首页 >出版文学> The Principles of Political Economy with some of t>第5章
  Forthebetterillustrationoftheprinciple,letusputthefollowingcase。Aconsumermayexpendhisincomeeitherinbuyingservices,orcommodities。Hemayemploypartofitinhiringjourneymenbricklayerstobuildahouse,orexcavatorstodigartificiallakes,orlabourerstomakeplantationsandlayoutpleasuregrounds;or,insteadofthis,hemayexpendthesamevalueinbuyingvelvetandlace。Thequestionis,whetherthedifferencebetweenthesetwomodesofexpendinghisincomeaffectstheinterestofthelabouringclasses。Itisplainthatinthefirstofthetwocasesheemployslabourers,whowillbeoutofemployment,oratleastoutofthatemployment,intheoppositecase。ButthosefromwhomIdiffersaythatthisisofnoconsequence,becauseinbuyingvelvetandlaceheequallyemployslabourers,namely,thosewhomakethevelvetandlace。I
  contend,however,thatinthislastcasehedoesnotemploylabourers;butmerelydecidesinwhatkindofworksomeotherpersonshallemploythem。Theconsumerdoesnotwithhisownfundspaytotheweaversandlacemakerstheirday’swages。Hebuysthefinishedcommodity,whichhasbeenproducedbylabourandcapital,thelabournotbeingpaidnorthecapitalfurnishedbyhim,butbythemanufacturer。Supposethathehadbeeninthehabitofexpendingthisportionofhisincomeinhiringjourneymenbricklayers,wholaidouttheamountoftheirwagesinfoodandclothing,whichwerealsoproducedbylabourandcapital。He,however,determinestoprefervelvet,forwhichhethuscreatesanextrademand。Thisdemandcannotbesatisfiedwithoutanextrasupply,norcanthesupplybeproducedwithoutanextracapital:where,then,isthecapitaltocomefrom?Thereisnothingintheconsumer’schangeofpurposewhichmakesthecapitalofthecountrygreaterthanitotherwisewas。Itappears,then,thattheincreaseddemandforvelvetcouldnotforthepresentbesupplied,wereitnotthattheverycircumstancewhichgaverisetoithassetatlibertyacapitaloftheexactamountrequired。Theverysumwhichtheconsumernowemploysinbuyingvelvet,formerlypassedintothehandsofjourneymenbricklayers,whoexpendeditinfoodandnecessaries,whichtheynoweithergowithout,orsqueezebytheircompetition,fromthesharesofotherlabourers。Thelabourandcapital,therefore,whichformerlyproducednecessariesfortheuseofthesebricklayers,aredeprivedoftheirmarket,andmustlookoutforotheremployment;andtheyfinditinmakingvelvetforthenewdemand。
  Idonotmeanthattheverysamelabourandcapitalwhichproducedthenecessariesturnthemselvestoproducingthevelvet;
  but,insomeoneorotherofahundredmodes,theytaketheplaceofthatwhichdoes。Therewascapitalinexistencetodooneoftwothingstomakethevelvet,ortoproducenecessariesforthejourneymenbricklayers;butnottodoboth。Itwasattheoptionoftheconsumerwhichofthetwoshouldhappen;andifhechoosesthevelvet,theygowithoutthenecessaries。
  Forfurtherillustration,letussupposethesamecasereversed。Theconsumerhasbeenaccustomedtobuyvelvet,butresolvestodiscontinuethatexpense,andtoemploythesameannualsuminhiringbricklayers。Ifthecommonopinionbecorrect,thischangeinthemodeofhisexpendituregivesnoadditionalemploymenttolabour,butonlytransfersemploymentfromvelvet—makerstobricklayers。Oncloserinspection,however,itwillbeseenthatthereisanincreaseofthetotalsumappliedtotheremunerationoflabour。Thevelvetmanufacturer,supposinghimawareofthediminisheddemandforhiscommodity,diminishestheproduction,andsetsatlibertyacorrespondingportionofthecapitalemployedinthemanufacture。Thiscapital,thuswithdrawnfromthemaintenanceofvelvet—makers,isnotthesamefundwiththatwhichthecustomeremploysinmaintainingbricklayers;itisasecondfund。Thereare,therefore,twofundstobeemployedinthemaintenanceandremunerationoflabour,wherebeforetherewasonlyone。Thereisnotatransferofemploymentfromvelvet—makerstobricklayers;thereisanewemploymentcreatedforbricklayers,andatransferofemploymentfromvelvet—makerstosomeotherlabourers,mostprobablythosewhoproducethefoodandotherthingswhichthebricklayersconsume。
  Inanswertothisitissaid,thatthoughmoneylaidoutinbuyingvelvetisnotcapital,itreplacesacapital;thatthoughitdoesnotcreateanewdemandforlabour,itisthenecessarymeansofenablingtheexistingdemandtobekeptup。Thefunds(itmaybesaid)ofthemanufacturer,whilelockedupinvelvet,cannotbedirectlyappliedtothemaintenanceoflabour;theydonotbegintoconstituteademandforlabouruntilthevelvetissold,andthecapitalwhichmadeitreplacedfromtheoutlayofthepurchaser;andthus,itmaybesaid,thevelvet—makerandthevelvet—buyerhavenottwocapitals,butonlyonecapitalbetweenthem,whichbytheactofpurchasethebuyertransferstothemanufacturer,andifinsteadofbuyingvelvethebuyslabour,hesimplytransfersthiscapitalelsewhere,extinguishingasmuchdemandforlabourinonequarterashecreatesinanother。
  Thepremisesofthisargumentarenotdenied。Tosetfreeacapitalwhichwouldotherwisebelockedupinaformuselessforthesupportoflabour,is,nodoubt,thesamethingtotheinterestsoflabourersasthecreationofanewcapital。ItisperfectlytruethatifIexpend1000l。inbuyingvelvet,Ienablethemanufacturertoemploy1000l。inthemaintenanceoflabour,whichcouldnothavebeensoemployedwhilethevelvetremainedunsold:andifitwouldhaveremainedunsoldforeverunlessI
