Anorganisedsystemofmachines,towhichmotioniscommunicatedbythetransmittingmechanismfromacentralautomaton,isthemostdevelopedformofproductionbymachinery。Herewehave,intheplaceoftheisolatedmachine,amechanicalmonsterwhosebodyfillswholefactories,andwhosedemonpower,atfirstveiledundertheslowandmeasuredmotionsofhisgiantlimbs,atlengthbreaksoutintothefastandfuriouswhirlofhiscountlessworkingorgans。
Thereweremulesandsteam—enginesbeforetherewereanylabourers,whoseexclusiveoccupationitwastomakemulesandsteam—engines;justasmenworeclothesbeforethereweresuchpeopleastailors。TheinventionsofVaucanson,Arkwright,Watt,andothers,were,however,practicable,onlybecausethoseinventorsfound,readytohand,aconsiderablenumberofskilledmechanicalworkmen,placedattheirdisposalbythemanufacturingperiod。Someoftheseworkmenwereindependenthandicraftsmanofvarioustrades,othersweregroupedtogetherinmanufactures,inwhich,asbefore—mentioned,divisionoflabourwasstrictlycarriedout。Asinventionsincreasedinnumber,andthedemandforthenewlydiscoveredmachinesgrewlarger,themachine—makingindustrysplitup,moreandmore,intonumerousindependentbranches,anddivisionoflabourinthesemanufactureswasmoreandmoredeveloped。Here,then,weseeinManufacturetheimmediatetechnicalfoundationofModernIndustry。Manufactureproducedthemachinery,bymeansofwhichModernIndustryabolishedthehandicraftandmanufacturingsystemsinthosespheresofproductionthatitfirstseizedupon。Thefactorysystemwasthereforeraised,inthenaturalcourseofthings,onaninadequatefoundation。
Whenthesystemattainedtoacertaindegreeofdevelopment,ithadtorootupthisready—madefoundation,whichinthemeantimehadbeenelaboratedontheoldlines,andtobuildupforitselfabasisthatshouldcorrespondtoitsmethodsofproduction。Justastheindividualmachineretainsadwarfishcharacter,solongasitisworkedbythepowerofmanalone,andjustasnosystemofmachinerycouldbeproperlydevelopedbeforethesteam—enginetooktheplaceoftheearliermotivepowers,animals,wind,andevenwater;so,too,ModernIndustrywascrippledinitscompletedevelopment,solongasitscharacteristicinstrumentofproduction,themachine,oweditsexistencetopersonalstrengthandpersonalskill,anddependedonthemusculardevelopment,thekeennessofsight,andthecunningofhand,withwhichthedetailworkmeninmanufactures,aridthemanuallabourersinhandicrafts,wieldedtheirdwarfishimplements’Thus,apartfromthedearnessofthemachinesmadeinthisway,acircumstancethatiseverpresenttothemindofthecapitalist,theexpansionofindustriescarriedonbymeansofmachinery,andtheinvasionbymachineryoffreshbranchesofproduction,weredependentonthegrowthofaclassofworkmen,who,owingtothealmostartisticnatureoftheiremployment,couldincreasetheirnumbersonlygradually,andnotbyleapsandbounds。Butbesidesthis,atacertainstageofitsdevelopment,ModernIndustrybecametechnologicallyincompatiblewiththebasisfurnishedforitbyhandicraftandManufacture。Theincreasingsizeoftheprimemovers,ofthetransmittingmechanism,andofthemachinesproper,thegreatercomplication,multiformityandregularityofthedetailsofthesemachines,astheymoreandmoredepartedfromthemodelofthoseoriginallymadebymanuallabour,andacquiredaform,untrammelledexceptbytheconditionsunderwhichtheyworked,[18]theperfectingoftheautomaticsystem,andtheuse,everydaymoreunavoidable,ofamorerefractorymaterial,suchasironinsteadofwood—thesolutionofalltheseproblems,whichsprangupbytheforceofcircumstances,everywheremetwithastumbling—blockinthepersonalrestrictions,whicheventhecollectivelabourerofManufacturecouldnotbreakthrough,excepttoalimitedextent。Suchmachinesasthemodernhydraulicpress,themodernpower—loom,andthemoderncardingengine,couldneverhavebeenfurnishedbyManufacture。
