6。Oneoftheweakestpointsoftechnicaleducationisthatitdoesnoteducatethesenseofproportionandthedesireforsimplicityofdetail。TheEnglish,andtoanevengreaterextent,theAmericans,haveacquiredinactualbusinessthefacultyofrejectingintricaciesinmachineryandprocesses,whicharenotworthwhattheycost,andpracticalinstinctofthiskindoftenenablesthemtosucceedincompetitionwithContinentalrivalswhoaremuchbettereducated。
7。AgoodplanisthatofspendingthesixwintermonthsofseveralyearsafterleavingschoolinlearningscienceinCollege,andthesixsummermonthsasarticledpupilsinlargeworkshops。ThepresentwriterintroducedthisplanaboutfortyyearsagoatUniversityCollege,BristolnowtheUniversityofBristol。Butithaspracticaldifficultieswhichcanbeovercomeonlybythecordialandgenerousco-operationoftheheadsoflargefirmswiththeCollegeauthorities。AnotherexcellentplanisthatadoptedintheschoolattachedtotheworksofMessrsMatherandPlattatManchester。Thedrawingsmadeintheschoolareofworkactuallyinprogressintheshops。Onedaytheteachergivesthenecessaryexplanationsandcalculations,andthenextdaythescholarssee,asitwereontheanvil,theverythingwhichhasbeenthesubjectofhislecture。
8。Theemployerbindshimselftoseethattheapprenticeisthoroughlytaughtintheworkshopallthesubdivisionsofonegreatdivisionofhistrade,insteadoflettinghimlearnonlyoneofthesesubdivisions,astoooftenhappensnow。Theapprentice’strainingwouldthenoftenbeasbroadasifhehadbeentaughtthewholeofthetradeasitexistedafewgenerationsago。anditmightbesupplementedbyatheoreticalknowledgeofallbranchesofthetrade,acquiredinatechnicalschool。SomethingresemblingtheoldapprenticeshipsystemhasrecentlycomeintovogueforyoungEnglishmenwhodesiretolearnthebusinessoffarmingunderthepeculiarconditionsofanewcountry……andtherearesomesignsthattheplanmaybeextendedtothebusinessoffarminginthiscountry,forwhichitisinmanyrespectsadmirablyadapted。Butthereremainsagreatdealofeducationsuitabletothefarmerandtothefarm-labourerwhichcanbestbegiveninagriculturalcollegesanddairyschools。
Meanwhilemanygreatagenciesforthetechnicaleducationofadultsarebeingrapidlydeveloped,suchaspublicexhibitions,tradeassociationsandcongresses,andtradejournals。Eachofthemhasitsownworktodo。Inagricultureandsomeothertradesthegreatestaidtoprogressisperhapsfoundinpublicshows。
Butthoseindustries,whicharemoreadvancedandinthehandsofpersonsofstudioushabits,owemoretothediffusionofpracticalandscientificknowledgebytradejournals。which,aidedbychangesinthemethodsofindustryandalsoinitssocialconditions,arebreakinguptradesecretsandhelpingmenofsmallmeansincompetitionwiththeirricherrivals。
9。TheheadsofalmosteveryprogressivefirmontheContinenthavecarefullystudiedprocessesandmachineryinforeignlands。
TheEnglisharegreattravellers。butpartlyperhapsonaccountoftheirignoranceofotherlanguagestheyseemhardlytosetenoughstoreonthetechnicaleducationthatcanbegainedbythewiseuseoftravel。
10。Infacteverydesignerinaprimitiveageisgovernedbyprecedent:onlyverydaringpeopledepartfromit。eventheydonotdepartfar,andtheirinnovationsaresubjectedtothetestofexperience,which,inthelongrun,isinfallible。Forthoughthecrudestandmostridiculousfashionsinartandinliteraturewillbeacceptedbythepeopleforatimeatthebiddingoftheirsocialsuperiors,nothingbuttrueartisticexcellencehasenabledaballadoramelody,astyleofdressorapatternoffurnituretoretainitspopularityamongawholenationformanygenerationstogether。Theseinnovations,then,whichwereinconsistentwiththetruespiritofartweresuppressed,andthosethatwereontherighttrackwereretained,andbecamethestarting-pointforfurtherprogress。andthustraditionalinstinctsplayedagreatpartinpreservingthepurityoftheindustrialartsinOrientalcountries,andtoalessextentinmedievalEurope。
11。FrenchdesignersfinditbesttoliveinParis:iftheystayforlongoutofcontactwiththecentralmovementsoffashiontheyseemtofallbehindhand。Mostofthemhavebeeneducatedasartists,buthavefailedoftheirhighestambition。Itisonlyinexceptionalcases,asforinstancefortheS鑦reschina,thatthosewhohavesucceededasartistsfinditworththeirwhiletodesign。Englishmencan,however,holdtheirownindesigningforOrientalmarkets,andthereisevidencethattheEnglishareatleastequaltotheFrenchinoriginality。thoughtheyareinferiorinquicknessinseeinghowtogroupformsandcolourssoastoobtainaneffectiveresult。SeetheReportonTechnicalEducation,Vol。1,pp。256,261,324,325andVol。III,pp。
151-2,202-3,211andpassim。Itisprobablethattheprofessionofthemoderndesignerhasnotyetrisentothebestpositionwhichitiscapableofholding。Forithasbeentoadisproportionateextentundertheinfluenceofonenation。andthatnationisonewhoseworksinthehighestbranchesofarthaveseldombornetobetransplanted。Theyhaveindeedoftenbeenapplaudedandimitatedatthetimebyothernations,buttheyhaveasyetseldomstruckakey-noteforthebestworkoflatergenerations。
12。Thepaintersthemselveshaveputonrecordintheportrait-galleriesthefactthatinmedievaltimes,andevenlater,theirartattractedalargershareofthebestintellectthanitdoesnow。whentheambitionofyouthistemptedbytheexcitementofmodernbusiness,whenitszealforimperishableachievementsfindsafieldinthediscoveriesofmodernscience,and,lastly,whenagreatdealofexcellenttalentisinsensiblydivertedfromhighaimsbythereadypaytobegotbyhastilywritinghalf-thoughtsforperiodicalliterature。
