Our file of communications, intended for insertion, is beginning to embarrass us by its magnitude. We mention not this circumstance with the view of deterring any of our numerous readers from adding to the list (for one time or other we shall find room for all that is truly valuable), but that it may induce the more impatient of our friends to regard with less impatience any delays that may necessarily occur in the appearance of their com munications. We can but insert them as our spare room will permit, and in the order which, in our unbiassed judgments, we think best calculated to maintain the interest and variety of our miscellany. We may now mention as among those particularly designed for an early place -Mr. Joplin's Septenary System of Generating Curves-G. on the Mannfacture of Flour-Bonus Homno on the Adulteration of Flour-On Soldering, by n Learner-J. J. and J. R. on the Adjusting of Two-Wheeled Carriuges Messrs. Parkes' and Son's Plan for Consuming Smoke-Description of an Improved Pivot File, by Kent-Description of a New Universal Cutting Tool, invented by J. S.-Valence's New Saw -On Thawing Frozen Water-Pipes, by Mr. Jackson-Improvement on Pickering's Steam-Engine Boiler-Economical Oil-Bottle, invented by W. K.-Improved Family Oil-Gas Apparatus, by S. T.The Century of our indefatigable Friend S. R.-Description of a Machine for Weighing the common Atmosphere, by a Mechanic-Mesurage on Measuring Round Timber-New Syphon, by P. · Vauryde-Apparatus for Lettering the Backs of Books, by W. B. Jun.-KnifeCleaner, by J. N.-Improvement on the Portable Gas Lamp, by a Compositor→→ Improved Carriage invented by K. W.Improvement on Williamson's Lathe, by W. K. S., and on Heating Rooms, by J. W. R.

Answers received to Question No. 2, from F. T. (Leeds) and P; and to No. 5, from R. W. Dickinson-S. Pickett-Sa>muel Nock-J. Y.-A Constant Reader and Subscriber (Tooting)-W. J. B.Kaleb-W. W.-Amicus-Neb DirpeJuvenis-J. S.-G. T.-S. S. Franco-Q. in the Corner.

The Substance of the Papers received on the Cube Root, if possible, in our

next.

The Information desired by "Specific" is very necessary, and as soon as we procure all the particulars, shall be laid before our readers.

We are obliged to "An Original Sub

scriber" for his friendly offer; but, we have ourselves the work he alludes to, aud intend very shortly to transfer the articles which he points out. The answer to his former inquiry is, we are sorry to say, unfavourable.

St. Mungo!!!" Hech Man!" yete out o' date.

Y. Z. will perceive, by reference to p. 406, Vol. I, that he has been anticipated.

K. L. must be more particular. We should be happy to oblige her-Are we right?

G. A. S.'s liberality has suggested to him the proper explanation of the delay in the appearance of his communication.

"Agricola" and "J. Y." are requested to send to our Publishers for letters addressed to them.

In answer to " Aurum" we cannot do better than quote the laws of the London Mechanics' Institution, that regulate the point in question" Every candidate for admission must be nominated by two members""The form of nomination properly filled up, must be delivered to the secretary ""The person proposed must at the same time be presented to the secretary;" and on the person nominated signing an obligation in the books of the Institution, to observe and keep all its rules and orders, and to promote its welfare to the best of his power, and paying one quarter's contribution. (5s.) at the least, he becomes a member of the Institution.

Communications last received-From the Secretaries to the Aberdeen School of Arts, and the Newcastle Mechanics' Institution-A. W. D-S. W. J. (Dundee).-T. S. (Glasgow).- Glib-Ikey Pingle-M. B.-W. Stevenson-W Franks-An Old Mechanic-MutiusC. W.-A Constant Reader-Enquiring Friends Mr. Gladwell-and Investigalor.

We beg again to mention, that our notices for each week (as in the present instance) include those communications only which are received (at the latest) on the morning of the Tuesday preceding our day of publication.

Communications (post paid) to be ad. dressed to the Editors, at the Publishers.

PUBLISHED BY

JÖUN KNIGHT & HENRY LACEY, Paternoster-Roo, London.

T. C. Hansard, Pater-noster-Row Prem

Libberton, near Carnwath, Scotland,
Feb. 6, 1821.

GENTLENEN-I send you herewith the plan of a Cross-cutting Saw, a contrivance of mine for cutting standing or laying trees. The common cross-cut saw requires two men at least, and sometimes a considerable number to cut large trees. But, by the help of this, new instrument one man will cut the largest tree with ease. The saw may be made of any length, from two feet to six or eight feet, and from one inch and a half to two or three inches in breadth. It should be nearly one-eighth of an inch thick in the face, and thin in the back. It requires little setting.

