232 EDWARD H. SANBORN 



These figures show, in nearly every case, a continuous 

 increase during the past tliirty years in the power per wage 

 earner and also in the power required for $1,000 of products. 

 It might be assumed that this showing indicated a decrease 

 in mechanical efficiency, or the requirement of much more 

 power to operate the machinery, were it not too obvious to 

 require proof that in nearly every important industry there 

 has been a continuous substitution of power driven machinery 

 for hand labor, ^dth a consequent increase in the amount of 

 power required, and at the same time an increase in the pro- 

 ductive capacity of each operative. 



Any calculation of the ratio of power to product in dif- 

 ferent years should take into consideration the continuous 

 decHne in the value of products. If it were possible to meas- 

 ure the output of each industry by units of quantity rather 

 than value, there would not appear to be any such large in- 

 crease in the amount of power required as is indicated by 

 these figures. 



Possibly the most striking increase in the use of power 

 showTi in this table is in connection ^\dth the manufacture 

 of boots and shoes. In 1870 there w^ere reported for this 

 industry 3,055 horsepower and 91,702 wage earners, or only 

 three hundredths of a horsepower per wage earner; while in 

 1900 there were 51,073 horsepower and 142,922 wage earners, 

 or four tenths of a horsepower per w^age earner. The increase 

 in horsepower per SI, 000 of products was from two hundredths 

 to two tenths of a horsepower. This is a more striking show- 

 ing of the displacement of hand labor by power driven ma- 

 chinery than is furnished by any other of the large industries. 

 It is worthy of note that the increase in the value of products 

 per wage earner in the boot and shoe manufacture from 1870 

 to 1900, with this very large increase in the use of power, 

 was from $1,600 to $1,826, \^'ithout making allowance for the 

 very large decrease in the value per unit of product, that is, 

 ixL the selling price during the thirt}' years. 



In contrast with the small amount of power per wage 

 earner and per $1,000 of products in the boot and shoe in- 

 dustry is the showing of the paper and pulp mills. The very 

 heavy power requirements of the pulp grinders and the com- 