  boughtit,thenbychangingmypurpose,andhiringbricklayersinstead,Iundoubtedlycreatenonewdemandforlabour:forwhileIemploy1000l。inhiringlabourontheonehand,Iannihilateforever1000l。ofthevelvet—maker’scapitalontheother。Butthisisconfoundingtheeffectsarisingfromthemeresuddennessofachangewiththeeffectsofthechangeitself。Ifwhenthebuyerceasedtopurchase,thecapitalemployedinmakingvelvetforhisusenecessarilyperished,thenhisexpendingthesameamountinhiringbricklayerswouldbenocreation,butmerelyatransfer,ofemployment。TheincreasedemploymentwhichIcontendisgiventolabour,wouldnotbegivenunlessthecapitalofthevelvet—makercouldbeliberated,andwouldnotbegivenuntilitwasliberated。Buteveryoneknowsthatthecapitalinvestedinanemploymentcanbewithdrawnfromit,ifsufficienttimebeallowed。Ifthevelvet—makerhadpreviousnotice,bynotreceivingtheusualorder,hewillhaveproduced1000l。lessvelvet,andanequivalentportionofhiscapitalwillhavebeenalreadysetfree。Ifhehadnopreviousnotice,andthearticleconsequentlyremainsonhishands,theincreaseofhisstockwillinducehimnextyeartosuspendordiminishhisproductionuntilthesurplusiscaRedoff。Whenthisprocessiscomplete,themanufacturerwillfindhimselfasrichasbefore,withundiminishedpowerofemployinglabouringeneral,thoughaportionofhiscapitalwillnowbeemployedinmaintainingsomeotherkindofit。Untilthisadjustmenthastakenplace,thedemandforlabourwillbemerelychanged,notincreased:butassoonasithastakenplace,thedemandforlabourisincreased。
  Wheretherewasformerlyonlyonecapitalemployedinmaintainingweaverstomake1000l。worthofvelvet,thereisnowthatsamecapitalemployedinmakingsomethingelse,and1000l。distributedamongbricklayersbesides。Therearenowtwocapitalsemployedinremuneratingtwosetsoflabourers;whilebefore,oneofthosecapitals,thatofthecustomer,onlyservedasawheelinthemachinerybywhichtheothercapital,thatofthemanufacturer,carriedonitsemploymentoflabourfromyeartoyear。
  ThepropositionforwhichIamcontendingisinrealityequivalenttothefollowing,whichtosomemindswillappearatruism,thoughtoothersitisaparadox:thatapersondoesgoodtolabourers,notbywhatheconsumesonhimself,butsolelybywhathedoesnotsoconsume。Ifinsteadoflayingout100l。inwineorsilk,Iexpenditinwages,thedemandforcommoditiesispreciselyequalinbothcases:intheone,itisademandfor100l。worthofwineorsilk,intheother,forthesamevalueofbread,beer,labourers’clothing,fuel,andindulgences:butthelabourersofthecommunityhaveinthelattercasethevalueof100l。moreoftheproduceofthecommunitydistributedamongthem。Ihaveconsumedthatmuchless,andmadeovermyconsumingpowertothem。Ifitwerenotso,myhavingconsumedlesswouldnotleavemoretobeconsumedbyothers;whichisamanifestcontradiction。Whenlessisnotproduced,whatonepersonforbearstoconsumeisnecessarilyaddedtotheshareofthosetowhomhetransfershispowerofpurchase。InthecasesupposedI
  donotnecessarilyconsumelessultimately,sincethelabourerswhomIpaymaybuildahouseforme,ormakesomethingelseformyfutureconsumption。ButIhaveatalleventspostponedmyconsumption,andhaveturnedoverpartofmyshareofthepresentproduceofthecommunitytothelabourers。IfafteranintervalI
  amindemnified,itisnotfromtheexistingproduce,butfromasubsequentadditionmadetoit。Ihavethereforeleftmoreoftheexistingproducetobeconsumedbyothers;andhaveputintothepossessionoflabourersthepowertoconsumeit。
  TherecannotbeabetterreductioadabsurdumoftheoppositedoctrinethanthataffordedbythePoorLaw。IfitbeequallyforthebenefitofthelabouringclasseswhetherIconsumemymeansintheformofthingspurchasedformyownuse,orsetasideaportionintheshapeofwagesoralmsfortheirdirectconsumption,onwhatgroundcanthepolicybejustifiedoftakingmymoneyfrommetosupportpaupers?sincemyunproductiveexpenditurewouldhaveequallybenefitedthem,whileIshouldhaveenjoyedittoo。Ifsocietycanbotheatitscakeandhaveit,whyshoulditnotbeallowedthedoubleindulgence?Butcommonsensetellseveryoneinhisowncase(thoughhedoesnotseeitonthelargerscale),thatthepoorratewhichhepaysisreallysubtractedfromhisownconsumption,andthatnoshiftingofpaymentbackwardsandforwardswillenabletwopersonstoeatthesamefood。Ifhehadnotbeenrequiredtopaytherate,andhadconsequentlylaidouttheamountonhimself,thepoorwouldhavehadasmuchlessfortheirshareofthetotalproduceofthecountry,ashehimselfwouldhaveconsumedmore。(4*)
  Itappears,then,thatademanddelayeduntiltheworkiscompleted,andfurnishingnoadvances,butonlyreimbursingadvancesmadebyothers,contributesnothingtothedemandforlabour;andthatwhatissoexpended,is,inallitseffects,sofarasregardstheemploymentofthelabouringclass,amerenullity;itdoesnotandcannotcreateanyemploymentexceptattheexpenseofotheremploymentwhichexistedbefore。
  Butthoughademandforvelvetdoesnothingmoreinregardtotheemploymentforlabourandcapital,thantodeterminesomuchoftheemploymentwhichalreadyexisted,intothatparticularchannelinsteadofanyother;still,totheproducersalreadyengagedinthevelvetmanufacture,andnotintendingtoquitit,thisisoftheutmostimportance。Tothem,afallingoffinthedemandisarealloss,andonewhich,evenifnoneoftheirgoodsfinallyperishunsold,maymounttoanyheight,uptothatwhichwouldmakethemchoose,asthesmallerevil,toretirefromthebusiness。Onthecontrary,anincreaseddemandenablesthemtoextendtheirtransactions——tomakeaprofitonalargercapital,iftheyhaveit,orcanborrowit;and,turningovertheircapitalmorerapidly,theywillemploytheirlabourersmoreconstantly,oremployagreaternumberthanbefore。Sothatanincreaseddemandforacommoditydoesreally,intheparticulardepartment,oftencauseagreateremploymenttobegiventolabourbythesamecapital。Themistakeliesinnotperceivingthatinthecasessupposed,thisadvantageisgiventolabourandcapitalinonedepartment,onlybybeingwithdrawnfromanother;
