首页 >出版文学> The Theory of Business>第16章
  Asabusinessproposition,“capital“meansafundofmoneyvalues;andsincethecrediteconomyandcorporationfinancehavecometobetherulingfactorsinindustrialbusiness,thisfundofmoneyvaluestakenasanaggregatebearsbutaremoteandfluctuatingrelationtotheindustrialequipmentandtheotheritemswhichmayperhapsproperlybeincludedundertheold-fashionedconceptofindustrialcapital。1*
  Capitalhasbeenspokenofasthecapitalizedaggregated
  costofindustrialequipment,etc。,2*aviewwhichhaditssignificanceforeconomictheoryahundredyearsago;butsincecorporationfinancehascometopervadethemanagementofbusinessthisviewisnolongerofparticularuseforatheoreticalhandlingofthefacts。Toavoidthetediumofargumentitmaybeconcededthatundertheolddispensation,ofpartnershipsandindividualmanagementinbusiness,thebasisofcapitalizationwasthecostofthematerialequipmentownedbyanygivenconcern;andsofarasthemethodsofpartnershipandprivatefirmsstillprevailssuchmaystillbethecurrentmethodofcapitalization,especiallydejure。Butinsofarasbusinessprocedureandbusinessconceptionshavebeenshapedintheimageofthemodemcorporationorlimitedliabilitycompany,thebasisofcapitalizationhasgraduallyshifted,untilthebasisisnownolongergivenbythecostofmaterialequipmentowned,butbytheearning-capacityofthecorporationasagoingconcern。3*
  Agivencorporation’scapitalis,ofcourse,dejureamagnitudefixedinthepastbyanactoflegislaturecharteringthecompany,orbyanissuanceofstockbythecompanyunderthetermsofitscharteroroftheactswhichenableit。Butthisdejurecapitalizationisnominalonly,andtherearefew,ifany,casesinwhichtheeffectivecapitalofacompanycoincideswithitsdejurecapital。Suchcouldbethecaseonlysolongasallthesecuritieswhichgotomakeupthecompany’scapitalwerequotedatparonthemarket。Theeffectivecapitalizationofanymoderncompany,thatistosay,thecapitalizationwhichiseffectiveforcurrentbusinesspurposesasdistinctfromtheformalrequirementsofthecharter,isgivenbythequotationsofthecompany’ssecurities,orbysomesimilarbutlessovertmarketvaluationincasethecompany’scapitalisnotquotableonthemarket。Theeffectivebusinesscapitalization,asdistinctfromthedejurecapitalization,isnotfixedpermanentlyandinflexiblybyapastactofincorporationorstockissue。Itisfixedforthetimebeingonly,byaneverrecurringvaluationofthecompany’sproperties,tangibleandintangible,onthebasisoftheirearning-capacity。4*
  Inthiscapitalizationofearning-capacitythenucleusofthecapitalizationis。notthecostoftheplant,buttheconcern’sgood-will,socalled,ashasappearedinthelastprecedingchapter。5*“Good-will“isasomewhatextensibleterm,andlatterlyithasamorecomprehensivemeaningthanitoncehad。
  Itsmeaninghas,infact,beengraduallyextendedtomeettherequirementsofmodernbusinessmethods。Variousitems,ofverydiversecharacter,aretobeincludedundertheheadof“good-will“;buttheitemsincludedhavethismuchincommonthattheyare“immaterialwealth,““intangibleassets“;which,itmayparentheticallyberemarked,signifiesamongotherthingsthattheseassetsarenotserviceabletothecommunity,butonlytotheirowners。Good-willtakeninitswidermeaningcomprisessuchthingsasestablishedcustomarybusinessrelations,reputationforuprightdealing,franchisesandprivileges,trade-marks,brands,patentrights,copyrights,exclusiveuseofspecialprocessesguardedbylaworbysecrecy,exclusivecontrolofparticularsourcesofmaterials。Alltheseitemsgiveadifferentialadvantagetotheirowners,buttheyareofnoaggregateadvantagetothecommunity。6*Theyarewealthtotheindividualsconcerneddifferentialwealth;buttheymakenopartofthewealthofnations。7*
  Itisintheindustrialcorporationsthatthiscapitalizationofgood-willisseentothebestadvantage-including,undertheterm“industrialcorporations,“railwaycompanies,ironandsteelconcerns,mines,etc。,aswellaswhatareknowninthestockmarketspecificallyas“industrials。“Thecorporationis,ofcourse,nottheonlyformofbusinessconcernintheindustrialfield,butitisthetypical,characteristicformofbusinessorganizationforthemanagementofindustryinmodemtimes,andthepeculiaritiesofmodemcapitalarethereforebestseeninthesemoderncorporations。Manyofthesecorporationshavegrownoutofpartnershipsandfirmspreviouslyexisting,andsuchisstillthegenesisofmanyofthecorporationsthatcomeforwardfromtimetotime。Insuchacaseofconversionfrompartnershiporfirmtocorporationtheruleisthatthenewcorporationtakesoverabodyofgood-will,underoneformandnameoranother,previouslypertainingtothepartnershipwhichitdisplaces。
