Alltheseshiftsnaturallywereofnoavail。TheFactoryInspectorsappealedtotheLawCourts。ButsoonsuchacloudofdustinthewayofpetitionsfromthemastersoverwhelmedtheHomeSecretary,SirGeorgeGrey,thatinacircularofAugust5th,1848,herecommendstheinspectorsnot"tolayinformationsagainstmill—ownersforabreachoftheletteroftheAct,orforemploymentofyoungpersonsbyrelaysincasesinwhichthereisnoreasontobelievethatsuchyoungpersonshavebeenactuallyemployedforalongerperiodthanthatsanctionedbylaw。"Hereupon,FactoryInspectorJ。Stuartallowedtheso—calledrelaysystemduringthe15hoursofthefactorydaythroughoutScotland,whereitsoonflourishedagainasofold。TheEnglishFactoryInspectors,ontheotherhand,declaredthattheHomeSecretaryhadnopowerdictatoriallytosuspendthelaw,andcontinuedtheirlegalproceedingsagainstthepro—slaveryrebellion。
ButwhatwasthegoodofsummoningthecapitalistswhentheCourtsinthiscasethecountrymagistrates?Cobbett’s"GreatUnpaid"?acquittedthem?Inthesetribunals,themasterssatinjudgmentonthemselvesAnexample。OneEskrigge,cotton—spinner,ofthefirmofKershaw,Leese,&Co。,hadlaidbeforetheFactoryInspectorofhisdistricttheschemeofarelaysystemintendedforhismilp;Receivingarefusal,heatfirstkeptquiet。Afewmonthslater,anindividualnamedRobinson,alsoacotton—spinner,andifnothisManFriday,atalleventsrelatedtoEskrigge,appearedbeforetheboroughmagistratesofStockportonachargeofintroducingtheidenticalplanofrelaysinventedbyEskrigge。
FourJusticessat,amongthemthreecottonspinners,attheirheadthissameinevitableEskrigge。EskriggeacquittedRobinson,andnowwasofopinionthatwhatwasrightforRobinsonwasfairforEskrigge。Supportedbyhisownlegaldecision,heintroducedthesystematonceintohisownfactory。[122]Ofcourse,thecompositionofthistribunalwasinitselfaviolationofthelaw。[123]Thesejudicialfarces,exclaimsInspectorHowell,"urgentlycallforaremedy?eitherthatthelawshouldbesoalteredastobemadetoconformtothesedecisions,orthatitshouldbeadministeredbyalessfallibletribunal,whosedecisionswouldconformtothelaw……whenthesecasesarebroughtforward。Ilongforastipendiarymagistrate。;[124]
Thecrownlawyersdeclaredthemasters’interpretationoftheActof1848absurd。ButtheSavioursofSocietywouldnotallowthemselvestobeturnedfromtheirpurpose。LeonardHomerreports,"HavingendeavouredtoenforcetheAct……bytenprosecutionsinsevenmagisterialdivisions,andhavingbeensupportedbythemagistratesinonecaseonly……Iconsideredituselesstoprosecutemoreforthisevasionofthelaw。ThatpartoftheActof1848whichwasframedforsecuringuniformityinthehoursofwork,……isthusnolongerinforceinmydistrict(Lancashire)。Neitherhavethesub—inspectorsormyselfanymeansofsatisfyingourselves,whenweinspectamillworkingbyshifts,thattheyoungpersonsandwomenarenotworkingmorethan10hoursa—day……Inareturnofthe30thApril,……ofmillownersworkingbyshifts,thenumberamountsto114,andhasbeenforsometimerapidlyincreasing。Ingeneral,thetimeofworkingthemillisextendedto131/2hours’from6a。m。to71/2p。m。,……insomeinstancesitamountsto15
hours,from51/2a。m。to81/2p。m。"[125]Already,inDecember,1848,LeonardHomerhadalistof65manufacturersand29overlookerswhounanimouslydeclaredthatnosystemofsupervisioncould,underthisrelaysystem,preventenormousover—work。[126]Now,thesamechildrenandyoungpersonswereshiftedfromthespinning—roomtotheweaving—room,now,during15hours,fromonefactorytoanother。[127]Howwasitpossibletocontrolasystemwhich,"undertheguiseofrelays,issomeoneofthemanyplansforshuffling’thehands’aboutinendlessvariety,andshiftingthehoursofworkandofrestfordifferentindividualsthroughouttheday,sothatyoumayneverhaveonecompletesetofhandsworkingtogetherinthesameroomatthesametime。"[128]