13。Millwassomuchimpressedbythedifficultiesthatbesetaparentintheattempttobringuphissontoanoccupationwidelydifferentincharacterfromhisown,thathesaidPrinciples,II,XIV,2:——Socomplete,indeed,hashithertobeentheseparation,sostronglymarkedthelineofdemarcation,betweenthedifferentgradesoflabourers,astobealmostequivalenttoanhereditarydistinctionofcaste。eachemploymentbeingchieflyrecruitedfromthechildrenofthosealreadyemployedinit,orinemploymentsofthesamerankwithitinsocialestimation,orfromthechildrenofpersonswho,iforiginallyofalowerrank,havesucceededinraisingthemselvesbytheirexertions。Theliberalprofessionsaremostlysuppliedbythesonsofeithertheprofessionalortheidleclasses:themorehighlyskilledmanualemploymentsarefilledupfromthesonsofskilledartisansortheclassoftradesmenwhorankwiththem:thelowerclassesofskilledemploymentsareinasimilarcase。andunskilledlabourers,withoccasionalexceptions,remainfromfathertosonintheirpristinecondition。Consequentlythewagesofeachclasshavehithertobeenregulatedbytheincreaseofitsownpopulation,ratherthanthatofthegeneralpopulationofthecountry。Buthegoeson,Thechanges,however,nowsorapidlytakingplaceinusagesandideasareunderminingallthesedistinctions。
Hispresciencehasbeenvindicatedbytheprogressofchangesincehewrote。Thebroadlinesofdivisionwhichhepointedouthavebeenalmostobliteratedbytherapidactionofthosecauseswhich,aswesawearlierinthechapter,arereducingtheamountofskillandabilityrequiredinsomeoccupationsandincreasingitinothers。Wecannotanylongerregarddifferentoccupationsasdistributedamongfourgreatplanes。butwemayperhapsthinkofthemasresemblingalongflightofstepsofunequalbreadth,someofthembeingsobroadastoactaslandingstages。Orevenbetterstillwemightpicturetoourselvestwoflightsofstairs,onerepresentingthehard-handedindustriesandtheotherthesofthandedindustries。becausetheverticaldivisionbetweenthesetwoisinfactasbroadandasclearlymarkedasthehorizontaldivisionbetweenanytwogrades。
Mill’sclassificationhadlostgreatpartofitsvaluewhenCairnesadopteditLeadingPrinciples,p。72。AclassificationmoresuitedtoourexistingconditionsisofferedbyGiddingsPoliticalScienceQuarterly,Vol。II,pp。69-71。Itisopentotheobjectionthatitdrawsbroadlinesofdivisionwherenaturehasmadenobroadlines。butitisperhapsasgoodasanydivisionofindustryintofourgradescanbe。Hisdivisionsareiautomaticmanuallabour,includingcommonlabourersandmachinetenders。iiresponsiblemanuallabour,includingthosewhocanbeentrustedwithsomeresponsibilityandlabourofself-direction。iiiautomaticbrainworkers,suchasbookkeepers,andivresponsiblebrainworkers,includingthesuperintendentsanddirectors。
Theconditionsandmethodsofthelargeandincessantmovementofthepopulationupwardsanddownwardsfromgradetogradearestudiedmorefullybelow,VI,IV,VandVII。
Thegrowingdemandforboystorunerrands,andtodootherworkthathasnoeducationalvalue,hasincreasedthedangerthatparentsmaysendtheirsonsintoavenuesthathavenooutlookforgoodemploymentinlateryears:andsomethingisbeingdonebypublicagency,andmorebythedevotionandenergyofmenandwomeninunofficialassociation,ingivingoutnotesofwarningagainstsuchblindalleyoccupations,andassistingladstopreparethemselvesforskilledwork。Theseeffortsmaybeofgreatnationalvalue。Butcaremustbetakenthatthisguidanceandhelpisasaccessibletothehigherstrainsoftheworkingclasspopulationwheninneedofitastothelower。lesttheraceshoulddegenerate。
Chapter7
TheGrowthofWealth1。Inthischapteritisnotnecessarytodistinguishthepointsofviewinwhichwealthisregardedastheobjectofconsumptionandasanagentofproduction。weareconcernedwiththegrowthofwealthsimply,andwehavenoneedtoemphasizeitsusesascapital。
Theearliestformsofwealthwereprobablyimplementsforhuntingandfishing,andpersonalornaments。and,incoldcountries,clothingandhuts。1*Duringthisstagethedomesticationofanimalsbegan。butatfirsttheywereprobablycaredforchieflyfortheirownsake,becausetheywerebeautiful,anditwaspleasanttohavethem。theywere,likearticlesofpersonalornament,desiredbecauseoftheimmediategratificationtobederivedfromtheirpossessionratherthanasaprovisionagainstfutureneeds。2*Graduallytheherdsofdomesticatedanimalsincreased。andduringthepastoralstagetheywereatoncethepleasureandtheprideoftheirpossessors,theoutwardemblemsofsocialrank,andbyfarthemostimportantstoreofwealthaccumulatedasaprovisionagainstfutureneeds。
Asnumbersthickenedandthepeoplesettleddowntoagriculture,cultivatedlandtookthefirstplaceintheinventoryofwealth。andthatpartofthevalueofthelandwhichwasduetoimprovementsamongwhichwellsheldaconspicuousplacebecamethechiefelementofcapital,inthenarrowersenseoftheterm。Nextinimportancecamehouses,domesticatedanimals,andinsomeplacesboatsandships。buttheimplementsofproduction,whetherforuseinagricultureorindomesticmanufactures,remainedforalongtimeoflittlevalue。Insomeplaces,however,preciousstonesandthepreciousmetalsinvariousformsbecameearlyaleadingobjectofdesireandarecognizedmeansofhoardingwealth。while,tosaynothingofthepalacesofmonarchs,alargepartofsocialwealthinmanycomparativelyrudecivilizationstooktheformofedificesforpublicpurposes,chieflyreligious,andofroadsandbridges,ofcanalsandirrigationworks。
