i88 



OUR PHYSICAL WORLD 



as much in the first fifty years of the nineteenth century, due 

 largely to the use of steam, as it had in the preceding fifty cen- 

 turies. It doubled again in the next twenty-five years, and was 

 doubling even more rapidly before we learned to spend with such 

 prodigality in the Great War. 



Because of this great increase of wealth children, at least in 

 their early years, were released from the slavery of production, 

 and were free to go to school. The laborer could begin to have 



FIG. 76. An early power loom 



some leisure. The working day was cut to twelve, then ten, 

 then eight hours. Women were freed to devote themselves to 

 home duties rather than labor in field or factory. Public schools 

 began to serve the children of the common people about the time 

 this industrial and social revolution was coming on, due to power 

 production. They appeared somewhat earlier in this country 

 of ours whose virgin resources made the production of wealth 

 relatively easy from the first. Still in 1800 the average child 

 in this country was getting only eighty-two days' schooling, 

 while in 1900 this had increased to 1,040 days. The age of com- 