Butaltogetherindependentlyofactualover—work,thisso—calledrelaysystemwasanoffspringofcapitalisticfantasy,suchasFourier,inhishumoroussketchesof"CoursesSeances,"hasneversurpassed,exceptthatthe"attractionoflabour"waschangedintotheattractionofcapital。
Look,forexample,atthoseschemesofthemasterswhichthe"respectable"
presspraisedasmodelsof"whatareasonabledegreeofcareandmethodcanaccomplish。"Thepersonneloftheworkpeoplewassometimesdividedintofrom12to14categories,whichthemselvesconstantlychangedandrechargedtheirconstituentparts。Duringthe15hoursofthefactoryday,capitaldraggedinthelabourernowfor30minutes,nowforanhour,andthenpushedhimoutagain,todraghimintothefactoryandtothrusthimoutafresh,houndinghimhitherandthither,inscatteredshredsoftime,withouteverlosingholdofhimuntilthefull10hours’workwasdone。
Asonthestage,thesamepersonshadtoappearinturnsinthedifferentscenesofthedifferentacts。Butasanactorduringthewholecourseoftheplaybelongstothestage,sotheoperatives,during15hours,belongedtothefactory,withoutreckoningthetimeforgoingandcoming。Thusthehoursofrestwereturnedintohoursofenforcedidleness,whichdrovetheyouthstothepot—house,andthegirlstothebrothel。Ateverynewtrickthatthecapitalist,fromdaytoday,hituponforkeepinghismachinerygoing12or15hourswithoutincreasingthenumberofhishands,theworkerhadtoswallowhismealsnowinthisfragmentoftime,nowinthat。Atthetimeofthe10hours’agitation,themasterscriedoutthattheworkingmobpetitionedinthehopeofobtaining12hours’wagesfor10hours’work。
Nowtheyreversedthemedal。Theypaid10hours’wagesfor12or15hours’lordshipoverlabour—power。[129]Thiswasthegistofthematter,thisthemasters’interpretationofthe10hours’law!ThesewerethesameunctuousFree—traders,perspiringwiththeloveofhumanity,whoforfull10years,duringtheAnti—CornLawagitation,hadpreachedtotheoperatives,byareckoningofpounds,shillings,andpence,thatwithfreeimportationofcorn,andwiththemeanspossessedbyEnglishindustry,10hours’labourwouldbequiteenoughtoenrichthecapitalists。[130]Thisrevoltofcapital,aftertwoyearswasatlastcrownedwithvictorybyadecisionofoneofthefourhighestCourtsofJusticeinEngland,theCourtofExchequer,whichinacasebroughtbeforeitonFebruary8th,1850,decidedthatthemanufacturerswerecertainlyactingagainstthesenseoftheActof1844,butthatthisActitselfcontainedcertainwordsthatrendereditmeaningless。"Bythisdecision,theTenHours’Actwasabolished。"[131]Acrowdofmasters,whountilthenhadbeenafraidofusingtherelaysystemforyoungpersonsandwomen,nowtookitupheartandsoul。[132]
Butonthisapparentlydecisivevictoryofcapital,followedatoncearevulsion。Theworkpeoplehadhithertoofferedapassive,althoughinflexibleandunremittingresistance。TheynowprotestedinLancashireandYorkshireinthreateningmeetings。ThepretendedTenHours’Actwasthussimplehumbug,parliamentarycheating,hadneverexisted!TheFactoryInspectorsurgentlywarnedtheGovernmentthattheantagonismofclasseshadarrivedatanincredibletension。Someofthemastersthemselvesmurmured:"Onaccountofthecontradictorydecisionsofthemagistrates,aconditionofthingsaltogetherabnormalandanarchicalobtains。OnelawholdsinYorkshire,anotherinLancashire,onelawinoneparishofLancashire,anotherinitsimmediateneighbourhood。Themanufacturerinlargetownscouldevadethelaw,themanufacturerincountrydistrictscouldnotfindthepeoplenecessaryfortherelaysystem,stilllessfortheshiftingofhandsfromonefactorytoanother,"&c。Andthefirstbirthrightofcapitalisequalexploitationoflabour—powerbyallcapitalists。