  andthatwhenthechangehasproduceditsnaturaleffectofattractingintotheemploymentadditionalcapitalproportionaltotheincreaseddemand,theadvantageitselfceases。
  Thegroundsofaproposition,whenwellunderstood,usuallygiveatolerableindicationofthelimitationsofit。Thegeneralprinciple,nowstated,isthatdemandforcommoditiesDeterminesmerelythedirectionoflabour,andthekindofwealthproduced,butnotthequantityorefficiencyofthelabour,ortheaggregateofwealth。Buttothistherearetwoexceptions。First,whenlabourissupported,butnotfullyoccupied,anewdemandforsomethingwhichitcanproduce,maystimulatethelabourthussupportedtoincreasedexertions,ofwhichtheresultmaybeanincreaseofwealth,totheadvantageofthelabourersthemselvesandofothers。Workwhichcanbedoneinthesparehoursofpersonssubsistedfromsomeothersource,can(asbeforeremarked)beundertakenwithoutwithdrawingcapitalfromotheroccupations,beyondtheamount(oftenverysmall)requiredtocovertheexpenseoftoolsandmaterials,andeventhiswilloftenbeprovidedbysavingsmadeexpresslyforthepurpose。Thereasonofourtheoremthusfailing,thetheoremitselffails,andemploymentofthiskindmay,bythespringingupofademandforthecommodity,becalledintoexistencewithoutdeprivinglabourofanequivalentamountofemploymentinanyotherquarter。Thedemanddoesnot,eveninthiscase,operateonlabouranyotherwisethanthroughthemediumofanexistingcapital,butitaffordsaninducementwhichcausesthatcapitaltosetinmotionagreateramountoflabourthanitdidbefore。
  Thesecondexception,ofwhichIshallspeakatlengthinasubsequentchapter,consistsintheknowneffectofanextensionofthemarketforacommodity,inrenderingpossibleanincreaseddevelopmentofthedivisionoflabour,andhenceamoreeffectivedistributionoftheproductiveforcesofsociety。This,liketheformer,ismoreanexception。inappearancethanitisinreality。Itisnotthemoneypaidbythepurchaser,whichremuneratesthelabour;itisthecapitaloftheproducer:thedemandonlydeterminesinwhatmannerthatcapitalshallbeemployed,andwhatkindoflabouritshallremunerate;butifitdeterminesthatthecommodityshallbeproducedonalargescale,itenablesthesamecapitaltoproducemoreofthecommodity,andmaybyanindirecteffectincausinganincreaseofcapital,produceaneventualincreaseoftheremunerationofthelabourer。
  Thedemandforcommoditiesisaconsiderationofimportanceratherinthetheoryofexchange,thaninthatofproduction。
  Lookingatthingsintheaggregate,andpermanently,theremunerationoftheproducerisderivedfromtheproductivepowerofhisowncapital。Thesaleoftheproduceformoney,andthesubsequentexpenditureofthemoneyinbuyingothercommodities,areamereexchangeofequivalentvaluesformutualaccommodation。Itistruethat,thedivisionofemploymentsbeingoneoftheprincipalmeansofincreasingtheproductivepoweroflabour,thepowerofexchanginggivesrisetoagreatincreaseoftheproduce;buteventhenitisproduction,notexchange,whichremunerateslabourandcapital。Wecannottoostrictlyrepresenttoourselvestheoperationofexchange,whetherconductedbybarterorthroughthemediumofmoney,asthemeremechanismbywhicheachpersontransformstheremunerationofhislabourorofhiscapitalintotheparticularshapeinwhichitismostconvenienttohimtopossessit;butinnowisethesourceoftheremunerationitself。
  10。Theprecedingprinciplesdemonstratethefallacyofmanypopularargumentsanddoctrines,whicharecontinuallyreproducingthemselvesinnewforms。Forexample,ithasbeencontended,andbysomefromwhombetterthingsmighthavebeenexpected,thattheargumentfortheincome—tax,groundedonitsfallingonthehigherandmiddleclassesonly,andsparingthepoor,isanerror;somehavegonesofarastosay,animposture;
  becauseintakingfromtherichwhattheywouldhaveexpendedamongthepoor,thetaxinjuresthepoorasmuchasifithadbeendirectlyleviedfromthem。Ofthisdoctrinewenowknowwhattothink。Sofar,indeed,aswhatistakenfromtherichintaxes,would,ifnotsotaken,havebeensavedandconvertedintocapital,orevenexpendedinthemaintenanceandwagesofservantsorofanyclassofunproductivelabourers,tothatextentthedemandforlabourisnodoubtdiminished,andthepoorinjuriouslyaffected,bythetaxontherich;andastheseeffectsarealmostalwaysproducedinagreaterorlessdegree,itisimpossiblesototaxtherichasthatnoportionwhateverofthetaxcanfallonthepoor。Butevenherethequestionarises,whetherthegovernment,afterreceivingtheamount,willnotlayoutasgreataportionofitinthedirectpurchaseoflabour,asthetaxpayerswouldhavedone。Inregardtoallthatportionofthetax,which,ifnotpaidtothegovernment,wouldhavebeenconsumedintheformofcommodities(orevenexpendedinservicesifthepaymenthasbeenadvancedbyacapitalist),this,accordingtotheprincipleswehaveinvestigated,fallsdefinitivelyontherich,andnotatallonthepoor。Thereisexactlythesamedemandforlabour,sofarasthisportionisconcerned,afterthetax,asbeforeit。Thecapitalwhichhithertoemployedthelabourersofthecountry,remains,andisstillcapableofemployingthesamenumber。Thereisthesameamountofproducepaidinwages,orallottedtodefraythefeedingandclothingoflabourers。
