The Strong Trade Position of Manufacture. 73 



prise a large part of the grand divisions of raw material ; 

 from these there are branches which subdivide into many 

 lines of distinct industries. 



It is easy to see that there is no competition between 

 men engaged in producing iron and steel products and 

 others in the woolen industry. Is there any between the 

 tanners of leather and those who turn this material into 

 shoes ! or still others who make horse harnesses, or belt- 

 ing, or leather pocketbooks ? In the iron and steel indus- 

 try is there any competition between the manufacture of 

 wire and axes ? of those who make plows and carpenters ' 

 tools? of those who construct mowing machines and 

 steam engines ! Probably there are more than a hundred 

 products made entirely, or largely, of steel and iron 

 where there is no competition between the makers. Often- 

 times these are as distinctly separate trades as though 

 belonging to different grand divisions. 



Now, if we liken the manufacturing industry to a huge 

 checker-board marked with 400 squares, each one of 

 which represents an industrial group, it will readily be 

 perceived that when instead of general, indiscriminate 

 competition throughout the entire mass, competition in 

 each case is confined to individuals of the same group, 

 the industrial classes occup}' a vastly more favorable 

 position. Suppose, instead of a manufacturer's following 

 a single specialty, he carried on half a dozen. The pro- 

 portionate extent to which these would be turned out 

 would vary. If the market price of one increased, more 

 units of that class would be produced to the partial neg- 

 lect of the less remunerative. TNHien the price of another 

 kind indicated greater profit, more of these units would 

 be turned out. The see-saw would be continuous. 



Suppose, further, that in another shop six classes of 