UnderthesecircumstancesacompromisebetweenmastersandmenwaseffectedthatreceivedthesealofParliamentintheadditionalFactoryActofAugust5th,1850。Theworking—dayfor"youngpersonsandwomen,"
wasraisedfrom10to10?hoursforthefirstfivedaysoftheweek,andshortenedto71/2ontheSaturday。Theworkwastogoonbetween6a。m。
and6p。m。;[133]withpausesofnotlessthan11/2hoursformeal—times,thesemeal—timestobeallowedatoneandthesametimeforall,andconformablytotheconditionsof1844。Bythisanendwasputtotherelaysystemonceforall。[134]Forchildren’slabour,theActof1844remainedinforce。
Onesetofmasters,thistimeasbefore,securedtoitselfspecialseigneurialrightsoverthechildrenoftheproletariat。Thesewerethesilkmanufacturers。
In1833theyhadhowledoutinthreateningfashion,"ifthelibertyofworkingchildrenofanyagefor10hoursadayweretakenaway,itwouldstoptheirworks。"[135]Itwouldbeimpossibleforthemtobuyasufficientnumberofchildrenover13。Theyextortedtheprivilegetheydesired。Thepretextwasshownonsubsequentinvestigationtobeadeliberatelie。[136]Itdidnot,however,preventthem,during10years,fromspinningsilk10hoursadayoutofthebloodoflittlechildrenwhohadtobeplaceduponstoolsfortheperformanceoftheirwork。[137]TheActof1844certainly"robbed"themofthe"liberty"ofemployingchildrenunder11longerthan61/2hoursaday。Butitsecuredtothem,ontheotherhand,theprivilegeofworkingchildrenbetween11and13,10hoursaday,andofannullingintheircasetheeducationmadecompulsoryforallotherfactorychildren。Thistimethepretextwas"thedelicatetextureofthefabricinwhichtheywereemployed,requiringalightnessoftouch,onlytobeacquiredbytheirearlyintroductiontothesefactories。"[138]Thechildrenwereslaughteredout—and—outforthesakeoftheirdelicatefingers,asinSouthernRussiathehornedcattleforthesakeoftheirhideandtallow。Atlength,in1850,theprivilegegrantedin1844,waslimitedtothedepartmentsofsilk—twistingandsilk—winding。Buthere,tomakeamendstocapitalbereftofits"freedom,"thework—limeforchildrenfrom11to13wasraisedfrom10to101/2hours。
Pretext:"Labourinsilkmillswaslighterthaninmillsforotherfabrics,andlesslikelyinotherrespectsalsotobeprejudicialtohealth。"[139]Officialmedicalinquiriesprovedafterwardsthat,onthecontrary,"theaveragedeath—rateisexceedinglyhighinthesilkdistrictsandamongstthefemalepartofthepopulationishighereventhanitisinthecottondistrictsofLancashire。"[140]DespitetheprotestsoftheFactoryInspector,renewedevery6months,themischiefcontinuestothishour。[141]
TheActof1850changedthe15hours’timefrom6a。m。to8。30p。m。,intothe12hoursfrom6a。m。to6p。m。for"youngpersonsandwomen"only。
Itdidnot,therefore,affectchildrenwhocouldalwaysbeemployedforhalfanhourbeforeand21/2hoursafterthisperiod,providedthewholeoftheirlabourdidnotexceed61/2hours。Whilstthebillwasunderdiscussion,theFactoryInspectorslaidbeforeParliamentstatisticsoftheinfamousabusesduetothisanomaly。Tonopurpose。Inthebackgroundlurkedtheintentionofscrewingup,duringprosperousyears,theworking—dayofadultmalesto15hoursbytheaidofthechildren。Theexperienceofthethreefollowingyearsshowedthatsuchanattemptmustcometogriefagainsttheresistanceoftheadultmaleoperatives。TheActof1850wasthereforefinallycompletedin1853byforbiddingthe"employmentofchildreninthemorningbeforeandintheeveningafteryoungpersonsandwomen。"HenceforthwithafewexceptionstheFactoryActof1850regulatedtheworking—dayofallworkersinthebranchesofindustrythatcomeunderit。[142]SincethepassingofthefirstFactoryActhalfacenturyhadelapsed。[143]
