230 INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION AND WAGES
THE TWENTIETH CENTURY INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION
The results which were thus obtained became the marvel
of our own people and of the civilized world. It was
quickly apparent that America was in the midst of a new
industrial revolution, which in its effect and influence bade
fair to rival the epoch-marking changes in England in the
eighteenth century, when the use of power, and the fac-
tory process of manufacturing, were first inaugurated.
Doubts soon developed, however, as to the general sound-
ness of the situation attained. The need for careful delib-
eration, and for the working out of a permanent, construc-
tive program, also soon became apparent. Professor Tug-
well effectively stated these points in 1927 as follows :*
What ought particularly to be emphasized in all this is
that, altho we have made progress with a fair degree of
rapidity ever since 1899, the acceleration since 1914 is almost
of the nature of a new phenomenon. With all these data at
our command, to say nothing of the evidence of observation
open to anyone familiar with manufacturing and commerce,
does it seem an exaggeration to say that we are in the midst
of a new industrial revolution? One distrusts the word “rev-
olution.” It connotes overturn and re-beginning. What is
happening is really not this. We are merely bringing to bear
in industry a combination of common sense, inherited proc-
esses and invention, and heightened human effort, such as
never existed in any other time. It is of the utmost moment
that all intelligent persons should concern themselves not
only with the encouragement and furthering of this already
clearly appearing trend, but should assist in controlling its
direction and results in the interest of human welfare.
In what we gather from the data at hand we are justified
in feeling that almost unprecedented progress is being made.
There is good reason for optimism. But it would be a mis-
take to leave the statement of the situation at this. One who
1 Ante cited, p. 225.
