Why were the Victorian industrialists not interested to introduce machines in England ? Give any four reasons.
The Victorian industrialists were not interested to introduce machines in England. They preferred hand labour to machines. The reasons for this were as mentioned below : Abundance of labour and low wages : There was no shortage of human labour. People had migrated to the cities in large numbers. The wages were also low. On the other hand, machines required huge capital investment. Seasonal demand for labour : Some industries such as gas works and breweries were especially busy through the cold months. So they needed more workers to meet their peak demand. Book binders and printers, catering to Christmas demand, too, needed extra-workers before December. At the waterfront, winter was the time that ships were repaired and spruced up. In all such industries where production fluctuated with the season, industrialists usually preferred hand labour, employing workers for the season. Production of goods with different shapes by hand only : Uniform and standard goods could be produced by machines but some goods with intricate and specific shapes could be made by hand only. In mid-nineteenth century, there were 500 varieties of hammers and 45 kinds of axes that were being produced. Such goods required human skill and not mechanical technol¬ogy. (iv) Preference for handmade goods by the upper classes : In the Victorian age, the upper classes preferred handmade goods to symbolise refinement and class. Handmade goods had good finishing. Machinemade goods were generally exported to the colonies. In countries with labour shortage, industrialists were interested in using machines to minimise need for human labour. This was the case in nineteenth-century America. However, Britain had no problem of labour