Factorylegislationforthefirsttimewentbeyonditsoriginalsphereinthe"Printworks’Actof1845。"Thedispleasurewithwhichcapitalreceivedthisnew"extravagance"speaksthrougheverylineoftheAct。Itlimitstheworking—dayforchildrenfrom8to13,andforwomento16hours,between6a。m。and10p。m。,withoutanylegalpauseformeal—times。Itallowsmalesover13tobeworkedatwilldayandnight。[144]ItisaParliamentaryabortion。[145]
However,theprinciplehadtriumphedwithitsvictoryinthosegreatbranchesofindustrywhichformthemostcharacteristiccreationofthemodernmodeofproduction。Theirwonderfuldevelopmentfrom1853to1860,hand—in—handwiththephysicalandmoralregenerationofthefactoryworkers,struckthemostpurblind。Themastersfromwhomthelegallimitationandregulationhadbeenwrungstepbystepafteracivilwarofhalfacentury,themselvesreferredostentatiouslytothecontrastwiththebranchesofexploitationstill"free。"[146]ThePhariseesof"PoliticalEconomy"nowproclaimedthediscernmentofthenecessityofalegallyfixedworking—dayasacharacteristicnewdiscoveryoftheir"science。"[147]Itwillbeeasilyunderstoodthatafterthefactorymagnateshadresignedthemselvesandbecomereconciledtotheinevitable,thepowerofresistanceofcapitalgraduallyweakened,whilstatthesametimethepowerofattackoftheworking—classgrewwiththenumberofitsalliesintheclassesofsocietynotimmediatelyinterestedinthequestion。Hencethecomparativelyrapidadvancesince1860。
Thedye—worksandbleach—worksallcameundertheFactoryActof1850
in1860;[148]laceandstockingmanufacturesin1861。
InconsequenceofthefirstreportoftheCommissionontheemploymentofchildren(1863)thesamefatewassharedbythemanufacturersofallearthenwares(notmerelypottery),Lucifer—matches,percussioncaps,cartridges,carpets,fustian—cutting,andmanyprocessesincludedunderthenameof"finishing。"Intheyear1863bleachingintheopenair[149]andbakingwereplacedunderspecialActs,bywhich,intheformer,thelabourofyoungpersonsandwomenduringthenight—time(from8intheeveningto6inthemorning),andinthelatter,theemploymentofjourneymenbakersunder18,between9intheeveningand5inthemorningwereforbidden。
WeshallreturntothelaterproposalsofthesameCommission,whichthreatenedtodepriveoftheir"freedom"alltheimportantbranchesofEnglishIndustry,withtheexceptionofagriculture,mines,andthemeansoftransport。[150]
SECTION7THESTRUGGLEFORTHENORMALWORKING—DAY。
RE—ACTIONOFTHEENGLISHFACTORYACTSONOTHERCOUNTRIES
Thereaderwillbearinmindthattheproductionofsurplus—value,ortheextractionofsurplus—labour,isthespecificendandaim,thesumandsubstance,ofcapitalistproduction,quiteapartfromanychangesinthemodeofproduction,whichmayarisefromthesubordinationoflabourtocapital。Hewillrememberthatasfaraswehaveatpresentgoneonlytheindependentlabourer,andthereforeonlythelabourerlegallyqualifiedtoactforhimself,entersasavendorofacommodityintoacontractwiththecapitalist。If,therefore,inourhistoricalsketch,ontheonehand,modernindustry,ontheother,thelabourofthosewhoarephysicallyandlegallyminors,playimportantparts,theformerwastousonlyaspecialdepartment,andthelatteronlyaspeciallystrikingexampleoflabourexploitation。Without,however,anticipatingthesubsequentdevelopmentofourinquiry,fromthemereconnexionofthehistoricfactsbeforeusitfollows:
First。Thepassionofcapitalforanunlimitedandrecklessextensionoftheworking—day,isfirstgratifiedintheindustriesearliestrevolutionisedbywater—power,steam,andmachinery,inthosefirstcreationsofthemodernmodeofproduction,cotton,wool,flax,andsilkspinning,andweaving。