Aradicalchangeinthemodeofproductioninonesphereofindustryinvolvesasimilarchangeinotherspheres。Thishappensatfirstinsuchbranchesofindustryasareconnectedtogetherbybeingseparatephasesofaprocess,andyetareisolatedbythesocialdivisionoflabour,insuchaway,thateachofthemproducesanindependentcommodity。Thusspinningbymachinerymadeweavingbymachineryanecessity,andbothtogethermadethemechanicalandchemicalrevolutionthattookplaceinbleaching,printing,anddyeing,imperative。Sotoo,ontheotherhand,therevolutionincotton—spinningcalledforththeinventionofthegin,forseparatingtheseedsfromthecottonfibre;itwasonlybymeansofthisinvention,thattheproductionofcottonbecamepossibleontheenormousscaleatpresentrequired。[19]Butmoreespecially,therevolutioninthemodesofproductionofindustryandagriculturemadenecessaryarevolutioninthegeneralconditionsofthesocialprocessofproduction,i。e。,inthemeansofcommunicationandoftransport。Inasocietywhosepivot,touseanexpressionofFourier,wasagricultureonasmallscale,withitssubsidiarydomesticindustries,andtheurbanhandicrafts,themeansofcommunicationandtransportweresoutterlyinadequatetotheproductiverequirementsofthemanufacturingperiod,withitsextendeddivisionofsociallabour,itsconcentrationoftheinstrumentsoflabour,andoftheworkmen,anditscolonialmarkets,thattheybecameinfactrevolutionised。InthesamewaythemeansofcommunicationandtransporthandeddownfromthemanufacturingperiodsoonbecameunbearabletrammelsonModernIndustry,withitsfeverishhasteofproduction,itsenormousextent,itsconstantflingingofcapitalandlabourfromonesphereofproductionintoanother,anditsnewly—createdconnexionswiththemarketsofthewholeworld。Hence,apartfromtheradicalchangesintroducedintheconstructionofsailingvessels,themeansofcommunicationandtransportbecamegraduallyadaptedtothemodesofproductionofmechanicalindustry,bythecreationofasystemofriversteamers,railways,oceansteamers,andtelegraphs。Butthe’。hugemassesofironthathadnowtobeforged,tobewelded,tobecut,tobebored,andtobeshaped,demanded,ontheirpart,cyclopeanmachines,fortheconstructionofwhichthemethodsofthemanufacturingperiodwereutterlyinadequate。
ModernIndustryhadthereforeitselftotakeinhandthemachine,itscharacteristicinstrumentofproduction,andtoconstructmachinesbymachines。
Itwasnottillitdidthis,thatitbuiltupforitselfafittingtechnicalfoundation,andstoodonitsownfeet。Machinery,simultaneouslywiththeincreasinguseofit,inthefirstdecadesofthiscentury,appropriated,bydegrees,thefabricationofmachinesproper。Butitwasonlyduringthedecadepreceding1866,thattheconstructionofrailwaysandoceansteamersonastupendousscalecalledintoexistencethecyclopeanmachinesnowemployedintheconstructionofprimemovers。
Themostessentialconditiontotheproductionofmachinesbymachineswasaprimemovercapableofexertinganyamountofforce,andyetunderperfectcontrol。Suchaconditionwasalreadysuppliedbythesteam—engine。
Butatthesametimeitwasnecessarytoproducethegeometricallyaccuratestraightlines,planes,circles,cylinders,cones,andspheres,requiredinthedetailpartsofthemachines。ThisproblemHenryMaudsleysolvedinthefirstdecadeofthiscenturybytheinventionofthesliderest,atoolthatwassoonmadeautomatic,andinamodifiedformwasappliedtootherconstructivemachinesbesidesthelathe,forwhichitwasoriginallyintended。Thismechanicalappliancereplaces,notsomeparticulartool,butthehanditself,whichproducesagivenformbyholdingandguidingthecuttingtoolalongtheironorothermaterialoperatedupon。Thusitbecamepossibletoproducetheformsoftheindividualpartsofmachinery"withadegreeofease,accuracy,andspeed,thatnoaccumulatedexperienceofthehandofthemostskilledworkmancouldgive。"[20]
Ifwenowfixourattentiononthatportionofthemachineryemployedintheconstructionofmachines,whichconstitutestheoperatingtool,wefindthemanualimplementsre—appearing,butonacyclopeanscale。Theoperatingpartoftheboringmachineisanimmensedrilldrivenbyasteam—engine;
