Men and Machines
WE’VE ALL HEARD IT SAID that Machines rob men of work, that Machines are enemies of jobs. Let’s take a look at
the biggest user of machines, the automobile industry, and see if this is true.
Back in 1895 there were only four automobiles in the United States. Those modes were built by hand. I don’t know
what it cost to build them that way but it has been estimated that to build a hand-made model of a modern car would
cost $6,000. How many of us could afford a car at that price? We wouldn’t keep very many people busy building them,
would we?
Back in 1910, before mass production hit its stride, an open four-cylinder Packard without a self-starter sold
for $5,500. Today the six-cylinder 1940 Packard sells for $867. There is no comparison in the 1910 and 1940 cars
and yet the price is lower! Machines have given us better quality, more improvements, at lower prices.
Today 92 per cent of all cars sell for less than $750. There are 26,250,000 cars registered in the U.S.A. Building
those cars means work for thousands!
Taking all industry, an authority estimates that machines have replaced two million men but because those machines
have made products faster and better to sell for less, the mass demand has added three million workers! So the
machine is our friend after all.
* * *
THE MODERN BLACKSMITH
Under a sign that’s marked “Garage”
Is the village smithy’s place,
The smith a mighty man still is
With greasy hands and face.
No more at measured swing he works,
It’s now a faster pace.
The tourists come for oil and gas,
For hot dogs, sweets, and pop,
For air and water, grease, or bed,
It’s all there at one stop.
From car to car the smithy goes,
They keep him on the hop.
Week in, week out, from morn to night
His cash box gaily rings.
An auto horn wakes him at morn,
A horn his “good night” sings.
But autos bother not his sleep,
He dreams of other things.
Of children coming home from school,
Of where the anvil stood,
Of horse shoes warmed to cherry red,
Beneath the glowing hood.
Ah! Life was slow and easy then.
Go back? Like fun he would.
* * *
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Every day, for weeks before last Christmas, Henney foremen and office workers met in the Henney dining room for
lunch -- and to discuss progress being made toward completing the year’s record production of 12,000 Henney-Packard
vehicles.
Production problems of each day were discussed in detail, and methods of solving them suggested. Everyone was kept
working at fever pitch, in order to turn out that 1200th car.
With the goal in sight, it was decided to suspend the usual noonday conference, ease up a bit, and celebrate --
for one hour -- on December 19th.
The Henney chef was instructed to serve a turkey dinner -- with all the trimmings. He certainly rose to the occasion.
It is safe to say that no one ever tasted a more delicious and thoroughly filling turkey dinner.
Because of the nearness of Christmas, presents seemed in order, but Santa had no part in their origin or delivery.
Recipients were inclined to attribute the exploding candy boxes, tall tail story books and similar hilarity producing
gifts to some inspired Katzenjammer Kid.
Everyone who attended the party left it with the renewed spirit and energy needed to complete the task of producing
1200 cars during 1939.
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[Transcriber's Note:
Table of three women on the left, left to right: Leta Isbell, unknown woman, Elma Seitz.
Table of 6 women behind them: Gladys (Blondie) Mackert (who is wearing a print dress), unknown woman,
Mildred March, across the table from her is Beryl Wurtzel; other two women unknown.
Women standing along the back wall: second from the left, Gladys Miller; others unknown.
Men seated at the table on the right side of the room: John Henney is the 5th man back (the 4th man
is hard to see).] |