Thechangesinthematerialmodeofproduction,andthecorrespondingchangesinthesocialrelationsoftheproducers[151]gaverisefirsttoanextravagancebeyondallbounds,andtheninoppositiontothis,calledforthacontrolonthepartofSocietywhichlegallylimits,regulates,andmakesuniformtheworking—dayanditspauses。Thiscontrolappears,therefore,duringthefirsthalfofthenineteenthcenturysimplyasexceptionallegislation。[152]Assoonasthisprimitivedominionofthenewmodeofproductionwasconquered,itwasfoundthat,inthemeantime,notonlyhadmanyotherbranchesofproductionbeenmadetoadoptthesamefactorysystem,butthatmanufactureswithmoreorlessobsoletemethods,suchaspotteries,glass—making,&c。,thatold—fashionedhandicrafts,likebaking,and,finally,eventhattheso—calleddomesticindustries,suchasnail—making,[153]hadlongsincefallenascompletelyundercapitalistexploitationasthefactoriesthemselves。Legislationwas,therefore,compelledtograduallygetridofitsexceptionalcharacter,orwhere,asinEngland,itproceedsafterthemanneroftheRomanCasuists,todeclareanyhouseinwhichworkwasdonetobeafactory。[154]
Second。Thehistoryoftheregulationoftheworking—dayincertainbranchesofproduction,andthestrugglestillgoingoninothersinregardtothisregulation,proveconclusivelythattheisolatedlabourer,thelaboureras"free"vendorofhislabour—power,whencapitalistproductionhasonceattainedacertainstage,succumbswithoutanypowerofresistance。Thecreationofanormalworking—dayis,therefore,theproductofaprotractedcivilwar,moreorlessdissembled,betweenthecapitalistclassandtheworking—class。Asthecontesttakesplaceinthearenaofmodernindustry,itfirstbreaksoutinthehomeofthatindustry?England;[155]TheEnglishfactoryworkerswerethechampions,notonlyoftheEnglish,butofthemodernworking—classgenerally,astheirtheoristswerethefirsttothrowdownthegauntlettothetheoryofcapital。[156]Hence,thephilosopheroftheFactory,Ure,denouncesasanineffabledisgracetotheEnglishworking—classthattheyinscribed"theslaveryoftheFactoryActs"onthebannerwhichtheyboreagainstcapital,manfullystrivingfor"perfectfreedomoflabour。"[157]
FrancelimpsslowlybehindEngland。TheFebruaryrevolutionwasnecessarytobringintotheworldthe12hours’law,[158]whichismuchmoredeficientthanitsEnglishoriginal。
Forallthat,theFrenchrevolutionarymethodhasitsspecialadvantages。
Itonceforallcommandsthesamelimittotheworking—dayinallshopsandfactorieswithoutdistinction,whilstEnglishlegislationreluctantlyyieldstothepressureofcircumstances,nowonthispoint,nowonthat,andisgettinglostinahopelesslybewilderingtangleofcontradictoryenactments。[159]Ontheotherhand,theFrenchlawproclaimsasaprinciplethatwhichinEnglandwasonlywoninthenameofchildren,minors,andwomen,andhasbeenonlyrecentlyforthefirsttimeclaimedasageneralright。[160]
IntheUnitedStatesofNorthAmerica,everyindependentmovementoftheworkerswasparalysedsolongasslaverydisfiguredapartoftheRepublic。
Labourcannotemancipateitselfinthewhiteskinwhereintheblackitisbranded。Butoutofthedeathofslaveryanewlifeatoncearose。ThefirstfruitoftheCivilWarwastheeighthours’agitation,thatranwiththeseven—leaguedbootsofthelocomotivefromtheAtlantictothePacific,fromNewEnglandtoCalifornia。TheGeneralCongressoflabouratBaltimore(August16th,1866)declared:"Thefirstandgreatnecessityofthepresent,tofreethelabourofthiscountryfromcapitalisticslavery,isthepassingofalawbywhicheighthoursshallbethenormalworking—dayinallStatesoftheAmericanUnion。Weareresolvedtoputforthallourstrengthuntilthisgloriousresultisattained。"[161]Atthesametime,theCongressoftheInternationalWorkingMen’sAssociationatGeneva,onthepropositionoftheLondonGeneralCouncil,resolvedthat"thelimitationoftheworking—dayisapreliminaryconditionwithoutwhichallfurtherattemptsatimprovementandemancipationmustproveabortive……theCongressproposeseighthoursasthelegallimitoftheworking—day。"