  IfthoseagainstwhomIamnowcontendingwereintheright,itwouldbeimpossibletotaxanybodyexceptthepoor。Ifitistaxingthelabourers,totaxwhatislaidoutintheproduceoflabour,thelabouringclassespayallthetaxes。Thesameargument,however,equallyproves,thatitisimpossibletotaxthelabourersatall;sincethetax,beinglaidouteitherinlabourorincommodities,comesallbacktothem;sothattaxationhasthesingularproperoffallingonnobody。Onthesameshowing,itwoulddothelabourersnoharmtotakefromthemalltheyhave,anddistributeitamongtheothermembersofthecommunity。Itwouldallbe"spentamongthem,"whichonthistheorycomestothesamething。Theerrorisproducedbynotlookingdirectlyattherealitiesofthephenomena,butattendingonlytotheoutwardmechanismofpayingandspending。Ifwelookattheeffectsproducednotonthemoney,whichmerelychangeshands,butonthecommoditieswhichareusedandconsumed,weseethat,inconsequenceoftheincome—tax,theclasseswhopayitdoreallydiminishtheirconsumption。Exactlysofarastheydothis,theyarethepersonsonwhomthetaxfalls。Itisdefrayedoutofwhattheywouldotherwisehaveusedandenjoyed。Sofar,ontheotherhand,astheburthenfalls,notonwhattheywouldhaveconsumed,butonwhattheywouldhavesavedtomaintainproduction,orspentinmaintainingorpayingunproductivelabourers,tothatextentthetaxformsadeductionfromwhatwouldhavebeenusedandenjoyedbythelabouringclasses。Butifthegovernment,asisprobablythefact,expendsfullyasmuchoftheamountasthetax—payerswouldhavedoneinthedirectemploymentoflabour,asinhiringsailors,soldiers,andpolicemen,orinpayingoffdebt,bywhichlastoperationitevenincreasescapital;thelabouringclassesnotonlydonotloseanyemploymentbythetax,butmaypossiblygainsome,andthewholeofthetaxfallsexclusivelywhereitwasintended。
  Allthatportionoftheproduceofthecountrywhichanyone,notalabourer,actuallyandliterallyconsumesforhisownuse,doesnotcontributeinthesmallestdegreetothemaintenanceoflabour。Nooneisbenefitedbymereconsumption,exceptthepersonwhoconsumes。Andapersoncannotbothconsumehisincomehimself,andmakeitovertobeconsumedbyothers。Takingawayacertainportionbytaxationcannotdeprivebothhimandthemofit,butonlyhimorthem。Toknowwhichisthesufferer,wemustunderstandwhoseconsumptionwillhavetoberetrenchedinconsequence:this,whoeveritbe,isthepersononwhomthetaxreallyfalls。
  NOTES:
  1。Anexceptionmustbeadmittedwhentheindustrycreatedorupheldbytherestrictivelawbelongstotheclassofwhatarecalleddomesticmanufactures。Thesebeingcarriedonbypersonsalreadyfed——bylabouringfamilies,intheintervalsofotheremployment——notransferofcapitaltotheoccupationisnecessarytoitsbeingundertaken,beyondthevalueofthematerialsandtools,whichisofteninconsiderable。If,therefore,aprotectingdutycausesthisoccupationtobecarriedon,whenitotherwisewouldnot,thereisinthiscasearealincreaseoftheproductionofthecountry。
  Inordertorenderourtheoreticalpropositioninvulnerable,thispeculiarcasemustbeallowedfor;butitdoesnottouchthepracticaldoctrineoffreetrade。Domesticmanufacturescannot,fromtheverynatureofthings,requireprotection,sincethesubstanceofthelabourersbeingprovidedfromothersources,thepriceoftheproduct,howevermuchitmaybereduced,isnearlyallcleargain。If,therefore,thedomesticproducersretirefromthecompetition,itisneverfromnecessity,butbecausetheproductisnotworththelabouritcosts,intheopinionofthebestjudges,thosewhoenjoytheoneandundergotheother。Theypreferthesacrificeofbuyingtheirclothingtothelabourofmakingit。Theywillnotcontinuetheirlabourunlesssocietywillgivethemmoreforit,thaninthierownopinionitsproductisworth。
  2。Itisworthwhiletodirectattentiontoseveralcircumstanceswhichtoacertainextentdiminishthedetrimentcausedtothegeneralwealthbytheprodigalityofindividuals,orraiseupacompensation,moreorlessample,asaconsequenceofthedetrimentitself。Oneoftheseis,thatspendthriftsdonotusuallysucceedinconsumingalltheyspend。Theirhabitualcarelessnessastoexpenditurecausesthemtobecheatedandrobbedonallquarters,oftenbypersonsoffrugalhabits。Largeaccumulationsarecontinuallymadebyagents,stewards,andevendomesticservants,ofimprovidentpersonsoffortune;andtheypaymuchhigherpricesforallpurchasesthanpeopleofcarefulhabits,whichaccountsfortheirbeingpopularascustomers。Theyare,therefore,acutallynotabletogetintotheirpossessionanddestroyaquantityofwealthbyanymeansequivalenttothefortunewhichtheydissipate。Muchofitismerelytransferredtoothers,bywhomapartmaybesaved。Anotherthingtobeobservedis,thattheprodigalityofsomemayreduceotherstoaforcedeconomy。Supposeasuddendemandforsomearticleofluxury,causedbythecapriceofaprodigal,whichnothavingbeencalculatedonbeforehand,therehasbeennoincreaseoftheusualsupply。Thepricewillrise;andmayrisebeyondthemeansortheinclinationsofsomeofthehabitualconsumers,whomayinconsequenceforegotheiraccustomedindulgence,andsavetheamount。Iftheydonot,butcontinuetoexpendasgreatavalueasbeforeonthecommodity,thedealersinitobtain,foronlythesamequantityofthearticle,areturnincreasedbythewholeofwhatthespendthrifthaspaid;andthustheamountwhichhelosesistransferredbodilytothem,andmaybeaddedtotheircapital;hisincreasedpersonalconsumptionbeingmadeupbytheprivationsoftheotherpurchasers,whohaveobtainedlessthanusualoftheiraccustomedgratificationforthesameequivalent。
  Ontheotherhand,acounter—processmustbegoingonsomewhere,sincetheprodigalmusthavediminishedhispurchasesinsomeotherquartertobalancetheaugmentationinthis;hehasperhapscalledinfundsemployedinsustainingproductivelabour,andthedealersinsubsistenceandintheinstrumentsofproductionhavehadcommoditiesleftontheirhands,orhavereceived,fortheusualamountofcommodities,alessthanusualreturn。Butsuchlossesofincomeorcapital,byindustriouspersons,exceptwhenofextraordinaryamount,aregenerallymadeupbyincreasingpinchingandprivation;sothatthecapitalofthecommunitymaynotbe,onthewhole,impaired,andtheprodigalmayhavehadhisself—indulgenceattheexpensenotofthepermanentresources,butofthetemporarypleasuresandcomfortsofothers。Forineverycasethecommunityarepoorerbywhatanyonespends,unlessothersareinconsequenceledtocurtailtheirspending。