withoutthismachine,ontheotherhand,thecylindersoflargesteam—enginesandofhydraulicpressescouldnotbemade。Themechanicallatheisonlyacyclopeanreproductionoftheordinaryfoot—lathe;theplaningmachine,anironcarpenter,thatworksonironwiththesametoolsthatthehumancarpenteremploysonwood;theinstrumentthat,ontheLondonwharves,cutstheveneers,isagiganticrazor;thetooloftheshearingmachine,whichshearsironaseasilyasatailor’sscissorscutcloth,isamonsterpairofscissors;andthesteam—hammerworkswithanordinaryhammerhead,butofsuchaweightthatnotThorhimselfcouldwieldit。[21]Thesesteam—hammersareaninventionofNasmyth,andthereisonethatweighsover6tonsandstrikeswithaverticalfallof7feet,onananvilweighing36tons。Itismerechild’s—playforittocrushablockofgraniteintopowder,yetitisnolesscapableofdriving,withasuccessionoflighttaps,anailintoapieceofsoftwood。[22]
Theimplementsoflabour,intheformofmachinery,necessitatethesubstitutionofnaturalforcesforhumanforce,andtheconsciousapplicationofscience,insteadofruleofthumb。InManufacture,theorganisationofthesociallabour—processispurelysubjective;itisacombinationofdetaillabourers;initsmachinerysystem,ModernIndustryhasaproductiveorganismthatispurelyobjective,inwhichthelabourerbecomesamereappendagetoanalreadyexistingmaterialconditionofproduction。Insimpleco—operation,andeveninthatfoundedondivisionoflabour,thesuppressionoftheisolated,bythecollective,workmanstillappearstobemoreorlessaccidental。Machinery,withafewexceptionstobementionedlater,operatesonlybymeansofassociatedlabour,orlabourincommon。Hencetheco—operativecharacterofthelabour—processis,inthelattercase,atechnicalnecessitydictatedbytheinstrumentoflabouritself。
SECTION2THEVALUETRANSFERREDBYMACHINERYTOTHEPRODUCT
Wesawthattheproductiveforcesresultingfromco—operationanddivisionoflabourcostcapitalnothing。Theyarenaturalforcesofsociallabour。
Soalsophysicalforces,likesteam,water,&c。,whenappropriatedtoproductiveprocesses,costnothing。Butjustasamanrequireslungstobreathewith,soherequiressomethingthatisworkofman’shand,inordertoconsumephysicalforcesproductively。Awater—wheelisnecessarytoexploittheforceofwater,andasteam—enginetoexploittheelasticityofsteam。Oncediscovered,thelawofthedeviationofthemagneticneedleinthefieldofanelectriccurrent,orthelawofthemagnetisationofiron,aroundwhichanelectriccurrentcirculates,costneverapenny。[23]Buttheexploitationoftheselawsforthepurposesmoftelegraphy,&c。,necessitatesacostlyandextensiveapparatus。Thetool,aswehaveseen,isnotexterminatedbythemachine。Frombeingadwarfimplementofthehumanorganism,itexpandsandmultipliesintotheimplementofamechanismcreatedbyman。Capitalnowsetsthelabourertowork,notwithamanualtool,butwithamachinewhichitselfhandlesthetools。Although,therefore,itisclearatthefirstglancethat,byincorporatingbothstupendousphysicalforces,andthenaturalsciences,withtheprocessofproduction,ModernIndustryraisestheproductivenessoflabourtoanextraordinarydegree,itisbynomeansequallyclear,thatthisincreasedproductiveforceisnot,ontheotherhand,purchasedbyanincreasedexpenditureoflabour。Machinery,likeeveryothercomponentofconstantcapital,createsnonewvalue,butyieldsupitsownvaluetotheproductthatitservestobeget。Insofarasthemachinehasvalue,and,inconsequence,partswithvaluetotheproduct,itformsanelementinthevalueofthatproduct。
Insteadofbeingcheapened,theproductismadedearerinproportiontothevalueofthemachine。Anditisclearasnoon—day,thatmachinesandsystemsofmachinery,thecharacteristicinstrumentsoflabourofModernIndustry,areincomparablymoreloadedwithvaluethantheimplementsusedinhandicraftsandmanufactures。
