30 American Economic Association [828 



The total amount of man-labor-power saved by the 



use of machinery in the production of these nine crops 



was 450,368,992 days-work or 79.0 per cent of the 



amount of work which would have been required to 



produce those same crops by the earlier hand methods. 



In other words, the quantity of labor now requisite for 



the production of a given quantity of these nine crops 



is, on the average, only 21 per cent, or a little over one- 



I fifth of the quantity which would be requisite under 



. the former hand methods of production. 1 



DISPLACEMENT OF LABOR 



The question of the displacement of labor is one of 

 peculiar interest to those who work for hire, because 

 upon it seems to depend the further question of 

 whether the use of machinery decreases the opportuni- 

 ties for earning a livelihood. That the introduction of 

 machinery does frequently deprive workmen of em- 

 ployment in particular lines of work is undeniably 

 true. The introduction of a harvesting machine 

 throws cradlers and binders out of employment just as 

 certainly as the introduction of water drives air out of 

 a jug. It is idle to say that machinery does not dis- 

 place individual workmen and equally idle to contend 

 that such displacement does not entail hardship and 

 suffering, for the more thoroughly and completely one 

 devotes himself to any particular line of work, the less 

 fitted does he become for taking up, and gaining a live- 

 lihood in, some other occupation. The extent of 

 change which the introduction of machinery produces 

 in the occupation of individuals is much obscured by 

 the fact that the machine workman is usually given 



1 See also Edward Atkinson's " Distribution of Products ", pages 

 14-15 and 287. 