  Thereareyetotherandmorereconditewaysinwhichtheprofusionofsomemaybringaboutitscompensationintheextrasavingsofothers;butthesecanonlybeconsideredinthatpartoftheFourthBook,whichtreatsofthelimitingprincipletotheaccumulationofcapital。
  3。Ontheotherhand,itmustberememberedthatwarabstractsfromproductiveemploymentnotonlycapital,butlikewiselabourers;thatthefundswithdrawnfromtherenumerationofproductivelabourersarepartlyemployedinpayingthesameorotherindividualsforunproductivelabour;andthatbythisportionofitseffects,warexpenditureactsinpreciselytheoppositemannertothatwhichDr。Chalmerspointsout,and,sofarasitgoes,directlycounteractstheeffectsdescribedinthetext。Sofaraslabourersaretakenfromproduction,tomanthearmyandnavy,thelabouringclassesarenotdamaged,thecapitalistsarenotbenefited,andthegeneralproduceofthecountryisdiminished,bywarexpenditure。Accordingly,Dr。
  Chalmers’sdoctrine,thoughtrueofthiscountry,iswhollyinapplicabletocountriesdifferentlycircumstanced;toFrance,forexample,duringtheNapoleonwars。AtthatperiodthedraughtonthelabouringpopulationofFrance,foralongseriesofyears,wasenormous,whilethefundswhichsupportedthewarweremostlysuppliedbycontributionsleviedonthecountriesoverrunbytheFrencharms,averysmallproportionaloneconsistingofFrenchcapital。InFrance,accordingly,thewagesoflabourdidnotfall,butrose;theemployersoflabourwerenotbenefited,butinjured;whilethewealthofthecountrywasimpairedbythesuspensionortotallossofsovastanamountofitsproductivelabour。InEnglandallthiswasreversed。Englandemployedcomparativelyfewadditionalsoldiersandsailorsofherown,whileshedivertedhundredsofmillionsofcapitalfromproductiveemployment,tosupplymunitionsofwarandsupportarmiesforherContinentalallies。Consequently,asshowninthetext,herlabourerssuffered,hercapitalistsprospered,andherpermanentproductiveresourcesdidnotfalloff。
  4。Thefollowingcase,whichpresentstheargumentinasomewhatdifferentshape,mayserveforstillfurtherillustration。
  Supposethatarichindividual,A,expendsacertainamountdailyinwagesoralms,which,assoonasreceived,isexpendedandconsumed,intheformofcoarsefood,bythereceivers。A
  dies,leavinghispropertytoB,whodiscontinuesthisitemofexpenditure,andexpendsinlieuofitthesamesumeachdayindelicaciesforhisowntable,Ihavechosenthissupposition,inorderthtthetwocasesmaybesimilarinalltheircircumstances,exceptthatwhichisthesubjectofcomparison。Inordernottoobscuretheessentialfactsofthecasebyexhibitingthemthroughthehazymediumofamoneytransaction,letusfurthersupposethatA,andBafterhim,arelandlordsoftheestateonwhichboththefoodconsumedbytherecipientsofA’sdisbursements,andthearticlesofluxurysuppliedforB’stable,areproduced;andthattheirrentispaidtotheminkind,theygivingpreviousnoticewhatdescriptionofproducetheyshallrequire。Thequestionis,whetherB’sexpendituregivesasmuchemploymentorasmuchfoodtohispoorerneighboursasA’sgave。
  Fromthecaseasstated,itseemstofollowthatwhileA
  lived,thatportionofhisincomewhichheexpendedinwagesoralms,wouldbedrawnbyhimfromthefarmintheshapeoffoodforlabourers,andwouldbeusedassuch;whileB,whocameafterhim,wouldrequire,insteadofthis,anequivalentvalueinexpensivearticlesoffood,tobeconsumedinhisownhousehold:
  thatthefarmer,therefore,would,underB’sregime,producethatmuchlessofordinaryfood,andmoreofexpensivedelicacies,foreachdayoftheyear,thanwasproducedinA’stime,andthattherewouldbethatamountlessoffoodshared,throughouttheyear,amongthelabouringandpoorerclasses。Thisiswhatwouldbeconformabletotheprincipleslaiddowninthetext。Thosewhothinkdifferently,must,ontheotherhand,supposethattheluxuriesrequiredbyBwouldbeproduced,notinsteadof,butinadditionto,thefoodpreviouslysuppliedtoA’slabourers,andthattheaggregateproduceofthecountrywouldbeincreasedinamount。Butwhenitisasked,howthisdoubleproductionwouldbeeffected,wouldbeenabledtosupplythenewwantsofB,withoutproducinglessofotherthings;theonlymodewhichpresentsitselfis,thatheshouldfirstproducethefood,andthen,givingthatfoodtothelabourerswhomAformerlyfed,shouldbymeansoftheirlabour,producetheluxurieswantedbyB。Thisaccordingly,whentheobjectorsarehardpressed,appearstobereallytheirmeaning。Butitisanobviousanswer,thatonthissupposition,Bmustwaitforhisluxuriestillthesecondyear,andtheyarewantedthisyear。Bytheoriginalhypothesis,heconsumeshisluxuriousdinnerdaybyday,paripassuwiththerationsofbreadandpotatoesformerlyservedoutbyAtohislabourers。Thereisnottimetofeedthelabourersfirst,andsupplyBafterwards:heandtheycannotbothhavetheirwantsministeredto:hecanonlysatisfyhisowndemandforcommodities,byleavingasmuchoftheirs,aswasformerlysuppliedfromthatfund,unsatisfied。
  Itmay,indeed,berejoinedbyanobjector,thatsince,onthepresentshowing,timeistheonlythingwantingtorendertheexpenditureofBconsistentwithaslargeanemploymenttolabouraswasgivenbyA,whymaywenotsupposethatBpostponeshisincreasedconsumptionofpersonalluxuriesuntiltheycanbefurnishedtohimbythelabourofthepersonswhomAemployed?Inthatcase,itmaybesaid,hewouldemployandfeedasmuchlabourashispredecessors。Undoubtedlyhewould;butwhy?