Forsomethousandsofyearstheseremainedthechiefformsofaccumulatedwealth。Intownsindeedhousesandhouseholdfurnituretookthefirstplace,andstocksofthemoreexpensiveofrawmaterialscountedforagooddeal。butthoughtheinhabitantsofthetownshadoftenmorewealthperheadthanthoseofthecountry,theirtotalnumbersweresmall。andtheiraggregatewealthwasverymuchlessthanthatofthecountry。
Duringallthistimetheonlytradethatusedveryexpensiveimplementswasthetradeofcarryinggoodsbywater:theweaver’slooms,thehusbandman’sploughsandtheblacksmith’sanvilswereofsimpleconstructionandwereoflittleaccountbesidethemerchant’sships。ButintheeighteenthcenturyEnglandinauguratedtheeraofexpensiveimplements。
TheimplementsoftheEnglishfarmerhadbeenrisingslowlyinvalueforalongtime。buttheprogresswasquickenedintheeighteenthcentury。AfterawhiletheusefirstofwaterpowerandthenofsteampowercausedtherapidSubstitutionofexpensivemachineryforinexpensivehandtoolsinonedepartmentofproductionafteranother。Asinearliertimesthemostexpensiveimplementswereshipsandinsomecasescanalsfornavigationandirrigation,sonowtheyarethemeansoflocomotioningeneral——railways。andtramways,canals,docksandships,telegraphandtelephonesystemsandwater-works:evengas-worksmightalmostcomeunderthishead,onthegroundthatagreatpartoftheirplantisdevotedtodistributingthegas。
Afterthesecomeminesandironandchemicalworks,ship-buildingyards,printing-presses,andotherlargefactoriesfullofexpensivemachinery。
Onwhicheversidewelookwefindthattheprogressanddiffusionofknowledgeareconstantlyleadingtotheadoptionofnewprocessesandnewmachinerywhicheconomizehumaneffortonconditionthatsomeoftheeffortisspentagoodwhilebeforetheattainmentoftheultimateendstowhichitisdirected。Itisnoteasytomeasurethisprogressexactly,becausemanymodernindustrieshadnocounterpartinancienttimes。Butletuscomparethepastandpresentconditionsofthefourgreatindustriestheproductsofwhichhavenotchangedtheirgeneralcharacter:viz。agriculture,thebuilding,thecloth-making,andthecarryingtrades。Inthefirsttwoofthesehandworkstillretainsanimportantplace:buteveninthemthereisagreatdevelopmentofexpensivemachinery。CompareforinstancetherudeimplementsofanIndianRyotevenofto-daywiththeequipmentofaprogressiveLowlandfarmer。3*andconsiderthebrick-making,mortar-making,sawing,planing,mouldingandslottingmachinesofamodernbuilder,hissteamcranesandhiselectriclight。Andifweturntothetextiletrades,oratleasttothoseofthemwhichmakethesimplerproducts,wefindeachoperativeinearlytimescontentwithimplementsthecostofwhichwasequivalenttobutafewmonthsofhislabour。whileinmoderntimesitisestimatedthatforeachman,womanandchildemployedthereisacapitalinplantaloneofmorethan?00,orsaytheequivalentoffiveyears’labour。Againthecostofasteam-shipisperhapsequivalenttothelabourforfifteenyearsormoreofthosewhoworkher。whileacapitalofabout?,000,000,000investedinrailwaysinEnglandandWalesisequivalenttotheworkformorethantwentyyearsofthe300,000wage-earnersemployedonthem。
2。Ascivilizationhasprogressed,manhasalwaysbeendevelopingnewwants,andnewandmoreexpensivewaysofgratifyingthem。Therateofprogresshassometimesbeenslow,andoccasionallytherehasevenbeenagreatretrogrademovement。
butnowwearemovingonatarapidpacethatgrowsquickereveryyear。andwecannotguesswhereitwillstop。Oneverysidefurtheropeningsaresuretoofferthemselves,allofwhichwilltendtochangethecharacterofoursocialandindustriallife,andtoenableustoturntoaccountvaststoresofcapitalinprovidingnewgratificationsandnewwaysofeconomizingeffortbyexpendingitinanticipationofdistantwants。Thereseemstobenogoodreasonforbelievingthatweareanywherenearastationarystateinwhichtherewillbenonewimportantwantstobesatisfied。inwhichtherewillbenomoreroomforprofitablyinvestingpresenteffortinprovidingforthefuture,andinwhichtheaccumulationofwealthwillceasetohaveanyreward。
Thewholehistoryofmanshowsthathiswantsexpandwiththegrowthofhiswealthandknowledge。4*
Andwiththegrowthofopeningsfortheinvestmentofcapitalthereisaconstantincreaseinthatsurplusofproductionoverthenecessariesoflife,whichgivesthepowertosave。Whentheartsofproductionwererude,therewasverylittlesurplus,exceptwhereastrongrulingracekeptthesubjectmasseshardatworkonthebarenecessariesoflife,andwheretheclimatewassomildthatthosenecessariesweresmallandeasilyobtained。
Buteveryincreaseintheartsofproduction,andinthecapitalaccumulatedtoassistandsupportlabourinfutureproduction,increasedthesurplusoutofwhichmorewealthcouldbeaccumulated。Afteratimecivilizationbecamepossibleintemperateandevenincoldclimates。theincreaseofmaterialwealthwaspossibleunderconditionswhichdidnotenervatetheworker,anddidnotthereforedestroythefoundationsonwhichitrested。5*Thusfromsteptostepwealthandknowledgehavegrown,andwitheverystepthepowerofsavingwealthandextendingknowledgehasincreased。