Inthefirstplace,itmustbeobservedthatthemachinery,whilealwaysenteringasawholeintothelabour—process,entersintothevalue—begettingprocessonlybybits。Itneveraddsmorevaluethanitloses,onanaverage,bywearandtear。Hencethereisagreatdifferencebetweenthevalueofamachine,andthevaluetransferredinagiventimebythatmachinetotheproduct。Thelongerthelifeofthemachineinthelabour—process,thegreateristhatdifference。Itistrue,nodoubt,aswehavealreadyseen,thateveryinstrumentoflabourentersasawholeintothelabour—process,andonlypiece—meal,proportionallytoitsaveragedailylossbywearandtear,intothevalue—begettingprocess。Butthisdifferencebetweentheinstrumentasawholeanditsdailywearandtear,ismuchgreaterinamachinethaninatool,becausethemachine,beingmadefrommoredurablematerial,hasalongerlife;becauseitsemployment,beingregulatedbystrictlyscientificlaws,allowsofgreatereconomyinthewearandtearofitsparts,andinthematerialsitconsumes;andlastly,becauseitsfieldofproductionisincomparablylargerthanthatofatool。Aftermakingallowance,bothinthecaseofthemachineandofthetool,fortheiraveragedailycost,thatisforthevaluetheytransmittotheproductbytheiraveragedailywearandtear,andfortheirconsumptionofauxiliarysubstance,suchasoil,coal,andsoon,theyeachdotheirworkgratuitously,justliketheforcesfurnishedbyNaturewithoutthehelpofman。Thegreatertheproductivepowerofthemachinerycomparedwiththatofthetool,thegreateristheextentofitsgratuitousservicecomparedwiththatofthetool。InModernIndustrymansucceededforthefirsttimeinmakingtheproductofhispastlabourworkonalargescalegratuitously,liketheforcesofNature。[24]
IntreatingofCo—operationandManufacture,itwasshownthatcertaingeneralfactorsofproduction,suchasbuildings,are,incomparisonwiththescatteredmeansofproductionoftheisolatedworkman,economisedbybeingconsumedincommon,andthattheythereforemaketheproductcheaper。
Inasystemofmachinery,notonlyistheframeworkofthemachineconsumedincommonbyitsnumerousoperatingimplements,buttheprimemover,togetherwithapartofthetransmittingmechanism,isconsumedincommonbythenumerousoperativemachines。
Giventhedifferencebetweenthevalueofthemachinery,andthevaluetransferredbyitinadaytotheproduct,theextenttowhichthislattervaluemakestheproductdearer,dependsinthefirstinstance,uponthesizeoftheproduct;sotosay,uponitsarea。Mr。Baynes,ofBlackburn,inalecturepublishedin1858,estimatesthat"eachrealmechanicalhorse—power[25]willdrive450self—actingmulespindles,withpreparation,or200throstlespindles,or15loomsfor40inchclothwiththeappliancesforwarping,sizing,&c。"Inthefirstcase,itistheday’sproduceof450mulespindles,inthesecond,of200throstlespindles,inthethird,of15
power—looms,overwhichthedailycostofonehorse—power,andthewearandtearofthemachinerysetinmotionbythatpower,arespread;sothatonlyaveryminutevalueistransferredbysuchwearandteartoapoundofyarnorayardofcloth。Thesameisthecasewiththesteam—hammermentionedabove。Sinitsdailywearandtear,itscoal—consumption,&c。,arespreadoverthestupendousmassesofironhammeredbyitinaday,onlyasmallvalueisaddedtoahundredweightofiron;butthatvaluewouldbeverygreat,ifthecyclopeaninstrumentwereemployedindrivinginnails。
Givenamachine’scapacityforwork,thatis,thenumberofitsoperatingtools,or,whereitisaquestionofforce,theirmass,theamountofitsproductwilldependonthevelocityofitsworkingparts,onthespeed,forinstance,ofthespindles,oronthenumberofblowsgivenbythehammerinaminute。Manyofthesecolossalhammersstrikeseventytimesinaminute,andRyder’spatentmachineforforgingspindleswithsmallhammersgivesasmanyas700strokesperminute。
Giventherateatwhichmachinerytransfersitsvaluetotheproduct,theamountofvaluesotransferreddependsonthetotalvalueofthemachinery。[26]Thelesslabouritcontains,thelessvalueitimpartstotheproduct。
Thelessvalueitgivesup,somuchthemoreproductiveitis,andsomuchthemoreitsservicesapproximatetothoseofnaturalforces。Buttheproductionofmachinerybymachinerylessensitsvaluerelativelytoitsextensionandefficacy。
Ananalysisandcomparisonofthepricesofcommoditiesproducedbyhandicraftsormanufactures,andofthepricesofthesamecommoditiesproducedbymachinery,showsgenerally,that,intheproductofmachinery,thevalueduetotheinstrumentsoflabourincreasesrelatively,butdecreasesabsolutely。Inotherwords,itsabsoluteamountdecreases,butitsamount,relativelytothetotalvalueoftheproduct,ofapoundofyarn,forinstance,increases。[27]
