4 THE THIRD POWER 



build bridges in the Egyptian desert in half the time 

 and for half the cost that the English can. The 

 Atlas Works in Indianapolis ships engines all over 

 the world, and sells them in freest competition with 

 foreign makes. There is hardly a country on earth 

 that has not heard the scream of the American loco- 

 motive, the click of the American typewriter, and 

 enjoyed the blessings of cheap American bread. 

 The conquests of American capital and the effect 

 of the wonderful resources of this country have been 

 marvelous. Turning to labor we find that here, 

 too, there has been an increase in efficiency. Edu- 

 cation, growing intelligence and skill, sobriety, ca- 

 pacity for hard work, ambition to rise out of the la- 

 bor class and to become a boss, facility in the use of 

 machinery, inventive faculty, have all combined to 

 make our labor the most efficient in the world. But 

 to a certain extent these influences have been at 

 work on the farms as well as in the counting-room, 

 the mill and the factory. And our farmers are far 

 in advance of their fathers and grandfathers in 

 ability to turn out results in crops. But there is one 

 great thing which they have not yet learned, and 

 that is the power of combination. The laborer has 

 been much helped by his unions, and because of 

 them he can command a wage such as his brethren 

 of other days could not. Through his unions he has 

 marie his importance felt, and has often been able 

 to dictate terms to his employer. That employer 

 also has found a great help in combination. By 



