Note 11 — LETTER LIX.

“And this brings me to the point I want to put to you about the permitted use of the sewing machine (see Fors XXXIV., p. 30).11 It may seem unreasonable, when our firm employs so many. But it seems to me that the admission of machinery at all is unwise in principle. Machinery, especially the sewing machine, has demoralized the shoe trade,—the same I think you would find in all other trades,—notably in piece-goods for ladies’ dresses—which, owing to the cheapness with which they can be made up, are far more in number than they could have been if no sewing machine had been used. And a manufacturer told me, only the other day, that common piece-goods, both woollen and others, take as much and generally more labour in making than the best. If all work required to supply clothing to the race were to be done by hand, it would be worth no one’s while to make rubbish of any kind,—the work would be done by fewer people, and all raw material would be cheapened.