3。Thehabitofdistinctlyrealizingthefutureandprovidingforithasdevelopeditselfslowlyandfitfullyinthecourseofman’shistory。Travellerstellusoftribeswhomightdoubletheirresourcesandenjoymentswithoutincreasingtheirtotallabour,iftheywouldonlyapplyalittleinadvancethemeansthatliewithintheirpowerandtheirknowledge。as,forinstance,byfencingintheirlittleplotsofvegetablesagainsttheintrusionofwildanimals。
Buteventhisapathyisperhapslessstrangethanthewastefulnessthatisfoundnowamongsomeclassesinourowncountry。Casesarenotrareofmenwhoalternatebetweenearningtwoorthreepoundsaweekandbeingreducedtothevergeofstarvation:theutilityofashillingtothemwhentheyareinemploymentislessthanthatofapennywhentheyareoutofit,andyettheyneverattempttomakeprovisionforthetimeofneed。6*Attheoppositeextremetherearemisers,insomeofwhomthepassionforsavingbordersoninsanity。while,evenamongpeasantproprietorsandsomeotherclasses,wemeetnotunfrequentlywithpeoplewhocarrythriftsofarastostintthemselvesofnecessaries,andtoimpairtheirpoweroffuturework。Thustheyloseeveryway:theyneverreallyenjoylife。
whiletheincome。whichtheirstored-upwealthbringsthemislessthantheywouldhavegotfromtheincreaseoftheirearningpower,iftheybadinvestedinthemselvesthewealththattheyhaveaccumulatedinamaterialform。
InIndia,andtoalessextentinIreland,wefindpeoplewhodoindeedabstainfromimmediateenjoymentandsaveupconsiderablesumswithgreatself-sacrifice,butspendalltheirsavingsinlavishfestivitiesatfuneralsandmarriages。Theymakeintermittentprovisionforthenearfuture,butscarcelyanypermanentprovisionforthedistantfuture:thegreatengineeringworksbywhichtheirproductiveresourceshavebeensomuchincreased,havebeenmadechieflywiththecapitalofthemuchlessself-denyingraceofEnglishmen。
Thusthecauseswhichcontroltheaccumulationofwealthdifferwidelyindifferentcountriesanddifferentages。Theyarenotquitethesameamonganytworaces,andperhapsnotevenamonganytwosocialclassesinthesamerace。Theydependmuchonsocialandreligioussanctions。anditisremarkablehow,whenthebindingforceofcustomhasbeeninanydegreeloosened,differencesofpersonalcharacterwillcauseneighboursbroughtupunderlikeconditionstodifferfromoneanothermorewidelyandmorefrequentlyintheirhabitsofextravaganceorthriftthaninalmostanyotherrespect。
4。Thethriftlessnessofearlytimeswasinagreatmeasureduetothewantofsecuritythatthosewhomadeprovisionforthefuturewouldenjoyit:onlythosewhowerealreadywealthywerestrongenoughtoholdwhattheyhadsaved。thelaboriousandself-denyingpeasantwhohadheapedupalittlestoreofwealthonlytoseeittakenfromhimbyastrongerhand,wasaconstantwarningtohisneighbourstoenjoytheirpleasureandtheirrestwhentheycould。ThebordercountrybetweenEnglandandScotlandmadelittleprogresssolongasitwasliabletoincessantforays。therewasverylittlesavingbytheFrenchpeasantsintheeighteenthcenturywhentheycouldescapetheplunderofthetax-gathereronlybyappearingtobepoor,orbyIrishcottiers,who,onmanyestates,evenfortyyearsago,werecompelledtofollowthesamecourseinordertoavoidthelandlords’claimsofexorbitantrents。
Insecurityofthiskindhasnearlypassedawayfromthecivilizedworld。ButwearestillsufferinginEnglandfromtheeffectsofthePoor-lawwhichruledatthebeginningoflastcentury,andwhichintroducedanewformofinsecurityfortheworkingclasses。Foritarrangedthatpartoftheirwagesshould,ineffect,begivenintheformofpoorrelief。andthatthisshouldbedistributedamongthemininverseproportiontotheirindustryandthriftandforethought,sothatmanythoughtitfoolishtomakeprovisionforthefuture。Thetraditionsandinstinctswhichwerefosteredbythatevilexperienceareevennowagreathindrancetotheprogressoftheworkingclasses。andtheprinciplewhichnominallyatleastunderliesthepresentPoor-law,thattheStateshouldtakeaccountonlyofdestitutionandnotatallofmerit,actsinthesamedirection,thoughwithlessforce。
Insecurityofthiskindalsoisbeingdiminished:thegrowthofenlightenedviewsastothedutiesoftheStateandofprivatepersonstowardsthepoor,istendingtomakeiteverydaymoretruethatthosewhohavehelpedthemselvesandendeavouredtoprovidefortheirownfuturewillbecaredforbysocietybetterthantheidleandthethoughtless。Buttheprogressinthisdirectionisstillslow,andthereremainsmuchtobedoneyet。
5。Thegrowthofamoney-economyandofmodernhabitsofbusinessdoesindeedhindertheaccumulationofwealthbyputtingnewtemptationsinthewayofthosewhoareinclinedtoliveextravagantly。Inoldtimesifamanwantedagoodhousetoliveinhemustbuildithimself。nowhefindsplentyofgoodhousestobehiredatarent。Formerly,ifhewantedgoodbeerhemusthaveagoodbrewhouse,nowhecanbuyitmorecheaplyandbetterthanhecouldbrewit。Nowhecanborrowbooksfromalibraryinsteadofbuyingthem。andhecanevenfurnishhishousebeforeheisreadytopayforhisfurniture。Thusinmanywaysthemodernsystemsofbuyingandselling,andlendingandborrowing,togetherwiththegrowthofnewwants,leadtonewextravagances,andtoasubordinationoftheinterestsofthefuturetothoseofthepresent。
Butontheotherhand,amoney-economyincreasesthevarietyoftheusesbetweenwhichapersoncandistributehisfutureexpenditure。Apersonwhoinaprimitivestateofsocietystoresupsomethingsagainstafutureneed,mayfindthatafterallhedoesnotneedthosethingsasmuchasotherswhichhehasnotstoredup:andtherearemanyfuturewantsagainstwhichitisimpossibletoprovidedirectlybystoringupgoods。Buthewhohasstoredupcapitalfromwhichhederivesamoneyincomecanbuywhathewilltomeethisneedsastheyarise。7*
