26 INFLUENCE OF 



bers of the community to perform those opera- 

 tions, which only the skilful and robust were 

 wont to execute. Hence it is that wind, water, 

 and steam, have been applied as moving power 

 in the place of human or horse labour, and that 

 women and children are enabled to execute those 

 tasks, which formerly required the ingenuity or 

 the strength of men. 



While, by this important change in our manu- 

 facturing system, the more laborious operations 

 are made no longer to depend entirely on human 

 exertion, the extension of mechanical improve- 

 ments causes a new division of labour, which is 

 advantageous in some important respects to the 

 operative members of the community., 



Not only is great skill required in the con- 

 struction of those beautiful machines, which are 

 intended to diminish human labour, but a demand 

 is thus created for the exertion of industry and 

 skill in the superintendence of the newly-invent- 

 ed machine. No mechanical contrivance is so 

 perfect as not to require continued attention, nor is 

 there any, the efficacy of which does not material- 

 ly depend on the care and dexterity of the over- 

 looker. This is particularly the case, when the 

 movements of the machine are of a complicated 

 or delicate nature. Such are the various engines 