Gentlemen, as you have seen the first of this invention, I hope you will do me the justice of giving it early publicity. I am

Your most obedient servant,
A Humble Mechanic,

VOL. II.

DISON VALLANCE.

Description of the Drawing.

Fig. 1 is a horizontal view of the whole apparatus, arranged to cut standing timber, and of course acting horizontally; the parts are marked as in the inventor's own specification subjoined: the pendulum frame is in this figure shown to correspond with the horizontal view of the rest of the machine, looking down on it.

of the same apparatus, for cutting Fig. 2 is a vertical arrangement lying timber, and is an elevation, in which the pendulum frame is seen in its vertical dimensions.

The Inventor's Specification,

Fig. I. The saw slides on two steel rods, put in motion by a weighty pendulum. The rods are attached to the outer frame, which is firmly fixed to the ground with four long iron pins. AAA, the outer frame; BBB, the

E

1

inner frame; C, the saw; DDDD, the rods on which the inner frame slides; E E, the weights which keep the saw to the tree; F F F F, the rods on which the saw slides when moved by the pendulum; G,the pendulum; H, the handle; II, the shaft between the pendulum and the saw; K K, the pendulum frame.

Fig. II. The saw is in this case adapted to the cutting of trees when lying on the ground. The frame is fixed on both sides of the tree firmly to the ground, with four long iron pis. The saw is put in motion by noving the weighty pendulum between two springs at opposite sides of the frame. In this case no weights ure required to keep it into the wood, the weight of the frame being sufficient for that purpose.

The length of the pendulum inay be according to the length of the saw, from six to twelve feet.

EFFECTS OF IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY ON THE WORKING CLASSES

March, 1824,

the formation of the Mechanics institution, and have been a constant reader of your Magazine. I hope and trust that it will continue to be conducted in the same spirit of candour, good-humour, and liberality, which pervades the Numbers already published, and from which I have derived both information and plea-.

My object in now addressing you, is to request your assistance in ascertaining the correctness of a statement which has been made by Mr. Owen, of New Lanark. That gentleman has, on various occasions, asserted, that the power of machinery in Great Britain and Ireland is now equal to the labour of two or three hundred millions of able-bodied workmen; and that forty or fifty years ago, that is to say, before the steamengine was brought into use, our productive power did not exceed that which could be derived from the labour of twenty millions of men. Mr. Owen's statement is apparently at variance with an account which I have lately seen in some newspaper, or other periodical publication, which

The writer apparently alludes to a statement of Mr. Heywood, the President of the Royal Institution of Liverpool, which will be found in the Mechanic's Magazine,

goes to show, that the effect of our machinery has been to give us a new power equal to that of two millions of men. If the latter estimate be correct, it is proper that Mr. Owen should not be permitted to proceed without contradiction, in exaggerating the power of our machinery, a position upon which he founds such sanguine calculations of the ease with which the whole of the community might, under certain arrangements, be supplied, beyond the utmost extent of their wants, with all the goods of life. I have no wish to agitate a question involving the merits of this gentleman's scheme, which would probably be foreign from the intention of your work; but I deem it likely that many of your readers, besides myself, would be glad to be informed of the present force of our steam and other engines, a power which, most assuredly, is only in its infancy.

*One of the effects of Mechanics' Institutions, aided by your publication, must necessarily be, to increase the number of inventions for superseding human labour; and it is a point of no small importance to ascertain what are likely to be the consequences of such inventions, as respects the interests of the working classes; for if the tendency of the increase and extension of machinery should be to diminish the demand for human labour, it necessarily follows, that, so long as the supply outruns the demand, the rate of wages must be generally reduced, and the surplus hands be maintained as paupers. I am aware that the generality of writers on political economy have affirmed, that the application of a machine to a branch of manufacture, previously carried on by human agency alone, tends eventually to increase the number of hands employed in such branch of business. So long as we were nearly the exclusive possessors of stupendous machines, and the markets of the world were open to us, it is evident enough, that the cheap price at which the produce of a machine could be sold, might, by increasing the consumption of an article, afford employment for more

huma eings than were devoted to the production of such article, so long as its dearness limited its consumption. The subject, however, is of too much intricacy, and requires too much knowledge of details to warrant a superficial observer in coming to a speedy conclusion regarding it. One thing is quite clear, that when a machine which performs the work of 100 men, is, for the first time, introduced into a factory where 120 had been pretty constantly employed, the 100 men, whose labour is superseded, must inevitably experience much immediate distress. And who, in these days, can be certain that he may not be suddenly displaced, either by the introduction of a machine where none is now used, or, even where machinery is used, by a new machine o greatly superior power? If one-half of the expectations excited by Mr. Perkins and some other engineers are realized, this last case is sure to

occur.

