MACHINERY AND LABOR.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1543, 17 August 1886, Page 3

MACHINERY AND LABOR.

In the report of the United States Labor Commission the question of the displacement of labor by machinery is entered on, and a large amount of interesting information is given. It is shown dial 100 persons, by the aid of machinery, make as many women’s boots and shoes as 500 persons could without the aid of machinery. It formerly took one man thirty five days to produce a certain stylo of carriage, Now one man, by the aid of machinery, will paodqce the same carriage in twelve days. The moat striking displacement of labor is that brought about by the Standard Oil Company by the aid of its pipe lines, displacing 5/00 teams of horses and not less than 10,000 men, who would be employed in transporting the oil to the several railroad depots or markets. The product of oil for the whole country is set down at 57,000 barrels a day. The steam and waterpower employed in the United Slates for manufacturing purposes represent in horse power 3,500,000. If only men were employed to furnish the power it wouhl require 21,000,000. There are in the United Stales 28,000 locomotives; to do tiie work of these locomotives, upon the common roads of the country, would require. 54,000,000 horses ami 13,500,000 men. Rut this work is now done by 250,000 men. The present cost of operating the railroads of the country with steam power is 502,600,000'J01. per annum. But to accomplish the same amount of work with horses would cost the country 11,308,500,000J01.