Thusthemovementoftheworking—classonbothsidesoftheAtlantic,thathadgrowninstinctivelyoutoftheconditionsofproductionthemselves,endorsedthewordsoftheEnglishFactoryInspector,R。J。Saunders"Furtherstepstowardsareformationofsocietycanneverbecarriedoutwithanyhopeofsuccess,unlessthehoursoflabourbelimited,andtheprescribedlimitstrictlyenforced。"[162]
Itmustbeacknowledgedthatourlabourercomesoutoftheprocessofproductionotherthanheentered。Inthemarkethestoodasownerofthecommodity"labour—power"facetofacewithotherownersofcommodities,dealeragainstdealer。Thecontractbywhichhesoldtothecapitalisthislabour—powerproved,sotosay,inblackandwhitethathedisposedofhimselffreely。Thebargainconcluded,itisdiscoveredthathewasno"freeagent,"thatthetimeforwhichheisfreetosellhislabour—poweristhetimeforwhichheisforcedtosellit,[163]thatinfactthevampirewillnotloseitsholdonhim"solongasthereisamuscle,anerve,adropofbloodtobeexploited。"[164]For"protection"against"theserpentoftheiragonies,"thelabourersmustputtheirheadstogether,and,asaclass,compelthepassingofalaw,anall—powerfulsocialbarrierthatshallpreventtheveryworkersfromselling。byvoluntarycontractwithcapital,themselvesandtheirfamiliesintoslaveryanddeath。[165]Inplaceofthepompouscatalogueofthe"inalienablerightsofman"comesthemodestMagnaChartaofalegallylimitedworking—day,whichshallmakeclear"whenthetimewhichtheworkersellsisended,andwhenhisownbegins。"[166]Quantummutatusabillo!
Footnotes[1]"Aday’slabourisvague,itmaybelongorshort。"("AnEssayonTradeandCommerce,ContainingObservationsonTaxes,&c。"London。1770,p。73。)
[2]ThisquestionisfarmoreimportantthanthecelebratedquestionofSirRobertPeeltotheBirminghamChamberofCommerce:Whatisapound?Aquestionthatcouldonlyhavebeenproposed,becausePeelwasasmuchinthedarkastothenatureofmoneyasthe"littleshillingmen"ofBirmingham。
[3]"Itistheaimofthecapitalisttoobtainwithhisexpendedcapitalthegreatestpossiblequantityoflabour(d’obtenirducapitaldepenselaplusfortesommedetravailpossible)。J。G。Courcelle—Seneuil。"Traité
théoriqueetpratiquedesentreprisesindustrielles。"2nded。Paris,1857,p。63。
[4]"Anhour’slabourlostinadayisaprodigiousinjurytoacommercialState……Thereisaverygreatconsumptionofluxuriesamongthelabouringpoorofthiskingdom:particularlyamongthemanufacturingpopulace,bywhichtheyalsoconsumetheirtime,themostfatalofconsumptions。""AnEssayonTradeandCommerce,&c。,"p。47,and153。
[5]"Silemanouvrierlibreprenduninstantderepos,I’économiesordidequilesuitdesyeuxavecinquiétude,prétendqu’illavole。"
N。Linguet,"ThéoriedesLoisCiviles。&c。"London,1767,t。
II。,p。466。
[6]DuringthegreatstrikeoftheLondonbuilders,1860—61,forthereductionoftheworking—dayto9hours,theirCommitteepublishedamanifestothatcontained,tosomeextent,thepleaofourworker。Themanifestoalludes,notwithoutirony,tothefact,thatthegreatestprofit—mongeramongstthebuildingmasters,acertainSirM。Peto,wasintheodourofsanctity(ThissamePeto,after1867,cametoanendalaStrousberg。)
[7]"Thosewholabour……inrealityfeedboththepensioners……[calledtherich]andthemselves。"(EdmundBurke,l。c。,p。2。)
[8]Niebuhrinhis"RomanHistory"saysverynaively:"ItisevidentthatworksliketheEtruscan,whichintheirruinsastoundus,pre—supposeinlittle(!)stateslordsandvassals。"Sismondisaysfarmoretothepurposethat"Brusselslace"pre—supposeswage—lordsandwage—slaves。