  Becausehisincomewouldbeexpendedinexactlythesamemannerashispredecessor’s;itwouldbeexpendedinwages。Areservedfromhispersonalconsumptionafundwhichhepaidawaydirectlytolabourers;Bdoesthesame,onlyinsteadofpayingittothemhimself,heleavesinthehandsofthefarmer,whopaysittothemforhim。Onthissupposition,B,inthefirstyear,neitherexpendingtheamount,asfarasheispersonallyconcerned,inA’smannernorinhisown,reallysavesthatportionofhisincome,andlendsittothefarmer。Andif,insubsequentyears,confininghimselfwithintheyear’sincome,heleavesthefarmerinarrearstothatamount,itbecomesanadditionalcapital,withwhichthefarmermaypermanentlyemployandfeedA’slabourers。
  Nobodypretendsthatsuchachangeasthis,achangefromspendinganincomeinwagesoflabour,tosavingitforinvestment,deprivesanylabourersofemployment。Whatisaffirmedtohavethateffectis,thechangefromhiringlabourerstobuyingcommoditiesforpersonaluse;asrepresentedbyouroriginalhypothesis。
  Inourillustrationwehavesupposednobuyingandselling,oruseofmoney。Butthecaseaswehaveputit,correspondswithactualfactineverythingexceptthedetailsofthemechanism。
  Thewholeofanycountryisvirtuallyasinglefarmandmanufactory,fromwhicheverymemberofthecommunitydrawshisappointedshareoftheproduce,havingacertainnumberofcounters,calledpoundssterling,putintohishands,which,athisconvenience,hebringsbackandexchangesforsuchgoodsasheprefers,uptothelimitoftheamount。Hedoesnot,asinourimaginarycase,givenoticebeforehandwhatthingsheshallrequire;butthedealersandproducersarequitecapableoffindingitoutbyobservation,andanychangeinthedemandispromptlyfollowedbyanadaptationofthesupplytoit。Ifaconsumerchangesfrompayingawayapartofhisincomeinwages,tospendingitthatsameday(notsomesubsequentanddistantday)inthingsforhisownconsumption,andperseveresinthisalteredpracticeuntilproductionhashadtimetoadaptitselftothealterationofdemand,therewillfromthattimebelessfoodandotherarticlesfortheuseoflabourers,producedinthecountry,byexactlythevalueoftheextraluxuriesnowdemanded;
  andthelabourers,asaclass,willbeworseoffbythepreciseamount。
  ThePrinciplesofPoliticalEconomy
  byJohnStuartMill
  Book1,Chapter6
  OnCirculatingandFixedCapital
  1。Tocompleteourexplanationsonthesubjectofcapital,it
  isnecessarytosaysomethingofthetwospeciesintowhichitis
  usuallydivided。Thedistinctionisveryobvious,andthoughnot
  named,hasbeenoftenadvertedto,inthetwoprecedingchapters:
  butitisnowpropertodefineitaccurately,andtopointouta
  fewofitsconsequences。
  Ofthecapitalengagedintheproductionofanycommodity,
  thereisapartwhich,afterbeingonceused,existsnolongeras
  capital;isnolongercapableofrenderingservicetoproduction,
  oratleastnotthesameservice,nortothesamesortof
  production。Such,forexample,istheportionofcapitalwhich
  consistsofmaterials。Thetallowandalkaliofwhichsoapis
  made,onceusedinthemanufacture,aredestroyedasalkaliand
  tallow;andcannotbeemployedanyfurtherinthesoap
  manufacture,thoughintheiralteredcondition,assoap,theyare
  capableofbeingusedasamaterialoraninstrumentinother
  branchesofmanufacture。Inthesamedivisionmustbeplacedthe
  portionofcapitalwhichispaidasthewages,orconsumedasthe
  subsistence,oflabourers。Thepartofthecapitalofa
  cottonspinnerwhichhepaysawaytohiswork—people,onceso
  paid,existsnolongerashiscapital,orasacotton—spinner’s
  capital:suchportionofitastheworkmenconsume,nolonger
  existsascapitalatall:eveniftheysaveanypart,itmaynow
  bemoreproperlyregardedasafreshcapital,theresultofa
  secondactofaccumulation。Capitalwhichinthismannerfulfils
  thewholeofitsofficeintheproductioninwhichitisengaged,
  byasingleuse,iscalledCirculatingCapital。Theterm,which
  isnotveryappropriate,isderivedfromthecircumstance,that
  thisportionofcapitalrequirestobeconstantlyrenewedbythe
  saleofthefinishedproduct,andwhenrenewedisperpetually
  partedwithinbuyingmaterialsandpayingwages;sothatitdoes
  itswork,notbybeingkept,butbychanginghands。
  Anotherlargeportionofcapital,however,consistsin
  instrumentsofproduction,ofamoreorlesspermanentcharacter;
  whichproducetheireffectnotbybeingpartedwith,butbybeing
  kept;andtheefficacyofwhichisnotexhaustedbyasingleuse。
  Tothisclassbelongbuildings,machinery,andallormostthings
  knownbythenameofimplementsortools。Thedurabilityofsome
  oftheseisconsiderable,andtheirfunctionasproductive
  instrumentsisprolongedthroughmanyrepetitionsofthe
  productiveoperation。Inthisclassmustlikewisebeincluded
  capitalsunk(astheexpressionis)inpermanentimprovementsof
  land。Soalsothecapitalexpendedonceforall,inthe
  commencementofanundertaking,topreparethewayforsubsequent
  operations:theexpenseofopeningamine,forexample:of
  cuttingcanals,ofmakingroadsordocks。Otherexamplesmightbe
  added,butthesearesufficient。Capitalwhichexistsinanyof
  thesedurableshapes,andthereturntowhichisspreadovera
  periodofcorrespondingduration,iscalledFixedCapital。
  Offixedcapital,somekindsrequiretobeoccasionallyor
  periodicallyrenewed。Suchareallimplementsandbuildings:they
  require,atintervals,partialrenewalbymeansofrepairs,and
  areatlastentirelywornout,andcannotbeofanyfurther
  serviceasbuildingsandimplements,butfallbackintotheclass
  ofmaterials。Inothercases,thecapitaldoesnot,unlessasa
  consequenceofsomeunusualaccident,requireentirerenewal:but
