t of them are not tenders of machinery. Engine-driver,
stoker, and guard are alone in close direct association with the
machine. To them must be added those engaged in construction and
repair within the workshops. Pointsmen and certain station officials
come next in proximity to the machine; shunters and porters are also
"tending" machinery, though their work is more directly dominated by
general business considerations. But are we to say that the army of
platelayers, navvies, etc., engaged along the line is serving
machinery instead of using tools?[184] The work of ticket clerks and
collectors is only governed by the locomotive in a very indirect way.
Though the steam-engine is the central factor in railway work, the
bulk of the labour is skilled or unskilled work in remote relation to
the machine. This explains why the growth of the railway industry,
after the chief work of construction has been done, is not attended by
a diminishing proportion of employment. On the contrary, we find that
railway employment increases faster than mileage and railway capital.
The following statistics of railways in the United Kingdom illustrate
this fact:--

Year. Mileage. Capital (paid up). Operatives.
1851 ... ... 25,200
1861 10,865 L362,327,338 53,400
1871 15,376 L552,661,551 84,900
1881 18,175 L745,528,162 139,500
1891 20,191 L919,425,121 186,700

But when we turn to the shipping trade, where a much larger proportion
of workers is directly concerned with the tending and direction of
machinery, and trace the effect upon employment of the application of
steam, the result is very different.

Sailing Vessels Steamers Men on Men on
(Tonnage). (Tonnage). Sailing-ships. Steam-ships.
1850 3,396,359 168,474 142,730 8,700
1860 4,204,360 454,327 145,487 26,105
1870 4,577,855 1,112,934 147,207 48,755
1880 3,851,045 2,723,488 108,668 84,304
1890 2,907,405 5,037,666 84,008 129,366[185]

If we take the period 1870-90, during which there is an absolute
shrinkage of sailing tonnage, we find that this shrinkage is
accompanied by a less than corresponding diminution of employment. On
the other hand, the tonnage of steamships in t