north america-1-第92章

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y　came　to　the　same　thing；　as　it　left　the　two　dollars　a　week；　or　eight　shillings；　with　the　girls　over　and　above　their　cost　of　living。　　The　board　included　washing；　lights；　food；　bed；　and　attendanceleaving　a　surplus　of　eight　shillings　a　week　for　clothes　and　saving。　　Now　let　me　ask　any　one　acquainted　with　Manchester　and　its　operatives；　whether　that　is　not　Utopia　realized。　　Factory　girls；　for　whom　every　comfort　of　life　is　secured；　with　21l。　a　year　over　for　saving　and　dress！　　One　sees　the　failing；　however；　at　a　moment。　　It　is　Utopia。　Any　Lady　Bountiful　can　tutor　three　or　four　peasants　and　make　them　luxuriously　comfortable。　　But　no　Lady　Bountiful　can　give　luxurious　comfort　to　half　a　dozen　parishes。　　Lowell　is　now　nearly　forty　years　old；　and　contains　but　40；000　inhabitants。　　From　the　very　nature　of　its　corporations　it　cannot　spread　itself。　　Chicago；　which　has　grown　out　of　nothing　in　a　much　shorter　period；　and　which　has　no　factories；　has　now　120；000　inhabitants。　　Lowell　is　a　very　wonderful　place　and　shows　what　philanthropy　can　do；　but　I　fear　it　also　shows　what　philanthropy　cannot　do。　There　are；　however；　other　establishments；　conducted　on　the　same　principle　as　those　at　Lowell；　which　have　had　the　same　amount；　or　rather　the　same　sort　of　success。　　Lawrence　is　now　a　town　of　about　15；000　inhabitants；　and　Manchester　of　about　24；000；　if　I　remember　rightly；　and　at　those　places　the　mills　are　also　owned　by　corporations　and　conducted　as　are　those　at　Lowell。　　But　it　seems　to　me　that　as　New　England　takes　her　place　in　the　world　as　a　great　mannfacturing　countrywhich　place　she　undoubtedly　will　take　sooner　or　latershe　must　abandon　the　hot…house　method　of　providing　for　her　operatives　with　which　she　has　commenced　her　work。　　In　the　first　place；　Lowell　is　not　open　as　a　manufacturing　town　to　the　capitalists　even　of　New　England　at　large。　　Stock　may；　I　presume；　be　bought　in　the　corporations；　but　no　interloper　can　establish　a　mill　there。　　It　is　a　close　manufacturing　community；　bolstered　up　on　all　sides；　and　has　none　of　that　capacity　for　providing　employment　for　a　thickly　growing　population　which　belongs　to　such　places　as　Manchester　and　Leeds。　　That　it　should　under　its　present　system　have　been　made　in　any　degree　profitable　reflects　great　credit　on　the　managers；　but　the　profit　does　reach　an　amount　which　in　America　can　be　considered　as　remunerative。　　The　total　capital　invested　by　the　twelve　corporations　is　thirteen　million　and　a　half　of　dollars；　or　about　two　million　seven　hundred　thousand　pounds。　　In　only　one　of　the　corporations；　that　of　the　Merrimack　Company；　does　the　profit　amount　to　twelve　per　cent。　　In　one；　that　of　the　Booth　Company；　it　falls　below　seven　per　cent。　　The　average　profit　of　the　various　establishments　is　something　below　nine　per　cent。　　I　am　of　course　speaking　of　Lowell　as　it　was　previous　to　the　war。　　American　capitalists　are　not；　as　a　rule；　contented　with　so　low　a　rate　of　interest　as　this。　The　States　in　these　matters　have　had　a　great　advantage　over　England。　　They　have　been　able　to　begin　at　the　beginning。　Manufactories　have　grown　up　among　us　as　our　cities　grewfrom　the　necessities　and　chances　of　the　times。　　When　labor　was　wanted　it　was　obtained　in　the　ordinary　way；　and　so　when　houses　were　built　they　were　built　in　the　ordinary　way。　　We　had　not　the　experience；　and　the　results　either　for　good　or　bad；　of　other　nations　to　guide　us。　　The　Americans；　in　seeing　and　resolving　to　adopt　our　commercial　successes；　have　resolved　also；　if　possible；　to　avoid　the　evils　which　have　attended　those　successes。　　