422 JAMES WATT. 
Machines have given rise to a particular kind of objec- 
tion, which I must not pass over in silence. At the time 
of their introduction, at the time when they begin to 
take the place of manual labour, certain classes of work- 
men suffer from the change. Their honourable, their 
laborious industry, is almost suddenly annihilated. Even 
those who under the old system were the cleverest, being 
sometimes devoid of the qualities required in the new 
operations, remain unemployed. ‘They seldom succeed 
all at once in adapting themselves to a new kind of 
labour. 
These reflections are just and true. I will add that 
the bad consequences pointed out by them must often 
recur: some caprice in the fashions even, suffice to pro- 
duce deep misery. If I do not conclude from thence that 
the world ought to remain stationary, God forbid that 
in wishing the general interests of society to advance, I 
would have it remain deaf to the individual sufferings 
caused by this temporary advance! Authority, always 
on the watch relative to new inventions, seldom fails to 
catch them by fiscal measures. Would it be expecting 
too much from it, were it asked to allow the first con- 
tributions levied on genius to be devoted to opening some 
special workshops where the artisans who had been sud- 
denly dispossessed of their occupation should, for a time, 
find employment consonant to their powers and their 
knowledge ? This method has sometimes been found 
successful ; it would then only remain to generalize it. 
Humanity makes it a duty, and sound policy counsels it ; 
besides which, some terrible events, of which history pre- 
serves the recollection, would also recommend this method 
on the part of economy. ; 
The objections of theorists who feared that the progress 
