The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1911. MEASURING WORK.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 81, 17 November 1911, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1911. MEASURING WORK.

American inventors produce many wonderful ideas and make many promises as to what their inventions will do. In some instances these marvels do nearly everything claimed for them, as tor example cash registers and calculating machines, but we do not quite see how the machine an American is now about to put on the London market is going to work. It is a “labour meter,” and the inventor declares it will reduce employers’ expenses and raise. workmen’s wages at the same time. If it does so it indeed should become popular. It is supposed to be able to check a workman’s skill and industry, and keeps bis employer constantly posted as to what he is doing. It shows the employer where his methods are faulty. It reckons how much every individual and machine in a factory has earned, and how they have earned it. The machine establishes electrical communications between each machine and the manager’s office, showing on a running strip of paper whether a machine is working or idle, and an attachment shows how long during the day it has been in each state. Valuable as this information is, it is but a part of the “labour meter’s” work. It is further affirmed that if a machine is running idle, or, worse still, if it is being driven at full speed and not returning a proper output. The inventor claims that'it can bo adapted to any class of machinery, and as an example he says that suppose a steam lathe should turn out a piece of work every twenty seconds and failed to do so, the central office would be notified at once. “At first sight it may appear that our machine is merely a spy upon the workmen,” says he, “but experience in America, where we have sold 5000 of these recorders, each capable of watching fifty machines, the union loaders are in favour of them.” The method adopted with the workers is this. Suppose a man’s normal earnings arc 15d per hour. The employer tolls him that while his machine is idle through no fault of his own ho shall be paid at the rate. If he can increase the output of his machine by a certain amount he will receive 50 per cent. more. If ho can produce an amount higher still he will receive 75 or even 100 per cent, extra. The result is that both men and masters benefit. The men make extra money and the masters have a largely increased output from their plant. A further advantage to the employer is that the machine points oaat faults in organisation which might not otherwise be apparent. His men may be ;loing their best, and yet his machines may bo lying idle for considerable periods. Enquiry on the lines suggest'd by the recorder will show him where iis system is at fault, so that altogether it should indeed fill “a long ’elt want.” I

“THE LAND OF PARROTS.” 'Hr A. J. Campbell, in delivering his presidential address to the members of the Royal Australasian Ornithologists’ Conference, made some very interesting remarks in connection with

Llio early history of bird litc> in the Commonwealth. He stated that in delving into early history, it was ascertained that tlie first mention of birds in Australia was made in 1510, when the dawn of Australian ornithology was as poetic as it was prophetic. After its discovery hy the Portuguese the continent ho re the name of Psittacoriun Regio-—“The Land of Parrots.”

He went on to say that a quarter of a century ago, .Mr Potherick, E.L.S., pointed out the fact that when European navigators first discovered Australia (in about 1510) they named it “Bird Country,” from the great number of birds observed. The northern part of Australia (New Guinea) was named by them Terra Ficcilnacoli, or “Land of the Bird-VParadiso.” Then there occurred a long blank in time till the discovery in 1697 of black swans on a river named Rivicr Swanen Ijy Vlamingh, the Dutch explorer. In 1699, in his .“Voyage to New Holland,” Dumpier mentions “sea-fowls like gannets, and a sort of sea-mews; also a few land-fowls, all singing, which refuted an oft-quoted error that Australia was a land of sougloss bright birds. The first Australian bird-book, entitled “Birds of New South Wales,” was published in 1813 by John Win. Lcwin. In 1810 Gould published his 'great work on bird life, a copy of which was now worth £250. Other succeeding authors were -Campbell, North, and Lo Souof. The speaker pointed out that, in contrast with other countries, the whole of these works had been published solely by public subscription, and without any Government aid.

INDUSTRIAL UNREST. Mi- B. Seebohm Rowntree, writing in the “Contemporary Review” on the recent great strikes in England, endeavors,to forecast the industrial future in the light of the great upheaval in the United Kingdom. Ho puts his linger on a point when he says that, as a rule, lack of reason on the part of capital does not excite public attention, although it may have rendered the lives of millions of men and women almost unbearable, while the cxactiofns and mistakes of organised Labour are at once public property, and are proclaimed abroad. The contributor is of opinion that the present unrest marks the beginning of a new era which will eventually render impossible the autocratic attitude which Labour in the past has adopted to Labour. Gradually, as the workers become more highly organised, they will treat with capital, not .as inferiors, but as equals. Each .factor is necessary to tlie other, in tha:p reduction of wealth, and ,fhere is.no economic reason why one of them, should, always dictate 'the terms. . It will become no more'a favour for capital to employ labour than for Labour to employ capital! The contributor does not think that unreasonable demands for higher wages will be made on a national scale, or, if made, that they will be successful, for the reason- that no class of workers can permanently secure wages higher than those which it pays the employer to give. Ho adds that “with a more oven balance of power between the conflicting interests of masters -and men, there is bound to atiSe greater tolerance and mutual comprehension. ’’ There , are a great many expressions of opinion in the article, 'but they are for the most part, indefinite, and not based on quoted evidence.

THE DELHI DURBAR. ' According to tlio official programme of tlio Delhi Durbar, King George and Queen Mary should arrive at Delhi on the morning of December 7th. In the afternoon and on the mornings of December Bth and 9th the KingEmperor will receive visits from chiefs, and in the afternoon of the Bth he will lay tlio foundation stone of the King Edward Memorial. On December 11th his Majesty will present colours to three British and two Indian regiments. The Durbar will take place on December 12th, in the presence of about 100,000 people. Tlio ceremony will be carried out in two arenas. After receiving the homage of the governors, chiefs, and others, their Majesties will appear in the Royal pavilion in the centre of the arena, where the proclamation of the King-Emperor will bo read. A State banquet,, followed- by a reception, will bo given in the Royal tents in the evening. On December 16th their Majesties will go in State procession through the city. Later in the day the King-Emperor will leave for Nepal, and the Queen-Empress for Agra. T guests of the Government will include the selected European and Indian representatives, about 150 ruling Princes with their suites, the Governors of the Asiatic colonies of the Crown.

100 journalists. It is estimated that the whole camp will contain about a quarter of a million persons. The camp will be served by thirty miles of broad and twelve miles of narrowgauge railways. The Medina, in which their Majesties are going to India, is a now P. and 0. liner, this being her maiden voyage. She s officered and manned by men of the Navy, and ranks as a vessel of the Navy during the tour. She will be escorted by four first-class cruisers—the Cochrane, Argyll, Defence, and Natal. The Medina lias been specially fitted for the voyage. The special suite of rooms for the King has been constructed on the port side of the forward spar deck, and that for the Queen on the starboard side. These suites have been duplicated amidships on the saloon deck for use in rough weather. Each suite consists of a bedroom, dressing-room, sitting-room, and writing-room. In addition the King will have a number of other rooms which have been set apart for the conduct of State business during the voyage; for the business of State will lie transacted precisely as if his Majesty were at Buckingham.. Palace. With this object the Medina has been fitted with a powerful wire-

less installation, which will allow the King to be in telegraphic touch with his Ministers during the whole of tho 1 rip.