The Mechanical Handling and Storing of Material

6 THE MECHANICAL HANDLING OF MATERIAL On the other hand, unless neutralised by organised opposition, improvements in machinery and method are constantly tending to increase the individual output. It has also been observed that a high rate of wages has an adverse influence upon the effort of the miner. In the coal mines of the United Kingdom during the five years 1886-90, the average quantity of coal produced per annum per person employed (abo\e and below ground) was 312 tons. The quantity has steadily fallen since that period, and in 1912 (the year of the national coal strike) it was only 244 tons—a decrease of about 21 per cent. As the number of persons employed in 1912 was 1,068,751, and the output 260,416,000 tons, there was a diminution of production, as compared with the earlier efficiency of 72,675,068 tons, or an increase of 835,818 persons for the same output. “According to advance figures (subject to correction) just issued by the Home Office in reference to the output of coal and other minerals in the United Kingdom during 1913, the coal industry has not only made up the deficiency of production caused by the national coal strike in the previous year, but has more than recovered the avet age rate of progress. In 1911 the output of coal was 271,892,000 tons, in 1912, 260.416,000 tons, and in 1913, 287,411,869 tons. As the number of persons employed above and below ground in 1913 was 1,127,890, the output per person employed was about 255 tons, which shows a small increase above the rate for the previous year, but is the next lowest on record. “During the period, 1886-CO to 1912, Belgium and France show decreases in efficiency of about 12 per cent, and 5 per cent, respectively, while Germany is practically stationary, having fallen and recovered. Other countries show more or less considerable increases in efficiency, notably the United States, where the production pei annum per person employed has increased from 400 to 660 tons, or by 65 per cent. Times Engineering Supplement, 24th April 1914. Not only have these large quantities of coal to be handled in the course of each year between ships, barges, trucks, and coal stores, but the immense bulk of our grain and seed imports must be dealt with in a similar manner. According to Board of Agriculture statistics, the United Kingdom consumed in 1913 1 16,821,323 tons of cereals, and as the home production only amounted to 5,861,346 tons, the balance of 10,959,977 tons2 had to be imported. In addition to this, we imported 1,527,225 tons of seeds, principally for the extraction of oil. This gives the respect- able total of 18,348,548 tons of grain and seeds to be handled per annum, and this quantity is by no means a fixture, but grows annually to greater dimensions. The bulk of the imported cargoes of grain and seeds is carried in large ocean-going steamers for which there is only accommodation in our principal ports. The grain, therefore, is in many instances unloaded from the large vessel into smaller ones which can enter the rivers and canals and deliver the grain to its final destination. 1 his means that the bulk of these cargoes of grain has to be handled twice over. In the introduction of machinery for the automatic handling of such material, America no doubt took the lead, a step which was largely due to the peculiar con- ditions of that country, where a saving of labour was at that time perhaps more important than in Europe. It must be admitted, however, that in this countij and on the Continent the lead taken by America was quickly followed up, and both here and abroad American methods of mechanically handling such goods have been more or less followed. In round figures it may be taken that the saving of one man’s wages warrants the 1 These are the latest statistics available at the time of publication. 2 This includes 907,314 tons imported in the form of flour and meal.