Itisevidentthatwheneveritcostsasmuchlabourtoproduceamachineasissavedbytheemploymentofthatmachine,thereisnothingbutatranspositionoflabour;consequentlythetotallabourrequiredtoproduceacommodityisnotlessenedortheproductivenessoflabourisnotincreased。
Itisclear,however,thatthedifferencebetweenthelabouramachinecosts,andthelabouritsaves,inotherwords,thatthedegreeofitsproductivenessdoesnotdependonthedifferencebetweenitsownvalueandthevalueoftheimplementitreplaces。Aslongasthelabourspentonamachine,andconsequentlytheportionofitsvalueaddedtotheproduct,remainssmallerthanthevalueaddedbytheworkmantotheproductwithhistool,thereisalwaysadifferenceoflaboursavedinfavourofthemachine。Theproductivenessofamachineisthereforemeasuredbythehumanlabour—poweritreplaces。AccordingtoMr。Baynes,2operativesarerequiredforthe450mulespindles,inclusiveofpreparationmachinery,[28]thataredrivenbyone—horsepower;eachself—actingmulespindle,workingtenhours,produces13ouncesofyarn(averagenumberofthickness);consequently21/2operativesspinweekly3655/8lbs。ofyarn。Hence,leavingwasteononeside,366lbs。ofcottonabsorb,duringtheirconversionintoyarn,only150hours’labour,orfifteendays’labouroftenhourseach。Butwithaspinning—wheel,supposingthehand—spinnertoproducethirteenouncesofyarninsixtyhours,thesameweightofcottonwouldabsorb2,700days’
labouroftenhourseach,or27,000hours’labour。[29]Whereblockprinting,theoldmethodofprintingcalicobyhand,hasbeensupersededbymachineprinting,asinglemachineprints,withtheaidofonemanorboy,asmuchcalicooffourcolonesinonehour,asitformerlytook200mentodo。[30]BeforeEliWhitneyinventedthecottonginin1793,theseparationoftheseedfromapoundofcottoncostanaverageday’slabour。Bymeansofhisinventiononenegresswasenabledtoclean100lbs。daily;
andsincethen,theefficacyoftheginhasbeenconsiderablyincreased。
Apoundofcottonwool,previouslycosting50centstoproduce,includedafterthatinventionmoreunpaidlabour,andwasconsequentlysoldwithgreaterprofit,at10cents。InIndiatheyemployforseparatingthewoolfromtheseed,aninstrument,halfmachine,halftool,calledachurka;withthisonemanandawomancanclean28lbs。
daily。WiththechurkainventedsomeyearsagobyDr。Forbes,onemanandaboyproduce250lbs。daily。Ifoxen,steam,orwater,beusedfordrivingit,onlyafewboysandgirlsasfeedersarerequired。Sixteenofthesemachinesdrivenbyoxendoasmuchworkinadayasformerly750peopledidonanaverage。[31]
Asalreadystated,asteam—ploughdoesasmuchworkinonehouratacostofthree—pence,as66menatacostof15shillings。Ireturntothisexampleinordertoclearupanerroneousnotion。The15shillingsarebynomeanstheexpressioninmoneyofallthelabourexpendedinonehourbythe66men。Iftheratioofsurplus—labourtonecessarylabourwere100%,these66menwouldproduceinonehouravalueof30shillings,althoughtheirwages,15shillings,representonlytheirlabourforhalfanhour。
Suppose,then,amachinecostasmuchasthewagesforayearofthe150
menitdisplaces,say£3,000;this£3,000isbynomeanstheexpressioninmoneyofthelabouraddedtotheobjectproducedbythese150menbeforetheintroductionofthemachine,butonlyofthatportionoftheiryear’slabourwhichwasexpendedforthemselvesandrepresentedbytheirwages。Ontheotherhand,the£3,000,themoney—valueofthemachine,expressesallthelabourexpendedonitsproduction,nomatterinwhatproportionthislabourconstituteswagesfortheworkman,andsurplus—valueforthecapitalist。Therefore,thoughamachinecostasmuchasthelabour—powerdisplacedbyitcosts,yetthelabourmaterialisedinitiseventhenmuchlessthanthelivinglabouritreplaces。[32]