[9]"Onecannotseetheseunfortunates(inthegoldminesbetweenEgypt,Ethiopia,andArabia)whocannotevenhavetheirbodiesdean,ortheirnakednessclothed,withoutpityingtheirmiserablelot。Thereisnoindulgence,noforbearanceforthesick,thefeeble,theaged,forwoman’sweakness。Allmust,forcedbyblows,workonuntildeathputsanendtotheirsufferingsandtheirdistress。"("Diod。Sic。Bibl。Hist。,"lib。2,c。13。)
[10]ThatwhichfollowsreferstothesituationintheRoumanianprovincesbeforethechangeeffectedsincetheCrimeanwar。
[11]ThisholdslikewiseforGermany,andespeciallyforPrussiaeastoftheElbe。Inthe15thcenturytheGermanpeasantwasnearlyeverywhereaman,who,whilstsubjecttocertainrentspaidinproduceandlabourwasotherwiseatleastpracticallyfree。TheGermancolonistsinBrandenburg,Pomerania,Silesia,andEasternPrussia,wereevenlegallyacknowledgedasfreemen。
Thevictoryofthenobilityinthepeasants’warputanendtothat。NotonlyweretheconqueredSouthGermanpeasantsagainenslaved。Fromthemiddleofthe16thcenturythepeasantsofEasternPrussia,Brandenburg,Pomerania,andSilesia,andsoonafterthefreepeasantsofSchleswig—Holsteinweredegradedtotheconditionofserfs。(Maurer,Fronhöfeiv。vol。,?Meitzen,"DerBodendespreussischenStaats"?Hanssen,``LeibeigenschaftinSchleswig—Holstein。"?F。E。)
[12]FurtherdetailsaretobefoundinE。Regnault’s"HistoirepolitiqueetsocialedesPrincipautésDanubiennes,"Paris,1855。
[13]"Ingeneralandwithincertainlimits,exceedingthemediumsizeoftheirkind,isevidenceoftheprosperityoforganicbeings。Astoman,hisbodilyheightlessensifhisduegrowthisinterferedwith,eitherbyphysicalorlocalconditions。InallEuropeancountriesinwhichtheconscriptionholds,sinceitsintroduction,themediumheightofadultmen,andgenerallytheirfitnessformilitaryservice,hasdiminished。Beforetherevolution(1789),theminimumfortheinfantryinFrancewas165centimetres;in1818(lawofMarch10th),157;bythelawofMarch21,1832,156c。m。;
ontheaverageinFrancemorethanhalfarerejectedonaccountofdeficientheightorbodilyweakness。ThemilitarystandardinSaxonywasin1780,178c。m。Itisnow155。InPrussiaitis157。AccordingtothestatementofDr。MeyerintheBavarianGazette,May9th,1862,theresultofanaverageof9yearsis,thatinPrussiaoutof1,000conscripts716wereunfitformilitaryservice,317becauseofdeficiencyinheight,and399becauseofbodilydefects……Berlinin1858couldnotprovideitscontingentofrecruits,itwas156menshort。"J。vonLiebig:"DieChemieinihrerAnwendungaufAgrikulturundPhysiologie。1862,"7thEd。,vol。1,pp。117,118。
[14]ThehistoryoftheFactoryActof1850willbefoundinthecourseofthischapter。
[15]IonlytouchhereandthereontheperiodfromthebeginningofmodernindustryinEnglandto1845。ForthisperiodIreferthereaderto"DieLagederarbeitendenKlasseinEngland,"vonFriedrichEngels,Leipzig,1845。HowcompletelyEngelsunderstoodthenatureofthecapitalistmodeofproductionisshownbytheFactoryReports,ReportsonMines,&c。,thathaveappearedsince1845,andhowwonderfullyhepaintedthecircumstancesindetailisseenonthemostsuperficialcomparisonofhisworkwiththeoff~—cialreportsoftheChildren’sEmploymentCommission,published18
to20yearslater(1863—1867)。ThesedealespeciallywiththebranchesofindustryinwhichtheFactoryActshadnot,upto1862,beenintroduced,infactarenotyetintroduced。Here,then,littleornoalterationhadbeenenforced,byauthority,intheconditionspaintedbyEngels。IborrowmyexampleschieflyfromtheFree—tradeperiodafter1848,thatageofparadise,ofwhichthecommercialtravellersforthegreatfirmofFree—trade,blatantasignorant,tellsuchfabuloustales。FortherestEnglandfigureshereintheforegroundbecausesheistheclassicrepresentativeofcapitalistproduction,andshealonehasacontinuoussetofofficialctatisticsofthethin~sweareconsiderinR。
