an autobiography-第63部分

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thod　of　meeting　the　demand　by　increasing　the　number　of　their　workmen。　　Machine　tools　were　found　to　be　of　much　greater　advantage。　　They　displaced　hand…dexterity　and　muscular　force。　They　were　unfailing　in　their　action。　　They　could　not　possibly　go　wrong　in　planing　and　turning；　because　they　were　regulated　by　perfect　self…acting　arrangements。　　They　were　always　ready　for　work；　and　never　required　a　Holiday　or　a　Saint　Monday。

As　the　Bridgewater　Foundry　had　been　so　fortunate　as　to　earn　for　itself　a　considerable　reputation　for　mechanical　contrivances；　the　workshops　were　always　busy。　　They　were　crowded　with　machine　tools　in　full　action；　and　exhibited　to　all　comers　their　effectiveness　in　the　most　satisfactory　manner；　Every　facility　was　afforded　to　those　who　desired　to　see　them　at　work；　and　every　machine　and　machine　tool　that　was　turned　out　became　in　the　hands　of　its　employers　the　progenitor　of　a　numerous　family。

Indeed；　on　many　occasions　I　had　the　gratification　of　seeing　my　mechanical　notions　adopted　by　rival　or　competitive　machine　constructors；　often　without　acknowledgment；　though；　notwithstanding　this　point　of　honour；　there　was　room　enough　for　all。　　Though　the　parent　features　were　easily　recognisable；　I　esteemed　such　plagiarisms　as　a　sort　of　left…handed　compliment　to　their　author。　　I　also　regarded　them　as　a　proof　that　I　had　hit　the　mark　in　so　arranging　my　mechanical　combinations　as　to　cause　their　general　adoption；　and　many　of　them　remain　unaltered　to　this　day。

The　machine　tools　when　in　action　did　not　require　a　skilled　workman　to　guide　or　watch　them。　　All　that　was　necessary　to　superintend　them　was　a　well…selected　labourer。　　The　self…acting　machine　tools　already　possessed　the　requisite　ability　to　plane；　to　turn；　to　polish；　and　to　execute　the　work　when　firmly　placed　in　situ。　　The　work　merely　required　to　be　shifted　from　time　to　time；　and　carefully　fixed　for　another　action　of　the　machine。

Besides　selecting　clever　labourers；　I　made　an　extensive　use　of　active　handy　boys　to　superintend　the　smaller　class　of　self…acting　machine　tools。　　To　do　this　required　little　exertion　of　muscular　force；　but　only　observant　attention。　　The　machine　tools　did　all　the　working　（for　the　thinking　had　been　embodied　in　them　beforehand）；　and　they　turned　out　all　manner　of　geometrical　forms　with　the　utmost　correctness。　This　sort　of　training　educated　the　faculties　of　the　lads；　and　trained　their　ideas　to　the　perception　of　exactness　of　form；　at　the　same　time　that　it　gave　them　an　intimate　acquaintance　with　the　nature　of　the　materials　employed　in　mechanical　structures。　　The　rapidity　with　which　they　thus　acquired　the　efficiency　of　thoroughly　practical　mechanics　was　surprising。

As　the　lads　grew　in　strength　they　were　promoted　to　the　higher　classes　of　work。　　We　gave　to　the　foreman　of　each　department　the　right　to　recommend　to　a　special　rise　of　wages　any　lad　who　showed　an　extra　intelligent　earnestness　and　assiduity　in　superintending　his　machine。　This　produced　an　active　spirit　of　emulation；　which　not　only　advanced　their　efficiency　but　relieved　the　foreman　from　a　source　of　irritation　in　the　discharge　of　his　duties。　　I　have　already　referred　to　the　subject　in　a　former　portion　of　this　narrative；　but　it　cannot　be　too　strongly　urged　upon　the　attention　of　proprietors　of　mechanical　works。　Besides　making　first…rate　workmen；　this　method　prevents　the　lads　from　getting　into　habits　of　workshop　dishonesty；　i。e。　　〃skulking；〃　and　other　annoyances。

My　system　of　non…binding　of　apprentices　was　the　〃perfect　cure；〃　if　I　may　so　speak。　　All　that　existed　between　us　was　mutual　satisfaction　with　each　other；　and　that　alone　proved　from　first　to　last　in　every　respect　a　perfect　bond。

So　completely　were　the　workmen　in　attendance　on　self…acting　machines　relieved　from　the　necessity　of　labour；　that　many　of　the　employers；　to　keep　the　men　from　falling　asleep；　allowed　them　to　attend　to　other　machines　within　their　powers　of　superintendence。　　This　kept　them　fully　awake。　　The　workmen　cheerfully　acquiesced　in　this　arrangement；　as　a　relief　from　tedium；　and　especially　when　a　shilling　extra　was　added　to　their　wages　for　each　additional　machine。　　All　went　well　for　a　time；　for　men　as　well　as　masters。　　But　now　came　the　difficulty。　The　system　was　opposed　to　the　rules　of　the　Trades'　Union。　Their　committee　held　that　setting　one　man　to　superintend　more　than　one　machine　was　keeping　out　of　employment　some　other　man　who　ought　to　be　employed。　　And　yet；　at　the　time　that　the　objection　was　made；　such　persons　were　not　to　be　had。　　The　increased　demand　for　skilled　labour　had　employed　every　spare　workman。

