CAUSES OF MANUFACTURERS' SUCCESS 297 



It is by the adoption of enormous cars and having loco- 

 motives of great haulage power that the cost of conveying 

 freight in America, which formerly was the same as in Eng- 

 land, is now less than one third per average ton. One sees 

 American locomotives all over the world. So one does British, 

 but not in the same proportion. British makers have recently 

 been getting big orders from abroad. This is not because the 

 American engine is being discarded. It is because America 

 is so prosperous — there is such a boom in the home trade that 

 American makers have no opening to fulfill new contracts for 

 two or three years yet. The point, however, is that the 

 American railroad companies have for a number of years been 

 solving the question of freight charges by the adoption of 

 engines of huge haulage power and cars of thirty ton capacity. 

 Only recently have the British railways made a move in the 

 same direction. 



The American manufacturer has vim and something of 

 the gambler in him. He is thirsty for new ideas ; he is daring. 

 Where the Englishman would hesitate and think and calcu- 

 late, the American will plunge, neck or nothing, at a venture. 

 He can see ahead further than the Englishman. In British 

 works new machinery is fitted up when the old has begun to 

 wear out or when nearly everybody else has it and it is neces- 

 sary to have it also if trade is to be held. Those are not con- 

 siderations which weigh with the American manufacturer. 

 His constant criticism against his cousin on this side of the 

 Atlantic is that the Britisher doesn't know the value of a 

 scrap heap. An American will spend, say, $150,000 in putting 

 in the latest machinery. Six months later some fresh appli- 

 ance which will do more work and quicker is invented. He 

 does not wait till the machinery he has put in is worn out be- 

 fore adopting the new invention. The machinery fitted six 

 months back may hardly have got into proper working order. 

 But he rips the lot out, "scrapheaps" it, and has the very 

 latest machinery. He sees ahead. He sees how he has prac- 

 tically thrown away $150,000; but he also sees the gaining of 

 $500,000. 



We, in this country, set much store by experience. The 

 American sets more store by youthful enterprise. We think 