  thereisalwayssomeoutlayneeded,eitherregularlyoratleast
  occasionally,tokeepitup。Adockoracanal,oncemade,does
  notrequire,likeamachine,tobemadeagain,unlesspurposely
  destroyed,orunlessanearthquakeorsomesimilarcatastrophe
  hasfilleditup:butregularandfrequentoutlaysarenecessary
  tokeepitinrepair。Thecostofopeningamineneedsnotbe
  incurredasecondtime;butunlesssomeonegoestotheexpense
  ofkeepingthemineclearofwater,itissoonrendereduseless。
  Themostpermanentofallkindsoffixedcapitalisthatemployed
  ingivingincreasedproductivenesstoanaturalagent,suchas
  land。ThedrainingofmarshyorinundatedtractsliketheBedford
  Level,thereclaimingoflandfromthesea,oritsprotectionby
  embankments,areimprovementscalculatedforperpetuity;but
  drainsanddykesrequirefrequentrepairs。Thesamecharacterof
  perpetuitybelongstotheimprovementoflandbysubsoil
  draining,whichaddssomuchtotheproductivenessoftheclay
  soils;orbypermanentmanures,thatis,bytheadditiontothe
  soil,notofthesubstanceswhichenterintothecompositionof
  vegetables,andwhicharethereforeconsumedbyvegetation,but
  ofthosewhichmerelyaltertherelationofthesoiltoairand
  water;assandandlimeontheheavysoils,clayandmarlonthe
  light。Evensuchworks,however,requiresome,thoughitmaybe
  verylittle,occasionaloutlaytomaintaintheirfulleffect。
  Theseimprovements,however,bytheveryfactoftheir
  deservingthattitle,produceanincreaseofreturn,which,after
  defrayingallexpenditurenecessaryforkeepingthemup,still
  leavesasurplus。Thissurplusformsthereturntothecapital
  sunkinthefirstinstance,andthatreturndoesnot,asinthe
  caseofmachinery,terminatebythewearingoutofthemachine,
  butcontinuesforever。Theland,thusincreasedin
  productiveness,bearsavalueinthemarket,proportionaltothe
  increase:andhenceitisusualtoconsiderthecapitalwhichwas
  invested,orsunk,inmakingtheimprovement,asstillexisting
  intheincreasedvalueoftheland。Theremustbenomistake,
  however。Thecapital,likeallothercapital,hasbeenconsumed。
  Itwasconsumedinmaintainingthelabourerswhoexecutedthe
  improvement,andinthewearandtearofthetoolsbywhichthey
  wereassisted。Butitwasconsumedproductively,andhaslefta
  permanentresultintheimprovedproductivenessofan
  appropriatednaturalagent,theland。Wemaycalltheincreased
  producethejointresultofthelandandofacapitalfixedin
  theland。Butasthecapital,havinginrealitybeenconsumed,
  cannotbewithdrawn,itsproductivenessisthenceforth
  indissolublyblendedwiththatarisingfromtheoriginal
  qualitiesofthesoil;andtheremunerationfortheuseofit
  thenceforthdepends,notuponthelawswhichgovernthereturns
  tolabourandcapital,butuponthosewhichgoverntherecompense
  fornaturalagents。Whattheseare,weshallseehereafter。(1*)
  2。Thereisagreatdifferencebetweentheeffectsof
  circulatingandthoseoffixedcapital,ontheamountofthe
  grossproduceofthecountry。Circulatingcapitalbeingdestroyed
  assuch,oratanyratefinallylosttotheowner,byasingle
  use;andtheproductresultingfromthatoneusebeingtheonly
  sourcefromwhichtheownercanreplacethecapital,orobtain
  anyremunerationforitsproductiveemployment;theproductmust
  ofcoursebesufficientforthosepurposes,orinotherwords,
  theresultofasingleusemustbeareproductionequaltothe
  wholeamountofthecirculatingcapitalused,andaprofit
  besides。This,however,isbynomeansnecessaryinthecaseof
  fixedcapital。Sincemachinery,forexample,isnotwholly
  consumedbyoneuse,itisnotnecessarythatitshouldbewholly
  replacedfromtheproductofthatuse。Themachineanswersthe
  purposeofitsownerifitbringsin,duringeachintervalof
  time,enoughtocovertheexpenseofrepairs,andthe
  deteriorationinvaluewhichthemachinehassustainedduringthe
  sametime,withasurplussufficienttoyieldtheordinaryprofit
  ontheentirevalueofthemachine。
  Fromthisitfollowsthatallincreaseoffixedcapital,when
  takingplaceattheexpenseofcirculating,mustbe,atleast
  temporarily,prejudicialtotheinterestsofthelabourers。This
  istrue,notofmachineryalone,butofallimprovementsbywhich
  capitalissunk;thatis,renderedpermanentlyincapableofbeing
  appliedtothemaintenanceandremunerationoflabour。Suppose
  thatapersonfarmshisownland,withacapitaloftwothousand
  quartersofcorn,employedinmaintaininglabourersduringone
  year(forsimplicityweomittheconsiderationofseedand
  tools),whoselabourproduceshimannuallytwothousandfour
  hundredquarters,beingaprofitoftwentypercent。Thisprofit
  weshallsupposethatheannuallyconsumes,carryingonhis
  operationsfromyeartoyearontheoriginalcapitaloftwo
  thousandquarters。Letusnowsupposethatbytheexpenditureof
  halfhiscapitalheeffectsapermanentimprovementofhisland,
  whichisexecutedbyhalfhislabourers,andoccupiesthemfora
  year,afterwhichhewillonlyrequire,fortheeffectual
  cultivationofhisland,halfasmanylabourersasbefore。The
  remainderofhiscapitalheemploysasusual。Inthefirstyear
  thereisnodifferenceintheconditionofthelabourers,except
  thatpartofthemhavereceivedthesamepayforanoperationon
  theland,whichtheypreviouslyobtainedforploughing,sowing,
  andreaping。Attheendoftheyear,however,theimproverhas
  not,asbefore,acapitaloftwothousandquartersofcorn。Only
  onethousandquartersofhiscapitalhavebeenreproducedinthe
  usualway:hehasnowonlythosethousandquartersandhis