[16]"Suggestions,&c。byMr。L。Homer,InspectorofFactories,"inFactoriesRegulationActs。OrderedbytheHouseofCommonstobeprinted,9thAugust,1859,pp。4,5。
[17]ReportsoftheInspectorofFactoriesforthehalfyear。October,1856,p。35。
[18]Reports,&c。,30thApril,1858,p。9。
[19]Reports,&c。,l。c。,p。10。
[20]Reports&c。,l。c。,p。25。
[21]Reports&c。,forthehalfyearending30thApril,1861。SeeAppendixNo。2;Reports,&c。,31stOctober,1862,pp。7,52,53。TheviolationsoftheActsbecamemorenumerousduringthelasthalfyear1863。CfReports,&c。,ending31stOctober,1863,p。7。
[22]Reports,&c。,October31st,1860,p。23。Withwhatfanaticism,accordingtotheevidenceofmanufacturersgivenincourtsoflaw,theirhandssetthemselvesagainsteveryinterruptioninfactorylabour,thefollowingcuriouscircumstanceshows。InthebeginningofJune,1836,informationreachedthemagistratesofDewsbury(Yorkshire)thattheownersof8largemillsintheneighbourhoodofBatleyhadviolatedtheFactoryActs。Someofthesegentlemenwereaccusedofhavingkeptatwork5boysbetween12
and15yearsofage,from6a。m。onFridayto4p。m。onthefollowingSaturday,notallowingthemanyrespiteexceptformealsandonehourforsleepatmidnight。Andthesechildrenhadtodothisceaselesslabourof30hoursinthe"shoddyhole,"astheholeiscalled,inwhichthewoollenragsarepulledinpieces,andwhereadenseatmosphereofdust,shreds,&c。,forceseventheadultworkmantocoverhismouthcontinuallywithhandkerchiefsfortheprotectionofhislungs!Theaccusedgentlemenaffirminlieuoftakinganoath?asquakerstheyweretooscrupulouslyreligioustotakeanoath?thattheyhad,intheirgreatcompassionfortheunhappychildren,allowedthemfourhoursforsleep,buttheobstinatechildrenabsolutelywouldnotgotobed。Thequakergentlemenweremulctedin£20。Drydenanticipatedthesegentry:
Foxfullfraughtinseemingsanctity,Thatfearedanoath,butlikethedevilwouldlie,Thatlook’dlikeLent,andhadtheholyleer,Anddurstnotsin!beforehesaidhisprayer!"
[23]Rep。,31stOct。,1856,p。34。
[24]l。c。,p。35。
[25]l。c。,p。48。
[26]l。c。,p。48。
[27]l。c。,p。48。
[28]l。c。,p。48。
[29]ReportoftheInsp。&c。,30thApril1860,p。56。
[30]Thisistheofficialexpressionbothinthefactoriesandinthereports。
[31]"Thecupidityofmill—ownerswhosecrueltiesinthepursuitofgainhavehardlybeenexceededbythoseperpetratedbytheSpaniardsontheconquestofAmericainthepursuitofgold。"JohnWade,"HistoryoftheMiddleandWorkingClasses,"3rdEd。London,1835,p。114。Thetheoreticalpartofthisbook,akindofhand—bookofPoliticalEconomy,is,consideringthetimeofitspublication,originalinsomeparts,e。g。,oncommercialcrises。Thehistoricalpartis,toagreatextent,ashamelessplagiarismofSirF。M。Eden’s``TheStateofthePoor,"London,1797。
[32]DailyTelegraph,17thJanuary,1860。
[33]Cf。F。Engels"Lage,etc。"pp。249—51。
[34]Children’sEmploymentCommission。Firstreport。,etc。,1863。Evidence。
pp。16,19,18。
[35]PublicHealth,3rdreport,etc。,pp。102,104,105。
[36]Child。Empl。Comm。I。Report,p。24。
[37]Children’sEmploymentCommission,p。22,andxi。
[38]l。c。,p。xlviii。
[39]l。c。,p。liv。
[40]Thisisnottobetakeninthesamesenseasoursurplus—labourtime。Thesegentlemenconsider101/2hoursoflabourasthenormalworking—day,whichincludesofcoursethenormalsurplus—labour。Afterthisbegins"over—time"
whichispaidalittlebetter。Itwillbeseenlaterthatthelabourexpendedduringtheso—callednormaldayispaidbelowitsvalue,sothattheover—timeissimplyacapitalisttrickinordertoextortmoresurplus—labour,whichitwouldstillbe,everiifthelabour—powerexpendedduringthenormalworking—daywereproperlypaid。
[41]l。c。,Evidence,pp。123,124,125,140,and54。
第23章