Again,modernmethodsofbusinesshavebroughtwiththemopportunitiesforthesafeinvestmentofcapitalinsuchwaysastoyieldarevenuetopersonswhohavenogoodopportunityofengaginginanybusiness,——noteveninthatofagriculture,wherethelandwillundersomeconditionsactasatrustworthysavings-bank。Thesenewopportunitieshaveinducedsomepeoplewhowouldnototherwisehaveattemptedittoputbysomethingfortheirownoldage。And,whathashadafargreatereffectonthegrowthofwealth,ithasrendereditfareasierforamantoprovideasecureincomeforhiswifeandchildrenafterhisdeath:for,afterall,familyaffectionisthemainmotiveofsaving。
6。Thereareindeedsomewhofindanintensepleasureinseeingtheirhoardsofwealthgrowupundertheirhands,withscarcelyanythoughtforthehappinessthatmaybegotfromitsusebythemselvesorbyothers。Theyarepromptedpartlybytheinstinctsofthechase,bythedesiretooutstriptheirrivals。
bytheambitiontohaveshownabilityingettingthewealth,andtoacquirepowerandsocialpositionbyitspossession。Andsometimestheforceofhabit,startedwhentheywerereallyinneedofmoney,hasgiventhem,byasortofreflexaction,anartificialandunreasoningpleasureinamassingwealthforitsownsake。Butwereitnotforthefamilyaffections,manywhonowworkhardandsavecarefullywouldnotexertthemselvestodomorethansecureacomfortableannuityfortheirownlives。
eitherbypurchasefromaninsurancecompany,orbyarrangingtospendeveryyear,aftertheyhadretiredfromwork,partoftheircapitalaswellasalltheirincome。Intheonecasetheywouldleavenothingbehindthem:intheotheronlyprovisionforthatpartoftheirhoped-foroldage,fromwhichtheyhadbeencutoffbydeath。Thatmenlabourandsavechieflyforthesakeoftheirfamiliesandnotforthemselves,isshownbythefactthattheyseldomspend,aftertheyhaveretiredfromwork,morethantheincomethatcomesinfromtheirsavings,preferringtoleavetheirstored-upwealthintactfortheirfamilies。whileinthiscountryalonetwentymillionsayeararesavedintheformofinsurancepoliciesandareavailableonlyafterthedeathofthosewhosavethem。
Amancanhavenostrongerstimulustoenergyandenterprisethanthehopeofrisinginlife,andleavinghisfamilytostartfromahigherroundofthesocialladderthanthatonwhichhebegan。Itmayevengivehimanover-masteringpassionwhichreducestoinsignificancethedesireforease,andforallordinarypleasures,andsometimesevendestroysinhimthefinersensibilitiesandnobleraspirations。But,asisshownbythemarvellousgrowthofwealthinAmericaduringthepresentgeneration,itmakeshimamightyproducerandaccumulatorofriches。unlessindeedheisintoogreatahurrytograspthesocialpositionwhichhiswealthwillgivehim:forhisambitionmaythenleadhimintoasgreatextravaganceascouldhavebeeninducedbyanimprovidentandself-indulgenttemperament。
Thegreatestsavingsaremadebythosewhohavebeenbroughtuponnarrowmeanstosternhardwork,whohaveretainedtheirsimplehabits,inspiteofsuccessinbusiness,andwhonourishacontemptforshowyexpenditureandadesiretobefoundattheirdeathricherthantheyhadbeenthoughttobe。Thistypeofcharacterisfrequentinthequieterpartsofoldbutvigorouscountries,anditwasverycommonamongthemiddleclassesintheruraldistrictsofEnglandformorethanagenerationafterthepressureofthegreatFrenchwarandtheheavytaxesthatlingeredinitswake。
7。Next,astothesourcesofaccumulation。Thepowertosavedependsonanexcessofincomeovernecessaryexpenditure。andthisisgreatestamongthewealthy,Inthiscountrymostofthelargerincomes,butonlyafewofthesmaller,arechieflyderivedfromcapital。And,earlyinthepresentcentury,thecommercialclassesinEnglandhadmuchmoresavinghabitsthaneitherthecountrygentlemenortheworkingclasses。ThesecausescombinedtomakeEnglisheconomistsofthelastgenerationregardsavingsasmadealmostexclusivelyfromtheprofitsofcapital。
ButeveninmodernEnglandrentandtheearningsofprofessionalmenandhiredworkersareanimportantsourceofaccumulation:andtheyhavebeenthechiefsourceofitinalltheearlierstagesofcivilization。8*Moreover,themiddleandespeciallytheprofessionalclasseshavealwaysdeniedthemselvesmuchinordertoinvestcapitalintheeducationoftheirchildren。whileagreatpartofthewagesoftheworkingclassesisinvestedinthephysicalhealthandstrengthoftheirchildren。Theoldereconomiststooktoolittleaccountofthefactthatthehumanfacultiesareasimportantameansofproductionasanyotherkindofcapital。andwemayconclude,inoppositiontothem,thatanychangeinthedistributionofwealthwhichgivesmoretothewagereceiversandlesstothecapitalistsislikely,otherthingsbeingequal,tohastentheincreaseofmaterialproduction,andthatitwillnotperceptiblyretardthestoring-upofmaterialwealth。Ofcourseotherthingswouldnotbeequalifthechangewerebroughtaboutbyviolentmethodswhichgaveashocktopublicsecurity。Butaslightandtemporarychecktotheaccumulationofmaterialwealthneednotnecessarilybeanevil,evenfromapurelyeconomicpointofview,if,beingmadequietlyandwithoutdisturbance,itprovidedbetteropportunitiesforthegreatmassofthepeople,increasedtheirefficiency,anddevelopedinthemsuchhabitsofself-respectastoresultinthegrowthofamuchmoreefficientraceofproducersinthenextgeneration。Forthenitmightdomoreinthelong-runtopromotethegrowthofevenmaterialwealththangreatadditionstoourstockoffactoriesandsteam-engines。