Theuseofmachineryfortheexclusivepurposeofcheapeningtheproduct,islimitedinthisway,thatlesslabourmustbeexpendedinproducingthemachinerythanisdisplacedbytheemploymentofthatmachinery,Forthecapitalist,however,thisuseisstillmorelimited。Insteadofpayingforthelabour,heonlypaysthevalueofthelabour—poweremployed;therefore,thelimittohisusingamachineisfixedbythedifferencebetweenthevalueofthemachineandthevalueofthelabour—powerreplacedbyit。
Sincethedivisionoftheday’sworkintonecessaryandsurplus—labourdiffersindifferentcountries,andeveninthesamecountryatdifferentperiods,orindifferentbranchesofindustry;andfurther,sincetheactualwageofthelaboureratonetimesinksbelowthevalueofhislabour—power,atanotherrisesaboveit,itispossibleforthedifferencebetweenthepriceofthemachineryandthepriceofthelabour—powerreplacedbythatmachinerytovaryverymuch,althoughthedifferencebetweenthequantityoflabourrequisitetoproducethemachineandthetotalquantityreplacedbyit,remainconstant。[33]Butitistheformerdifferencealonethatdeterminesthecost,tothecapitalist,ofproducingacommodity,and,throughthepressureofcompetition,influenceshisaction。Hencetheinventionnow—a—daysofmachinesinEnglandthatareemployedonlyinNorthAmerica;justasinthesixteenthandseventeenthcenturies,machineswereinventedinGermanytobeusedonlyinHolland,andjustasmanyaFrenchinventionoftheeighteenthcenturywasexploitedinEnglandalone。Intheoldercountries,machinery,whenemployedinsomebranchesofindustry,createssucharedundancyoflabourinotherbranchesthatintheselatterthefallofwagesbelowthevalueoflabour—powerimpedestheuseofmachinery,and,fromthestandpointofthecapitalist,whoseprofitcomes,notfromadiminutionofthelabouremployed,butofthelabourpaidfor,rendersthatusesuperfluousandoftenimpossible。
InsomebranchesofthewoollenmanufactureinEnglandtheemploymentofchildrenhasduringrecentyearsbeenconsiderablydiminished,andinsomecaseshasbeenentirelyabolished。Why?BecausetheFactoryActsmadetwosetsofchildrennecessary,oneworkingsixhours,theotherfour,oreachworkingfivehours。Buttheparentsrefusedtosellthe"half—timers"
cheaperthanthe"full—timers。"Hencethesubstitutionofmachineryforthe"half—timers。"[34]Beforethelabourofwomenandofchildrenunder10yearsofagewasforbiddeninmines,capitalistsconsideredtheemploymentofnakedwomenandgirls,oftenincompanywithmen,sofarsanctionedbytheirmoralcode,andespeciallybytheirledgers,thatitwasonlyafterthepassingoftheActthattheyhadrecoursetomachinery。TheYankeeshaveinventedastone—breakingmachine。
TheEnglishdonotmakeuseofit,becausethe"wretch"[35]whodoesthisworkgetspaidforsuchasmallportionofhislabour,thatmachinerywouldincreasethecostofproductiontothecapitalist。[36]InEnglandwomenarestilloccasionallyusedinsteadofhorsesforhaulingcanalboats,[37]becausethelabourrequiredtoproducehorsesandmachinesisanaccuratelyknownquantity,whilethatrequiredtomaintainthewomenofthesurplus—populationisbelowallcalculation。Hencenowheredowefindamoreshamefulsquanderingofhumanlabour—powerforthemostdespicablepurposesthaninEngland,thelandofmachinery。
SECTION3THEPROXIMATEEFFECTSOFMACHINERYONTHEWORKMAN
Thestarting—pointofModernIndustryis,aswehaveshown,therevolutionintheinstrumentsoflabour,andthisrevolutionattainsitsmosthighlydevelopedformintheorganisedsystemofmachineryinafactory。Beforeweinquirehowhumanmaterialisincorporatedwiththisobjectiveorganism,letusconsidersomegeneraleffectsofthisrevolutiononthelabourerhimself。
A。AppropriationofSupplementaryLabour—powerbyCapital。TheEmploymentofWomenandChildrenInsofarasmachinerydispenseswithmuscularpower,itbecomesameansofemployinglabourersofslightmuscularstrength,andthosewhosebodilydevelopmentisincomplete,butwhoselimbsareallthemoresupple。Thelabourofwomenandchildrenwas,therefore,thefirstthingsoughtforbycapitalistswhousedmachinery。Thatmightysubstituteforlabourandlabourerswasforthwithchangedintoameansforincreasingthenumberofwage—labourersbyenrolling,underthedirectswayofcapital,everymemberoftheworkman’sfamily,withoutdistinctionofageorsex。Compulsoryworkforthecapitalistusurpedtheplace,notonlyofthechildren’splay,butalsooffreelabourathomewithinmoderatelimitsforthesupportofthefamily。[38]
