14 CHARLES KIRCHOFF 



surroundings of the worker is bound to tell upon the results 

 of their labor. A comparison of our modern mines and plants 

 with those of former decades, of which some even now sur- 

 vive, proves what attention is paid to making the conditions 

 under which manual labor is performed as tolerable as the 

 circumstances will permit. There has been a tremendous 

 improvement in this direction, and it does not lessen the 

 achievement when we frankly acknowledge that it is largely 

 due to the recognition of the fact that progress in this direc- 

 tion pays handsomely. 



Let me go a step further, and that is to make the claim 

 that the crowning glory of the efforts to improve our mining 

 and metallurgical industries has been that they have con- 

 tributed their full share to the development of this material- 

 istic age. They have helped to bring within the reach of 

 an ever growing circle of people not alone the necessities, 

 but also many of the comforts and some of the luxuries of 

 life. Let me confess that it seems to me the greatest and 

 most commendable of achievements to raise ever so little 

 the mass of himianity in civilization, and that is what progress 

 in the mechanic arts during the past century has accomplished 

 in a striking manner. Start the masses on a higher plane — 

 level them up. The great genius may not tower so far above 

 them as once he did; but that is a gain in harmony with 

 our democratic institutions. Let there be an increasing 

 equality of opportunity, even though it makes the struggle 

 fiercer and fiercer, if only public conscience will demand with 

 sterner emphasis that the methods of achievement be lawful 

 and fair. 