It　would　be　very　desirable　that　all　our　factory　girls　should　read　and　write；　wear　clean　clothes；　have　decent　beds；　and　eat　hot　meat　every　day。　　But　that　is　now　impossible。　　Gradually；　with　very　up…hill　work；　but　still　I　trust　with　sure　work；　much　will　be　done　to　improve　their　position　and　render　their　life　respectable；　but　in　England　we　can　have　no　Lowells。　　In　our　thickly　populated　island　any　commercial　Utopia　is　out　of　the　question。　　Nor　can；　as　I　think；　Lowell　be　taken　as　a　type　of　the　future　manufacturing　towns　of　New　England。　　When　New　England　employs　millions　in　her　factories　instead　of　thousandsthe　hands　employed　at　Lowell；　when　the　mills　are　at　full　work；　are　about　11；000she　must　cease　to　provide　for　them　their　beds　and　meals；　their　church…going　proprieties　and　orderly　modes　of　life。　In　such　an　attempt　she　has　all　the　experience　of　the　world　against　her。　　But　nevertheless　I　think　she　will　have　done　much　good。　　The　tone　which　she　will　have　given　will　not　altogether　lose　its　influence。　　Employment　in　a　factory　is　now　considered　reputable　by　a　farmer　and　his　children；　and　this　idea　will　remain。　　Factory　work　is　regarded　as　more　respectable　than　domestic　service；　and　this　prestige　will　not　wear　itself　altogether　out。　　Those　now　employed　have　a　strong　conception　of　the　dignity　of　their　own　social　position；　and　their　successors　will　inherit　much　of　this；　even　though　they　may　find　themselves　excluded　from　the　advantages　of　the　present　Utopia。　　The　thing　has　begun　well；　but　it　can　only　be　regarded　as　a　beginning。　　Steam；　it　may　be　presumed；　will　become　the　motive　power　of　cotton　mills　in　New　England　as　it　is　with　us；　and　when　it　is　so；　the　amount　of　work　to　be　done　at　any　one　place　will　not　be　checked　by　any　such　limit　as　that　which　now　prevails　at　Lowell。　　Water…power　is　very　cheap；　but　it　cannot　be　extended；　and　it　would　seem　that　no　place　can　become　large　as　a　manufacturing　town　which　has　to　depend　chiefly　upon　water。　　It　is　not　improbable　that　steam　may　be　brought　into　general　use　at　Lowell；　and　that　Lowell　may　spread　itself。　　If　it　should　spread　itself　widely；　it　will　lose　its　Utopian　characteristics。　One　cannot　but　be　greatly　struck　by　the　spirit　of　philanthropy　in　which　the　system　of　Lowell　was　at　first　instituted。　　It　may　be　presumed　that　men　who　put　their　money　into　such　an　undertaking　did　so　with　the　object　of　commercial　profit　to　themselves；　but　in　this　case　that　was　not　their　first　object。　　I　think　it　may　be　taken　for　granted　that　when　Messrs。　Jackson　and　Lowell　went　about　their　task；　their　grand　idea　was　to　place　factory　work　upon　a　respectable　footingto　give　employment　in　mills　which　should　not　be　unhealthy；　degrading；　demoralizing；　or　hard　in　its　circumstances。　　Throughout　the　Northern　States　of　America　the　same　feeling　is　to　be　seen。　Good　and　thoughtful　men　have　been　active　to　spread　education；　to　maintain　health；　to　make　work　compatible　with　comfort　and　personal　dignity；　and　to　divest　the　ordinary　lot　of　man　of　the　sting　of　that　curse　which　was　supposed　to　be　uttered　when　our　first　father　was　ordered　to　eat　his　bread　in　the　sweat　of　his　brow。　　One　is　driven　to　contrast　this　feeling；　of　which　on　all　sides　one　sees　such　ample　testimony；　with　that　sharp　desire　for　profit；　that　anxiety　to　do　a　stroke　of　trade　at　every　turn；　that　acknowledged　necessity　of　being　smart；　which　we　must　own　is　quite　as　general　as　the　nobler　propensity。　　I　believe　that　both　phases　of　commercial　activity　may　be　attributed　to　the　same　characteristic。　　Men　in　trade　in　America　are　not　more　covetous　than　tradesmen　in　England；　nor　probably　are　they　more　generous　or　philanthropical。　　But　that　which　they　do；　they　are　more　anxious　to　do　thoroughly　and　quickly。　　They　desire　that　every　turn