Thevalueoflabour—powerwasdetermined,notonlybythelabour—timenecessarytomaintaintheindividualadultlabourer,butalsobythatnecessarytomaintainhisfamily。Machinery,bythrowingeverymemberofthatfamilyontothelabour—market,spreadsthevalueoftheman’slabour—poweroverhiswholefamily。Itthusdepreciateshislabour—power。Topurchasethelabour—powerofafamilyoffourworkersmay,perhaps,costmorethanitformerlydidtopurchasethelabour—poweroftheheadofthefamily,but,inreturn,fourdays’labourtakestheplaceofone,andtheirpricefallsinproportiontotheexcessofthesurplus—labouroffouroverthesurplus—labourofone。Inorderthatthefamilymaylive,fourpeoplemustnow,notonlylabour,butexpendsurplus—labourforthecapitalist。Thuswesee,thatmachinery,whileaugmentingthehumanmaterialthatformstheprincipalobjectofcapital’sexploitingpower,[39]atthesametimeraisesthedegreeofexploitation。
Machineryalsorevolutionisesoutandoutthecontractbetweenthelabourerandthecapitalist,whichformallyfixestheirmutualrelations。Takingtheexchangeofcommoditiesasourbasis,ourfirstassumptionwasthatcapitalistandlabourermetasfreepersons,asindependentownersofcommodities;
theonepossessingmoneyandmeansofproduction,theotherlabour—power。
Butnowthecapitalistbuyschildrenandyoungpersonsunderage。Previously,theworkmansoldhisownlabour—power,whichhedisposedofnominallyasafreeagent。Nowhesellswifeandchild。Hehasbecomeaslave—dealer。[40]Thedemandforchildren’slabouroftenresemblesinformtheinquiriesfornegroslaves,suchaswereformerlytobereadamongtheadvertisementsinAmericanjournals。"Myattention,"
saysanEnglishfactoryinspector,"wasdrawntoanadvertisementinthelocalpaperofoneofthemostimportantmanufacturingtownsofmydistrict,ofwhichthefollowingisacopy:Wanted,12to20youngpersons,notyoungerthanwhatcanpassfor13years。Wages,4shillingsaweek。Apply&c。"[41]Thephrase"whatcanpassfor13years,"hasreferencetothefact,thatbytheFactoryAct,childrenunder13yearsmayworkonly6hours。Asurgeonofficiallyappointedmustcertifytheirage。Themanufacturer,therefore,asksforchildrenwholookasiftheywe’realready13yearsold。Thedecrease,oftenbyleapsandboundsinthenumberofchildrenunder13yearsemployedinfactories,adecreasethatisshowninanastonishingmannerbytheEnglishstatisticsofthelast20years,wasforthemostpart,accordingtotheevidenceofthefactoryinspectorsthemselves,theworkofthecertifyingsurgeons,whooverstatedtheageofthechildren,agreeablytothecapitalist’sgreedforexploitation,andthesordidtraffickingneedsoftheparents。
InthenotoriousdistrictofBethnalGreen,apublicmarketisheldeveryMondayandTuesdaymorning,wherechildrenofbothsexesfrom9yearsofageupwards,hirethemselvesouttothesilkmanufacturers。"Theusualtermsare1s。8d。aweek(thisbelongstotheparents)and’2d。formyselfandtea。’Thecontractisbindingonlyfortheweek。Thesceneandlanguagewhilethismarketisgoingonarequitedisgraceful。"[42]IthasalsooccurredinEngland,thatwomenhavetaken"childrenfromtheworkhouseandletanyonehavethemoutfor2s。6d。aweek。"[43]Inspiteoflegislation,thenumberofboyssoldinGreatBritainbytheirparentstoactaslivechimney—sweepingmachines(althoughthereexistplentyofmachinestoreplacethem)exceeds2,000。[44]Therevolutioneffectedbymachineryinthejuridicalrelationsbetweenthebuyerandtheselleroftabour—power,causingthetransactionasawholetolosetheappearanceofacontractbetweenfreepersons,affordedtheEnglishParliamentanexcuse,foundedonjuridicalprinciples,fortheinterferenceofthestatewithfactories。Wheneverthelawlimitsthelabourofchildrento6hoursinindustriesnotbeforeinterferedwith,thecomplaintsofthemanufacturersarealwaysrenewed。
