CHAPTER XIV 

 MECHANICAL WORK: SIMPLE MACHINES 



Work may be classified into that which is mechanical 

 and that which is mental. Man's work is, or should be, 

 a combination of both. A man is generally paid for his 

 work in proportion to the amount of brains he puts into 

 it. That is, mental work is usually more highly paid 

 than mechanical work. A "day-laborer" is usually ex- 

 pected to do only mechanical work, which any healthy 

 and sane man can perform. Brain-workers, however, 

 are not so common. Those who can do really high-grade 

 mental work are comparatively few, and command high 

 prices, if there be a demand for their kind of work. 



There has always been plenty of work for man and there 

 always will be. When we hear of scarcity of work it really 

 means scarcity of money to pay for it. There is no danger 

 of the work itself giving out. The kinds of work to be done 

 will change, but work itself we shall have always with us. 

 Though labor-saving inventions enable one man to do 

 work formerly requiring many, new needs for work almost 

 keep pace with the inventions. But this important 

 thing should be noted. As the world grows older, it is 

 the opportunities for brain-work which are increasing, 

 while the opportunities for mechanical work are decreas- 

 ing. It is easy to see that machines may presently do 

 nearly all the purely mechanical work, and to be sure of 

 profitable work, one must learn to do things which require 

 skill and brains. 



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