Editor,

I was reading your article regarding elevator operators and thought I would give you this American's views.

I live in Seattle and have had the pleasure of two trips to China this year.

I agree that many Chinese people are in jobs thought unnecessary in the West. People are less efficient and more costly in many ways but frankly, I miss that human contact. We have phone systems which are efficient for the company owning them but horribly indifferent to those trying to call those companies. My own company does not use an automated phone system and the fact that people actually answer our phones has brought us much more business than we would have had with a "more efficient" system.

The manufacturing business I deal with in China could easily be done with lower cost if done by machine instead of people. But if you don't supply jobs to your citizens, you won't develop the skilled workers to allow you to compete in the world's economy and you won't develop the middle class income group to buy those products and services.

Mike Bryner, United States

(China Daily 12/26/2005 page4)