  improvement。Hewillemploy,inthenextandineachfollowing
  year,onlyhalfthenumberoflabourers,andwilldivideamong
  themonlyhalftheformerquantityofsubsistence。Thelosswill
  soonbemadeuptothemiftheimprovedland,withthediminished
  quantityoflabour,producestwothousandfourhundredquarters
  asbefore,becausesoenormousanaccessionofgainwillprobably
  inducetheimprovertosaveapart,addittohiscapital,and
  becomealargeremployeroflabour。Butitisconceivablethat
  thismaynotbethecase;for(supposing,aswemaydo,thatthe
  improvementwilllastindefinitely,withoutanyoutlayworth
  mentioningtokeepitup)theimproverwillhavegainedlargely
  byhisimprovementifthelandnowyields,nottwothousandfour
  hundred,butonethousandfivehundredquarters;sincethiswill
  replacetheonethousandquartersforminghispresentcirculating
  capital,withaprofitoftwenty—fivepercent(insteadoftwenty
  asbefore)onthewholecapital,fixedandcirculatingtogether。
  Theimprovement,therefore,maybeaveryprofitableonetohim,
  andyetveryinjurioustothelabourers。
  Thesupposition,inthetermsinwhichithasbeenstated,is
  purelyideal;oratmostapplicableonlytosuchacaseasthat
  oftheconversionofarablelandintopasture,which,though
  formerlyafrequentpractice,isregardedbymodern
  agriculturistsasthereverseofanimprovement。(2*)Butthis
  doesnotaffectthesubstanceoftheargument。Supposethatthe
  improvementdoesnotoperateinthemannersupposed——doesnot
  enableapartofthelabourpreviouslyemployedonthelandtobe
  dispensedwith——butonlyenablesthesamelabourtoraisea
  greaterproduce。Suppose,too,thatthegreaterproduce,whichby
  meansoftheimprovementcanberaisedfromthesoilwiththe
  samelabour,isallwanted,andwillfindpurchasers。The
  improverwillinthatcaserequirethesamenumberoflabourers
  asbefore,atthesamewages。Butwherewillhefindthemeansof
  payingthem?Hehasnolongerhisoriginalcapitaloftwo
  thousandquartersdisposableforthepurpose。Onethousandof
  themarelostandgone——consumedinmakingtheimprovement。If
  heistoemployasmanylabourersasbefore,andpaythemas
  highly,hemustborrow,orobtainfromsomeothersource,a
  thousandquarterstosupplythedeficit。Butthesethousand
  quartersalreadymaintained,orweredestinedtomaintain,an
  equivalentquantityoflabour。Theyarenotafreshcreation;
  theirdestinationisonlychangedfromoneproductiveemployment
  toanother;andthoughtheagriculturisthasmadeupthe
  deficiencyinhisowncirculatingcapital,thebreachinthe
  circulatingcapitalofthecommunityremainsunrepaired。
  Theargumentreliedonbymostofthosewhocontendthat
  machinerycanneverbeinjurioustothelabouringclass,is,that
  bycheapeningproductionitcreatessuchanincreaseddemandfor
  thecommodity,asenables,erelong,agreaternumberofpersons
  thanevertofindemploymentinproducingit。Thisargumentdoes
  notseemtometohavetheweightcommonlyascribedtoit。The
  fact,thoughtoobroadlystated,is,nodoubt,oftentrue。The
  copyistswhowerethrownoutofemploymentbytheinventionof
  printing,weredoubtlesssoonoutnumberedbythecompositorsand
  pressmenwhotooktheirplace;andthenumberoflabouring
  personsnowoccupiedinthecottonmanufactureismanytimes
  greaterthanweresooccupiedpreviouslytotheinventionsof
  HargreavesandArkwright,whichshowsthatbesidestheenormous
  fixedcapitalnowembarkedinthemanufacture,italsoemploysa
  farlargercirculatingcapitalthanatanyformertime。Butif
  thiscapitalwasdrawnfromotheremployments;ifthefundswhich
  tooktheplaceofthecapitalsunkincostlymachinery,were
  suppliednotbyanyadditionalsavingconsequentonthe
  improvements,butbydraftsonthegeneralcapitalofthe
  community。whatbetterwerethelabouringclassesforthemere
  transfer?Inwhatmannerwasthelosstheysustainedbythe
  conversionofcirculatingintofixedcapitalmadeuptothembya
  mereshiftingofpartoftheremainderofthecirculatingcapital
  fromitsoldemploymentstoanewone?
  Allattemptstomakeoutthatthelabouringclassesasa
  collectivebodycannotsuffertemporarilybytheintroductionof
  machinery,orbythesinkingofcapitalinpermanent
  improvements,are,Iconceive,necessarilyfallacious。Thatthey
  wouldsufferintheparticulardepartmentofindustrytowhich
  thechangeapplies,isgenerallyadmitted,andobvioustocommon
  sense;butitisoftensaid,thatthoughemploymentiswithdrawn
  fromlabourinonedepartment,anexactlyequivalentemployment
  isopenedforitinothers,becausewhattheconsumerssavein
  theincreasedcheapnessofoneparticulararticleenablesthemto
  augmenttheirconsumptionofothers,therebyincreasingthe
  demandforotherkindsoflabour。Thisisplausible,but,aswas
  showninthelastchapter,involvesafallacy;demandfor
  commoditiesbeingatotallydifferentthingfromdemandfor
  labour。Itistrue,theconsumershavenowadditionalmeansof
  buyingotherthings;butthiswillnotcreatetheotherthings,
  unlessthereiscapitaltoproducethem,andtheimprovementhas
  notsetatlibertyanycapital,ifevenithasnotabsorbedsome
  fromotheremployments。Thesupposedincreaseofproductionand
  ofemploymentforlabourinotherdepartmentsthereforewillnot
  takeplace;andtheincreaseddemandforcommoditiesbysome
  consumers,willbebalancedbyacessationofdemandonthepart
  ofothers,namely,thelabourerswhoweresupersededbythe
  improvement,andwhowillnowbemaintained,ifatall,by
  sharing,eitherinthewayofcompetitionorofcharity,inwhat
  waspreviouslyconsumedbyotherpeople。