TheyallegethatnumbersoftheparentswithdrawtheirchildrenfromtheindustrybroughtundertheAct,inordertosellthemwhere"freedomoflabour"stillrules,i。e。,wherechildrenunder13yearsarecompelledtoworklikegrown—uppeople,andthereforecanbegotridofatahigherprice。Butsincecapitalisbynaturealeveller,sinceitexactsineverysphereofproductionequalityintheconditionsoftheexploitationoflabour,thelimitationbylawofchildren’slabour,inonebranchofindustry,becomesthecauseofitslimitationinothers。
Wehavealreadyalludedtothephysicaldeteriorationaswellofthechildrenandyoung—personsasofthewomen,whommachinery,firstdirectlyinthefactoriesthatshootuponitsbasis,andthenindirectlyinalltheremainingbranchesofindustry,subjectstotheexploitationofcapital。
Inthisplace,therefore,wedwellonlyononepoint,theenormousmortality,duringthefirstfewyearsoftheirlife,ofthechildrenoftheoperatives。
InsixteenoftheregistrationdistrictsintowhichEnglandisdivided,thereare,forevery100,000childrenaliveundertheageofoneyear,only9,000deathsinayearonanaverage(inonedistrictonly7,047);
in24districtsthedeathsareover10,000,butunder11,000;in39districts,over11,000,butunder12,000;in48districtsover12,000,butunder13,000;
in22districtsover20,000;in25districtsover21,000;in17over22,000;in11over23,000;inHoo,Wolverhampton,Ashton—under—Lyne,andPreston,over24,000;inNottingham,Stockport,andBradford,over25,000;inWisbeach,16,000;andinManchester,26,125。[45]Aswasshownbyanofficialmedicalinquiryintheyear1861,thehighdeath—ratesare,apartfromlocalcauses,principallyduetotheemploymentofthemothersawayfromtheirhomes,andtotheneglectandmaltreatment,consequentonherabsence,suchas,amongstothers,insufficientnourishment,unsuitablefood,anddosingwithopiates;besidesthis,therearisesanunnaturalestrangementbetweenmotherandchild,andasaconsequenceintentionalstarvingandpoisoningofthechildren。[46]Inthoseagriculturaldistricts,"whereaminimumintheemploymentofwomenexists,thedeath—rateisontheotherhandverylow。"[47]TheInquiryCommissionof1861led,however,totheunexpectedresult,thatinsomepurelyagriculturaldistrictsborderingontheNorthSea,thedeath—rateofchildrenunderoneyearoldalmostequalledthatoftheworstfactorydistricts。Dr。JulianHunterwasthereforecommissionedtoinvestigatethisphenomenononthespot。Hisreportisincorporatedwiththe"SixthReportonPublicHealth。"[48]Uptothattimeitwassupposed,thatthechildrenweredecimatedbymalaria,andotherdiseasespeculiartolow—lyingandmarshydistricts。Buttheinquiryshowedtheveryopposite,namely,thatthesamecausewhichdroveawaymalaria,theconversionoftheland,fromamorassinwinterandascantypastureinsummer,intofruitfulcornland,createdtheexceptionaldeath—rateoftheinfants。[49]The70medicalmen,whomDr。Hunterexaminedinthatdistrict,were"wonderfullyinaccord"onthispoint。Infact,therevolutioninthemodeofcultivationhadledtotheintroductionoftheindustrialsystem。Marriedwomen,whoworkingangsalongwithboysandgirls,are,forastipulatedsumofmoney,placedatthedisposalofthefarmer,byamancalledthe"undertaker,"
whocontractsforthewholegang。"Thesegangswillsometimestravelmanymilesfromtheirownvillage;theyaretobemetmorningandeveningontheroads,dressedinshortpetticoats,withsuitablecoatsandboots,andsometimestrousers,lookingwonderfullystrongandhealthy,buttaintedwithacustomaryimmoralityandheedlessofthefatalresultswhichtheirloveofthisbusyandindependentlifeisbringingontheirunfortunateoffspringwhoarepiningathome。"[50]Everyphenomenonofthefactorydistrictsisherereproduced,including,buttoagreaterextent,ill—disguisedinfanticide,anddosingchildrenwithopiates。[51]"Myknowledgeofsuchevils,"saysDr。Simon,themedicalofficerofthePrivyCouncilandeditorinchiefoftheReportsonPublicHealth,"mayexcusetheprofoundmisgivingwithwhichIregardanylargeindustrialemploymentofadultwomen。"[52]"Happyindeed,"exclaimsMr。Baker,thefactoryinspector,inhisofficialreport,"happyindeedwillitbeforthemanufacturingdistrictsofEngland,wheneverymarriedwomanhavingafamilyisprohibitedfromworkinginanytextileworksatall。"[53]
第32章