Apeopleamongwhomwealthiswelldistributed,andwhohavehighambitions,arelikelytoaccumulateagreatdealofpublicproperty。andthesavingsmadeinthisformalonebysomewell-to-dodemocraciesformnoinconsiderablepartofthebestpossessionswhichourownagehasinheritedfromitspredecessors。Thegrowthoftheco-operativemovementinallitsmanyforms,ofbuildingsocieties,friendlysocieties,trades-unions,ofworkingmen’ssavings-banksetc。,showsthat,evensofarastheimmediateaccumulationofmaterialwealthgoes,theresourcesofthecountryarenot,astheoldereconomistsassumed,entirelylostwhentheyarespentinpayingwages。9*
8。Havinglookedatthedevelopmentofthemethodsofsavingandtheaccumulationofwealth,wemaynowreturntothatanalysisoftherelationsbetweenpresentanddeferredgratifications,whichwebeganfromanotherpointofviewinourstudyofDemand。10*
Wetheresawthatanyone,whohasastockofacommoditywhichisapplicabletoseveraluses,endeavourstodistributeitbetweenthemallinsuchawayastogivehimthegreatestsatisfaction。Ifhethinkshecouldobtainmoresatisfactionbytransferringsomeofitfromoneusetoanotherhewilldoso。
If,therefore,hemakeshisdistributionrightly,hestopsinapplyingittoeachseveraluseatsuchapointthathegetsanequalamountofgoodoutoftheapplicationthatheisonlyjustinducedtomakeofittoeachseparateuse。inotherwords,hedistributesitbetweenthedifferentusesinsuchawaythatithasthesamemarginalutilityineach。
Wesaw,further,thattheprincipleremainsthesamewhetheralltheusesarepresent,orsomearepresentandothersdeferred:butthatinthislattercasesomenewconsiderationsenter,ofwhichthechiefare,firstly,thatthedeferringofagratificationnecessarilyintroducessomeuncertaintyastoitseverbeingenjoyed。andsecondly,that,ashumannatureisconstituted,apresentgratificationisgenerally,thoughnotalways,preferredtoagratificationthatisexpectedtobeequaltoit,andisascertainasanythingcanbeinhumanlife。
Aprudentpersonwhothoughtthathewouldderiveequalgratificationsfromequalmeansatallstagesofhislife,wouldperhapsendeavourtodistributehismeansequallyoverhiswholelife:andifhethoughtthattherewasadangerthathispowerofearningincomeatafuturedatewouldrunshort,hewouldcertainlysavesomeofhismeansforafuturedate。Hewoulddothisnotonlyifhethoughtthathissavingswouldincreaseinhishands,butevenifhethoughttheywoulddiminish。Hewouldputbyafewfruitandeggsforthewinter,becausetheywouldthenbescarce,thoughtheywouldnotimprovebykeeping。Ifhedidnotseehiswaytoinvestinghisearningsintradeoronloan,soastoderiveinterestorprofitsfromthem,hewouldfollowtheexampleofsomeofourownforefatherswhoaccumulatedsmallstoresofguineaswhichtheycarriedintothecountry,whentheyretiredfromactivelife。Theyreckonedthattheextragratificationwhichtheycouldgetbyspendingafewmoreguineaswhilemoneywascominginfast,wouldbeoflessservicetothemthanthecomfortwhichthoseguineaswouldbuyforthemintheiroldage。Thecareoftheguineascostthemagreatdealoftrouble。andnodoubttheywouldhavebeenwillingtopaysomesmallchargetoanyonewhowouldhaverelievedthemfromthetroublewithoutoccasioningthemanysortofrisk。
Wecanthereforeimagineastateofthingsinwhichstored-upwealthcouldbeputtobutlittlegooduse。inwhichmanypersonswantedtomakeprovisionfortheirownfuture。whilebutfewofthosewhowantedtoborrowgoods,wereabletooffergoodsecurityforreturningthem,orequivalentgoods,atafuturedate。Insuchastateofthingsthepostponementof,andwaitingforenjoymentswouldbeanactionthatincurredapenaltyratherthanreapedareward:byhandingoverhismeanstoanothertobetakencareof,apersoncouldonlyexpecttogetasurepromiseofsomethingless,andnotofsomethingmorethanthatwhichhelent:therateofinterestwouldbenegative。11*
Suchastateofthingsisconceivable。Butitisalsoconceivable,andalmostequallyprobable,thatpeoplemaybesoanxioustoworkthattheywillundergosomepenaltyasaconditionofobtainingleavetowork。For,asdeferringtheconsumptionofsomeofhismeansisathingwhichaprudentpersonwoulddesireonitsownaccount,sodoingsomeworkisadesirableobjectonitsownaccounttoahealthyperson。
Politicalprisoners,forinstance,generallyregarditasafavourtobeallowedtodoalittlework。Andhumannaturebeingwhatitis,wearejustifiedinspeakingoftheinterestoncapitalastherewardofthesacrificeinvolvedinthewaitingfortheenjoymentofmaterialresources,becausefewpeoplewouldsavemuchwithoutreward。justaswespeakofwagesastherewardoflabour,becausefewpeoplewouldworkhardwithoutreward。
Thesacrificeofpresentpleasureforthesakeoffuture,hasbeencalledabstinencebyeconomists。Butthistermhasbeenmisunderstood:forthegreatestaccumulatorsofwealthareveryrichpersons,someofwhomliveinluxury,andcertainlydonotpractiseabstinenceinthatsenseoftheterminwhichitisconvertiblewithabstemiousness。Whateconomistsmeantwasthat,whenapersonabstainedfromconsuminganythingwhichhehadthepowerofconsuming,withthepurposeofincreasinghisresourcesinthefuture,hisabstinencefromthatparticularactofconsumptionincreasedtheaccumulationofwealth。Since,however,thetermisliabletobemisunderstood,wemaywithadvantageavoiditsuse,andsaythattheaccumulationofwealthisgenerallytheresultofapostponementofenjoyment,orofawaitingforit。12*Or,inotherwordsagain,itisdependentonman’sprospectiveness。thatis,hisfacultyofrealizingthefuture。