Nevertheless　the　system；　in　the　eyes　of　the　Union；　〃must　be　put　down。〃　The　demand　was　made　that　every　machine　must　have　a　Union　man　to　superintend　it；　and　that　he　must　be　paid　the　full　Union　regulation　wages。　　All　labourers　and　lads　were　to　be　discharged；　and　Union　men　employed　in　their　places。　　As　the　times　were　good；　and　the　workshops　were　full　of　orders；　it　was　thought　by　the　Union　that　the　time　had　come　to　put　the　matter　to　the　test。　　The　campaign　was　opened　by　the　organisation　of　a　powerful　body；　entitled　〃The　Amalgamated　Society　of　Mechanical　Engineers。〃　　It　included　every　class　of　workmen　employed　in　the　tradeironfounders；　turners；　fitters；　erectors；　pattern…makers；　and　such　like。　　All　were　invited　to　make　common　cause　against　the　employers。

In　order　to　make　a　conspicuous　demonstration　of　their　power；　the　Council　of　the　Union　first　attacked　the　extensive　firm　of　Platt　Brothers；　Oldham。　　The　Council　sent　them　a　mandate　to　discharge　all　their　labourers　or　other　〃illegal　hands〃　from　their　worksall　who　were　employed　in　superintending　their　vast　assortment　of　machinery　and　to　fill　their　places　with　〃legal　mechanics〃　at　the　then　regulation　wages。　　The　plan　of　the　Union　was　to　attack　the　employers　one　by　one　to　call　out　the　hands　of　one　particular　workshop　until　the　employers　were　subdued　and　obeyed　the　commands　of　the　Union；　and　then　to　attack　another　employer　in　the　same　way。　　The　sagacity　of　this　policy　very　much　resembled　that　of　the　ostrich；　which　hides　its　head　in　hole　and　thinks　it　is　concealed。　　The　employers　knew　the　drift　of　the　policy；　and　took　steps　to　circumvent　it。

A　mutual　defence　association　was　formed；　and　a　decree　was　issued　that；　unless　the　demand　of　the　Council　against　Platt's　factory　was　withdrawn　by　a　certain　day；　every　employer　would　at　once　close　his　concern。　The　Union；　nevertheless；　stuck　to　their　gunsbut　only　for　a　time。　A　strike　took　place。　　The　works　of　some　of　the　most　extensive　employers　of　labour　were　closed。　　Everything　was　paralysed　for　a　time；　the　men　went　about　with　their　hands　in　their　pockets；　while　the　women　and　children　at　home　were　wanting　food。　　After　a　few　weeks　the　funds　of　the　Amalgamated　Society　became　so　reduced　that　the　men　gradually　retired　from　the　contest。　　Meanwhile；　such　concerns　as　contrived　to　keep　their　workmen　in　full　employmentof　whom　we　were　one　made　use　of　the　occasion　to　act　on　the　healthy　system　of　what　I　have　termed　〃Free　trade　in　ability。〃　　We　added；　so　far　as　we　could；　to　the　number　of　intelligent　labourers；　advanced　them　to　the　places　which　the　Unionist　workmen　had　left　at　the　order　of　their　Council；　and　thus　　kept　our　men　on　full　wages　until　the　strike　was　over。　　This　was　the　last　contest　I　had　with　Trades'　Unions。　　One　of　the　results　was　that　I　largely　increased　the　number　of　self…acting　machines；　and　gave　a　still　greater　amount　of　employment　to　my　unbound　apprentices。　I　placed　myself　in　an　almost　impregnable　position；　and　showed　that　I　could　conduct　my　business　with　full　activity　and　increasing　prosperity；　and　at　the　same　time　maintain　good…feeling　between　employed　and　employer。

Another　important　point　was　this；that　I　always　took　care　to　make　my　foremen　comfortable；　and　consequently　loyal。　　A　great　part　of　a　man's　success　in　business　consists　in　his　knowledge　of　character。　It　is　not　so　much　what　he　himself　does；　as　what　he　knows　his　heads　of　departments　can　do。　　He　must　know　them　intimately；　take　cognisance　of　the　leading　points　of　their　character；　pick　and　choose　from　them；　and　set　them　to　the　work　which　they　can　most　satisfactorily　superintend。　　Edward　Tootal；　of　Manchester；　said　to　me　long　before；　〃Never　give　your　men　cause　to　look　over　the　hedge。〃　　He　meant　that　I　should　never　give　them　any　reason　for　looking　for　work　elsewhere。　It　was　a　wise　saying；　and　I　long　remembered　it。　　I　always　endeavoured　to　make　my　men　and　foremen　as　satisfied　as　possible　with　their　work；　as　well　as　with　their　remuneration。

I　never　had　any　cause　to　regret　that　I　had　struck　out　an　independent　course　in　managing　the　Bridgewater　Foundry。　　The　works　were　always　busy。　　A　cheerful　sort　of　contentment　and　activity　pervaded　the　entire　establishment。　　Our　order…book　continued　to　be　filled　with　the　most　satisfactory　class　of　entries。　　The　railway　trucks　in　the　yard；　and　the　canal　barges　at　the　wharf；　presented　a　busy　scene；　showing　the　influx　of　raw　material　and　the　output　of　finished　work。　This　happy　state　of　affairs　went　on　in　its　regular　course　without　any　special　incident　worthy　of　being　mentioned。　　The　full　and　steady　influx　of　prosperity　that　had　been　the　result　of　many　years　of　interesting　toil　and　cheerful　exertion；　had　caused　the　place　to　assume　the　aspect　of　a　smoothly　worki