What, then, is to be done? To arrest the progress of science is now impossible. It must work its way, lead where it will. It has sometimes occurred to me, in my speculations, that the capitalist stands now in the same relation to the community at large, as the Spaniards with their fire-arms bore to the natives of Mexico and Peru, when a handful of European warriors, with musketry and artillery, brought under subjection millions of their fellow-crea tures, who could not command the use of such mighty instruments. But as, in the progress of civilization, all nations have at length possessed themselves of the same description of weapons, their relative powers are now become more equal. In this point of view, it is not unreasonable, to suppose that the working classes may, at some future day, when their minds are better cultivated, and they are enabled to comprehend the advantages of union, be enabled to apply, a portion of their power to machinery. belonging to themselves, and working for their own exclusive benefit, cannot help thinking that a scheme of this sort would be much more ន់ ខ

rational than their present plan of contributing a part of their earnings to, benefit-clubs. ARCHIMEDES.

JOURNEYMAN'S GUIDE TO

FRANCE,

WITH

REASONS FOR NOT STAYING.

We earnestly recommend to the attention of our readers a small pamphlet, price 6d., which has just made its appearance, entitled, “ Advice to Journeymen Mechanics and others going to France." To which is added, "A Brief Account of Paris, the Price of Provisions, Rent, Clothing, Rate of Wages to Mechanics, &c. &c. By C. BEST." The work is the result of the author's own personal experience, and has therefore peculiar claims to the attention of his fellowtradesmen. His advice is, that our mechanics should by all means stay at home; but he gives, at the same time, such directions as may enable any of them who may choose to make the experiment of crossing the channel,

either for pleasure, or with a view to settling in France,--to make the trip in the cheapest and most expeditious way, to obtain an asylum among their own countrymen when they arrive there, and to satisfy themselves completely on every point relating to rates of wages, and expence of living. The author states, we believe most truly, that most of the particulars contained in his pamphlet are entirely new, and not to be found in any work hitherto published." We shall extract, as the specimen we like best, some of his reasons for staying at home:

66

"If the mechanic leaves England under the idea that he shall obtain constant employ in France, or better wages, he will be deceived he will not meet with either. I have known numbers of experienced good workmen unable to get work, unless they would take less wages than they could have obtained, and would have refused with disdain, in their own country, and shall hereafter prove, that when in employ, and receiving the highest wages, they fall short of the wages given in England. The very evil the mechanic, by leaving England, endeavours to avoid, he has to contendwith in France-not a want of work, but too many hands to execute the business to be done. The consequence is, that having rrived in Paris with little or no money, be is compelled to work for low wages, or submit to a subscription being made by his

Countrymen to enable him to return to his native country, disappointed and de graded."

"My Fellow Countrymen! let me advise you to disregard any promises of great wages, three or five years constant employ, artful assurances of the cheapness of living, and other such trash-you who accept such offers, and bind yourselves by agreement, are worse off than those who go on mere speculation. You will find yourselves little better than apprentices, and in the power of unprincipled masters, with this difference, that you will have to instruct a parcel of Frenchmen (at least to work before them, which is nearly the same thing), who will very soon do the work as well as yourselves, and for one quarter of the money. These are facts which cannot be denied."

"With regard to provisions, there is little difference between London and Paris, if we look at the quality-of French bread for instance, you have more for money, but it is not so satisfying; however, as there are several kinds of bread, you will be able to choose that which suits you best. If you wish to have bread, and many other articles, equal to what you have in London, you must pay at least as much for them. The following list will give a pretty general idea, as it does not comprise the best articles:

"Vegetables are much the same as in London, but fruit is prodigiously cheap.

"Good beer is only to be had at the English public houses, which will be named hereafter.-Draught, per pot, 4d., in bottle 5d. The pots of Paris are of earthenware, and smaller than the pots of London, so that this article may be considered dearer than at the latter place: it is likewise, though pleasant, not so good.

"Brandy may be had very good at thirty sous, or 2s. 6d. the bottle; gin the same; rum is dear, but may be obtained pretty good at five francs, 4s. 2d. the bottle; wine fifteen sous, and upwards.

"Rent of course varies, as in London, according to the situation. A single man may get a lodging at three francs per week, or I should rather say a bed, for in a cheap lodging-house they generally have two or three beds in a room; if not, he must pay five francs per week at least. A max with a family would find it difficult to get a furnished room under seven francs per week, and then have to purchase almost every thing for his use, there seldom being more than a bed, two or three chairs, and a table, in what the French people call furnished apartments.

“Clothing is reasonable in Paris, as the following will prove :