Thedemandpriceofaccumulation,thatis,thefuturepleasurewhichhissurroundingsenableapersontoobtainbyworkingandwaitingforthefuture,takesmanyforms:butthesubstanceisalwaysthesame。Theextrapleasurewhichapeasantwhohasbuiltaweatherproofhutderivesfromitsusance,whilethesnowisdriftingintothoseofhisneighbourswhohavespentlesslabouronbuildingtheirs,isthepriceearnedbyhisworkingandwaiting。Itrepresentstheextraproductivenessofeffortswiselyspentinprovidingagainstdistantevils,orforthesatisfactionoffuturewants,ascomparedwiththatwhichwouldhavebeenderivedfromanimpulsivegraspingatimmediatesatisfactions。Thusitissimilarinallfundamentalrespectstotheinterestwhichtheretiredphysicianderivesfromthecapitalhehaslenttoafactoryoraminetoenableittoimproveitsmachinery。andonaccountofthenumericaldefinitenessoftheforminwhichitisexpressed,wemaytakethatinteresttobethetypeofandtorepresenttheusanceofwealthinotherforms。
Itmattersnotforourimmediatepurposewhetherthepowerovertheenjoymentforwhichthepersonwaits,wasearnedbyhimdirectlybylabour,whichistheoriginalsourceofnearlyallenjoyment。orwasacquiredbyhimfromothers,byexchangeorbyinheritance,bylegitimatetradeorbyunscrupulousformsofspeculation,byspoliationorbyfraud:theonlypointswithwhichwearejustnowconcernedarethatthegrowthofwealthinvolvesingeneraladeliberatewaitingforapleasurewhichapersonhasrightlyorwronglythepowerofcommandingintheimmediatepresent,andthathiswillingnesssotowaitdependsonhishabitofvividlyrealizingthefutureandprovidingforit。
9。Butletuslookmorecloselyatthestatementthat,ashumannatureisconstituted,anincreaseinthefuturepleasurewhichcanbesecuredbyapresentgivensacrificewillingeneralincreasetheamountofpresentsacrificethatpeoplewillmake。
Suppose,forinstance,thatvillagershavetogettimberforbuildingtheircottagesfromtheforests。themoredistanttheseare,thesmallerwillbethereturnoffuturecomfortgotbyeachday’sworkinfetchingthewood,thelesswillbetheirfuturegainfromthewealthaccumulatedprobablybyeachday’swork:andthissmallnessofthereturnoffuturepleasure,tobegotatagivenpresentsacrifice,willtendtopreventthemfromincreasingthesizeoftheircottages。andwillperhapsdiminishonthewholetheamountoflabourtheyspendingettingtimber。
Butthisruleisnotwithoutexception。For,ifcustomhasmadethemfamiliarwithcottagesofonlyonefashion,thefurthertheyarefromthewoods,andthesmallertheusancetobegotfromtheproduceofoneday’swork,themoredays’workwilltheygive。
Andsimilarlyifapersonexpects,nottousehiswealthhimself,buttoletitoutoninterest,thehighertherateofinterestthehigherhisrewardforsaving。Iftherateofinterestonsoundinvestmentsis4percent。,andhegivesup?00worthofenjoymentnow,hemayexpectanannuityof?worthofenjoyment:buthecanexpectonly?worth,iftherateis3
percent。Andafallintherateofinterestwillgenerallylowerthemarginatwhichapersonfindsitjustnotworthwhiletogiveuppresentpleasuresforthesakeofthosefuturepleasuresthataretobesecuredbysavingsomeofhismeans。Itwillthereforegenerallycausepeopletoconsumealittlemorenow,andtomakelessprovisionforfutureenjoyment。Butthisruleisnotwithoutexception。
SirJosiahChildremarkedmorethantwocenturiesago,thatincountriesinwhichtherateofinterestishigh,merchantswhentheyhavegottengreatwealth,leavetradingandlendouttheirmoneyatinterest,thegainthereofbeingsoeasy,certainandgreat。whereasinothercountrieswhereinterestisatalowerrate,theycontinuemerchantsfromgenerationtogeneration,andenrichthemselvesandthestate。Anditisastruenow,asitwasthen,thatmanymenretirefrombusinesswhentheyareyetalmostintheprimeoflife,andwhentheirknowledgeofmenandthingsmightenablethemtoconducttheirbusinessmoreefficientlythanever。Again,asSarganthaspointedout,ifamanhasdecidedtogoonworkingandsavingtillhehasprovidedacertainincomeforhisoldage,orforhisfamilyafterhisdeath,hewillfindthathehastosavemoreiftherateofinterestislowthanifitishigh。Suppose,forinstance,thathewishestoprovideanincomeof?00ayearonwhichhemayretirefrombusiness,ortoinsure?00ayearforhiswifeandchildrenafterhisdeath:ifthenthenthecurrentrateofinterestis5percent。,heneedonlyputby?,000,orinsurehislifefor?,000。butifitis4percent。,hemustsave?0,000,orinsurehislifefor?0,000。
Itisthenpossiblethatacontinuedfallintherateofinterestmaybeaccompaniedbyacontinuedincreaseintheyearlyadditionstotheworld’scapital。Butnonethelessisittruethatafallinthedistantbenefitstobegotbyagivenamountofworkingandwaitingforthefuturedoestendonthewholetodiminishtheprovisionwhichpeoplemakeforthefuture。orinmoremodernphrase,thatafallintherateofinteresttendstochecktheaccumulationofwealth。Forthoughwithman’sgrowingcommandovertheresourcesofnature,hemaycontinuetosavemuchevenwithalowrateofinterest。yetwhilehumannatureremainsasitiseveryfallinthatrateislikelytocausemanymorepeopletosavelessthantosavemorethantheywouldotherwisehavedone。13*
