Page:Once a Week Jul - Dec 1859.pdf/359

 348 ONCE  A WEEK. [October 22,  1859.

“I think not,  if  we  manage  rightly.”

“But there  is  no  machinery  made  for  the  purpose.”

“Well, then,  we  must  make  it  for  ourselves.”

“But if  we  do,  other  people  will  imitate  it, and we  should  be  no  better  off  than  before.”

“But suppose  the  other  people  do  it  first,  where shall we  be?”

“Very true,  sir.  But  it  is  so  large  a thing  to do.”

“And is  not  the  iron  machinery  a large thing?”

“Well, so  it  is,  sir.  But  how  shall  we  begin, the pieces  of  timber  are  so  heavy?”

“Not heavier  than  iron. Suppose we  begin with boring  a hole  at  yonder  drill. Only, as  the cutting of  wood  requires  a quicker  speed  than cutting iron,  you  must  multiply  with  a larger shaft wheel  and  a smaller  pulley.”

The drill  was  altered,  and  holes  were  bored — varying from  six  inches  to  a quarter  of  an  inch — through great  thicknesses  of  timber. The next thing was  to  put  the  timber  on  a wheel-frame  on a small  rail,  so  that  it  could  be  moved  in  any direction. By means  of  a pattern  or  template every separate  hole  was  marked  on  the  timber and applied  beneath  the  drill.

While this  operation  was  performed,  Chanter was sent  to  look  at  the  operations  at  a neighbour- ing factory for  planing  and  grooving  flooring- boards for  builders. He came  back  with  the  full conviction that  henceforward  wood  must  be  worked wholly by  machinery. Only hard  wood  required very different  machinery  from  soft  wood.

One after  another,  machines  were  constructed for the  various  operations  of  sawing,  planing, grooving, cutting  mortices  and  tenons,  and  boring holes. One difficulty  after  another  was  sur- mounted, trial after  trial  made  till  the  whole  was complete. It was  settled  that  the  machines should be  worked  by  men  and  boys  paid  by  the day, inasmuch  as  the  interest  of  the  pieceman being to  get  through  the  work,  the  dayman would be  kept  up  to  the  mark. All seemed  to go  well,  when  one  morning  Chanter,  with  his  face red with  passion,  entered  the  private  office  of John  Smith.

“Here’s a pretty  set-to,  sir; these  scamps  of workmen  say  they  won’t  use  the  machinery.”

“Why not?”

“They say  it’s  of  no  use  to  them,  and  they shall turn  out  rather  than  take  to  it.”

“Well, Chanter,  I can’t  force  them  to  use  it. Can you?”

Chanter was  very  savage. He was  always  just to the  workmen,  and  was  indignant  at  what  seemed to him  their  injustice.

“Well, sir,  what  shall  we  do?”

“Why, Chanter,  as  the  men  say  they  won’t  use the machinery,  and  you  can’t  force  them,  and  I don’t  intend  to  try  to  force  them,  you  must  even give them  the  work  out  for  hand-make  at  the  usual prices.”

“But the  machinery,  sir! after  all  this  expense and trouble.”

“Well, it  won’t  want  to  eat,  will  it,  Chanter? won’t have  a Saturday  night?”

“Well no,  sir.  That’s  true.”

“Very well,  oil  it,  and  take  no  further  notice.”

The work  was  given  out,  and  a few  days  after, John Smith,  who  had  carefully  watched  the  laborious processes  of  handicrafting  in  sawing,  and hewing, and  planing,  and  boring  the  heavy  timbers, caused  it  to  be  made  known  that  the  men might, if  they  chose,  save  their  labour  by  using  the machinery, without  any  other  charge  than  the time of  the  daymen  who  worked  it  at  a mere  fraction of  cost  to  them. John Smith  professed  himself satisfied  with  the  saving  of  material,  and  left them to  their  own  devices.

In a very  short  time  the  men  brought  piece after piece  to  the  machines,  the  axe,  and  the augur, and  the  saw  were  gradually  abandoned, and mere  drudgery  became  distasteful. One morning Chanter  came  in  to  the  master.

“Well, sir,  these  scamps  have  set  the  machines at work  at  everything  they  can  do,  and  the  piece- men will  have  a balance  of  forty  pounds  a -piece  to take  above  their  draw  at  the  end  of  the  job. I’ll pay them  off  for  it  at  the  next  lot  of  work. We shall get  it  so  cheap,  that  all  the  trade  will  come to us.”

“Won’t do,  Chanter!” said  John  Smith. “You are like  a great  boy. I remember when  I was  a boy,  and  went  fishing. So sure  as  I snapped  at my  hook  too  quick,  I lost  my  fish.”

“Well, sir,  you  don’t  mean  to  let  them  go  on having  the  machines  for  nothing!”

“I don’t mean  to  have  a turn-out  of  these  men urged on  by  other  men!”

So the  next  work  was  given  out  on  the  same terms as  though  no  machinery  existed. This time the men  devised  more  jobs  for  the  machines  than had originally  been  planned. Their profits  were greater than  ever. This time  John  Smith  called Chanter to  him.

“Let all  the  wood  machinery  be  pulled  down, and packed  up,  next  week.”

Chanter stared. “Pull down  the  machinery!”

“Yes! Did not  the  men  say  it  was  of  no use?”

The news  went  forth  that  the  machinery  was  to be  pulled  down. The piecemen  were  aghast  at the  prospect  of  losing  profits,  and  the  daymen,  who had learned  to  avoid  drudgery,  were  in  ill  plight. In a day  or  two  a deputation  came  in  to  make  an application  to  John  Smith  against  the  removal  of the  machinery.

“Why, my  men,  how  is  this? You were  going to turn  out  because  I put  up  the  machinery,  and now you  seem  disposed  to  turn  out  because  I take it down. You are  hard  to  deal  with. Did you not say  at  the  outset  it  was  of  no  use?”

“Why, so  we  did,”  faltered  out  one  of  the men; “but we  find  it  is  of  some  use.”

“Oh, it  is,  is  it? Well, then,  you  must  settle with the  foreman  of  how  much  use  it  is.”

“Can’t we  settle  it  with  you,  sir?”

“No; I have other  matters  to  attend  to. The foreman is  to  settle  between  you  and  me  on  what terms you  can  work. He is  an  honest  man,  and if you  be  honest  men,  you  will  own  that  your motive in  turning  out  against  the  machinery  was the fear  of  having  your  wages  lowered,  and  you now find  that  you  have  had  them  unfairly increased. My object  in  getting  the  machines  is