introduction of a machine
that displaces 100 men, upon whose
daily toll 100 families are depending
for support, is of more than political
import, for IL is matter OF life, in.
stead OF one OF rights. What can So
ciety do, in the face OF this great
problem, to remain stable and peace
full? The question deserves profound
consi leration, and it is one which
must be met at an early day."


1t is simply no question at all. In
the past half century more labor
saving machinery has been invented
and brought into use than in all the
past history of the world besile.
And is experiences worth nothing
in determining this matter? It is
utterly tabooed by the wri er jusu
quoted and in his class. Experience
teaches that the machinery that dis
places 100 men" in Il certain line OF
labor puts IL hundred or more to
work in u new direciion--in the rhine
factory and shop constructing new
tools, and In manufacturing the
labor saving machinery, and so the
100 families dependent for support
on labor are provided for. The rail
ways displaced the wagon freighters
and stage coaches, ami on the eve ol
their coming we were told that
horses would soon b. worthless, bu,
in fact We have to-day more horses
to population than We had then, and
the prices OF them are more than
fifty per cent. higher. So when the
reaping and threshing machinery was
imminent, it was said this machinery
would do all tho farm work. aud
those dependent on their days labor
would become pauperized. But now
the country is flooded with farm ma
chinery, and farm laborers get twice
the monthly wages they. did then
! The same was true OF planning mills
and other woodworking machinery
Carpenters and other wood workers
threatened TO burn these devices oil
toss them into the river. But here
| VIC all III tuc iItuot vi WOuutiltl
and undreamed OF variety OF them
and the wool workers are greater IN
number to population than then and
are receiving more wages. Aud sc
one might go through with the list.


The labor-savins machinery simply
changes the methods of labor. New
pursuits and fields are opened up to
labor. The facility for production
cheapens the same and stimulates
consumption, and therefore is evel
increasing the demand. We won'l
do without better aud better streets
and roads, aud wagons and buggies,
aud houses, and SO we are constantly
taxing the ingenuity and labor of the
world TO produce these for u.s. II
won't do to look at the world and its
great intelligent forces as walled
city. There Is nothing finished on
earth and there never will be. We
contrive both mentally and physically
but all our continuance is unsatisfac
tory and We again built on its ruins
Aud SO we go on, and on, constantly
making new drafts OF labor, and ever
will.-Indidnd Farmer.