10。Thecauseswhichgoverntheaccumulationofwealthanditsrelationtotherateofinteresthavesomanypointsofcontactwithvariousparts。ofeconomicscience,thatthestudyofthemcannoteasilybebroughttogetherinonepartofourinquiry。AndalthoughinthepresentBookweareconcernedmainlywiththesideofsupply。ithasseemednecessarytoindicateprovisionallyheresomethingofthegeneralrelationsbetweenthedemandforandthesupplyofcapital。Andwehaveseenthat:——
Theaccumulationofwealthisgovernedbyagreatvarietyofcauses:bycustom,byhabitsofself-controlandrealizingthefuture,andaboveallbythepoweroffamilyaffection。Securityisanecessaryconditionforit,andtheprogressofknowledgeandintelligencefurthersitinmanyways。
Ariseintherateofinterestofferedforcapital,i。e。inthedemandpriceforsaving,tendstoincreasethevolumeofsaving。Forinspiteofthefactthatafewpeoplewhohavedeterminedtosecureanincomeofacertainfixedamountforthemselvesortheirfamilywillsavelesswithahighrateofinterestthanwithalowrate,itisanearlyuniversalrulethatariseintherateincreasesthedesiretosave。anditoftenincreasesthepowertosave,orratheritisoftenanindicationofanincreasedefficiencyofourproductiveresources:buttheoldereconomistswenttoofarinsuggestingthatariseofinterestorofprofitsattheexpenseofwagesalwaysincreasedthepowerofsaving:theyforgotthatfromthenationalpointofviewtheinvestmentofwealthinthechildoftheworkingmanisasproductiveasitsinvestmentinhorsesormachinery。
Itmusthoweverberecollectedthattheannualinvestmentofwealthisasmallpartofthealreadyexistingstock,andthatthereforethestockwouldnotbeincreasedperceptiblyinanyoneyearbyevenaconsiderableincreaseintheannualrateofsaving。
NOTEONTHESTATISTICSOFTHEGROWTHOFWEALTH
11。Thestatisticalhistoryofthegrowthofwealthissingularlypoorandmisleading。Thisispartlyduetodifficultiesinherentinanyattempttogiveanumericalmeasureofwealthwhichshallbeapplicabletodifferentplacesandtimes,partlytotheabsenceofsystematicattemptstocollectthenecessaryfacts。TheGovernmentoftheUnitedStatesdoesindeedaskforreturnsofeveryperson’sproperty。andthoughtheresultsthusobtainedarenotsatisfactory,yettheyareperhapsthebestwehave。
Estimatesofthewealthofothercountrieshavetobebasedalmostexclusivelyonestimatesofincome,whicharecapitalizedatvariousnumbersofyears’purchase。thisnumberbeingchosenwithreferenceitothegeneralrateofinterestcurrentatthetime,iitotheextenttowhichtheincomederivedfromtheuseofwealthinanyparticularformistobecreditedatothepermanentincome-yieldingpowerofthewealthitself。andbtoeitherthelabourspentinapplyingit,ortheusingupofthecapitalitself。Thislastheadisspeciallyimportantinthecaseofironworkswhichdepreciaterapidly,andstillmoreinthecaseofsuchminesasarelikelytobespeedilyexhausted。bothmustbecapitalizedatonlyafewyears’purchase。Ontheotherhand,theincome-yieldingpoweroflandislikelytoincrease。andwherethatisthecase,theincomefromlandhastobecapitalizedatagreatnumberofyears’purchasewhichmayberegardedasmakinganegativeprovisionundertheheadofii,b。
Land,houses,andlivestockarethethreeformsofwealthwhichhavebeeninthefirstrankofimportancealwaysandeverywhere。Butlanddiffersfromotherthingsinthis,thatanincreaseinitsvalueisoftenchieflyduetoanincreaseinitsscarcity。andisthereforeameasureratherofgrowingwants,thanofgrowingmeansofmeetingwants。ThusthelandoftheUnitedStatesin1880countedasofaboutequalvaluewiththelandoftheUnitedKingdom,andabouthalfthatofFrance。Itsmoneyvaluewasinsignificantahundredyearsago。andifthedensityofpopulationtwoorthreehundredyearshenceisnearlythesameintheUnitedStatesasintheUnitedKingdom,thelandoftheformerwillthenbeworthatleasttwentytimesasmuchasthatofthelatter。
IntheearlymiddleagesthewholevalueofthelandofEnglandwasmuchlessthanthatofthefewlarge-bonedbutsmall-sizedanimalsthatstarvedthroughthewinteronit:now,thoughmuchofthebestlandisenteredundertheheadsofhouses,railways,etc……thoughthelivestockisnowprobablymorethantentimesasheavyinaggregateweight,andofbetterquality。andthoughthereisnowabundantfarmingcapitalofkindswhichwerethenunknown。yetagriculturallandisnowworthmorethanthreetimesasmuchasthefarmstock。ThefewyearsofthepressureofthegreatFrenchwarnearlydoubledthenominalvalueofthelandofEngland。Sincethenfreetrade,improvementsintransport,theopeningofnewcountries,andothercauseshaveloweredthenominalvalueofthatpartofthelandwhichisdevotedtoagriculture。AndtheyhavemadethegeneralpurchasingpowerofmoneyintermsofcommoditiesriseinEnglandrelativelytotheContinent。Earlyinthelastcentury25fr。wouldbuymore,andespeciallymoreofthethingsneededbytheworkingclasses,inFranceandGermanythan?wouldinEngland。Butnowtheadvantageistheotherway:andthiscausestherecentgrowthofthewealthofFranceandGermanytoappeartobegreaterrelativelytothatofEnglandthanitreallyis。
Whenaccountistakenoffactsofthisclass,andalsoofthefactthatafallintherateofinterestincreasesthenumberofyears’purchaseatwhichanyincomehastobecapitalized,andthereforeincreasesthevalueofapropertywhichyieldsagivenincome。weseethattheestimatesofnationalwealthwouldbeverymisleading,evenifthestatisticsofincomeonwhichtheywerebasedwereaccurate。Butstillsuchestimatesarenotwhollywithoutvalue。
SirR。Giffen’sGrowthofCapitalandMrChiozzaMoney’sRichesandPovertycontainsuggestivediscussionsonmanyofthefiguresinthefollowingtable。
CountryandLandHousesFarm-CapitalAuthorof