  Conversely,whenaflourishingpartnershiporsimilarprivatefirmhasgainedanassuredfootingofgood-will,inthewayofanyoralloftheitemsenumeratedunderthattermabove,itslot,asprescribedbymodernbusinessexigencies,istogoupintoacorporation,eitherbysimpleconversionintothecorporateformorthroughcoalitionwithotherfirmsintoalargercorporatewhole。Thereisinthismatternohardandfastrule,ofcourse。Ontheonehand,theapprovedmethodsofcorporationfinancemayinsomemeasureberesortedtobyaprivatefirm,Withoutformalconversionoftheconcernintothecorporateform;andontheotherhand,anincorporatedcompanymaycontinuetocarryonitsbusinessafterthemannerusualwithprivatelyownedconcerns。Buttakenbyandlarge,itwillbefoundthatwiththeassumptionofthecorporateformisassociatedamoremodernmethodofcapitalizationandafreeruseofcredit。Theadvantageswhichthecorporateformoffersintheserespectsarecommonlynotneglected。Themorearchaicformsoforganizationandbusinessmanagement,inwhichrecourseiscommonlynothadtothecharacteristicmethodsofcorporationfinance,prevailchieflyinthose“backward“linesofindustryinwhichmonopolyorotherdifferentialadvantagesofanintangiblenaturearenotreadilyattainable;such,e。g。,asfarming,fishing,localmerchandising,andtheminormechanicaltradesandoccupations。Inthisrangeofindustrieslargecorporate
  organizationhashithertobeenvirtuallyimpracticable,andhereatthesametimedifferentialadvantages,ofthenatureofgood-willasindicatedabove,arerelativelyscantandprecarious。Whereextensivedifferentialadvantagesofthiskindcomein,thecorporateformoforganizationisalsolikelytocomein。
  Thecasesarealsofrequentwhereacorporationstartsoutfull-fledgedfromthebeginning,withoutderivationfromapreviouslyexistingprivatefirm。Wherethishappens,thestartiscommonlymadewithsomesubstantialbodyofimmaterialgoodsonwhichtobuildupthecapitalization;itmaybeafranchise,asinthecaseofarailway,telegraph,telephone,street-car,gas,orwatercompany;oritmaybethecontrolofpeculiarsourcesofmaterial,asinthecaseofanoilornaturalgascompany,orasalt,coal,iron,orlumbercompany;oritmaybeaspecialindustrialprocess,patentedorsecret;oritmaybeseveralofthese。Whenacorporationbeginsitslifehistorywithoutsuchabodyofimmaterialdifferentialadvantages,theendeavorsofitsmanagementareearlydirectedtoworkingupabasisofgood-willinthewayoftrade-marks,clientele,andtradeconnectionswhichwillplaceitinsomethingofamonopolyposition,locallyorgenerally8*Shouldthemanagementnotsucceedintheseendeavorstogainanassuredfootingonsomesuch“immaterial“ground,itschancesofsuccessamongrivalcorporationsareprecarious,itsstandingisinsecure,anditsmanagershavenotaccomplishedwhatislookedforattheirhands。
  Thesubstantialfoundationoftheindustrialcorporationisitsimmaterialassets。
  Thetypicalmodernindustrialcorporationisaconcernofsufficientmagnitudetobeofsomethingmorethanbarelylocalconsequence,andextendsitstraderelationsbeyondtherangeofthepersonalcontactofitsdirectiveofficials。Itspropertiesanditsdebtsarealsocommonlyowned,inpartatleast,bypersonswhostandinnodirectpersonalrelationtotheboardofmanagers。Inanup-to-datecorporationofthischaracterthetypicalmake-upofthecorporatecapital,orcapitalization,issomewhatasfollows:Thecommonstockapproximatelycoverstheimmaterialpropertiesoftheconcern,unlesstheseimmaterialpropertiesaredisproportionatelylargeandvaluable;incaseofarelativelysmallandlocalcorporationthecommonstockwillordinarilysomewhatmorethancoverthevalueoftheimmaterialpropertyandcomprisesomethingoftheplant;incaseofthelargerconcernstheconverseislikelytobetrue,sothatheretheimmaterialproperty,intangibleassets,ismadetoserveinsomemeasureasabasisforothersecuritiesaswellasforthecommonstock。Thecommonstock,typically,representsintangibleassetsandisaccountedforbyvaluabletrade-marks,patents,processes,franchises,etc。Whatevermaterialproperties,tangibleassets,areinhandortobeacquiredarecoveredbypreferredstockorotherdebentures。Thevariousformsofdebenturesaccountforthematerialequipmentandtheworkingcapitalthelatteritemcorrespondingroughlytotheeconomists’
  categoriesofrawmaterials,wagesfund,andthelike。Ofthesedebenturesthepreferredstockisthemostcharacteristicmoderndevelopment。Itis,dejure,countedasaconstituentoftheconcern’scapitalandtheprincipalisnotrepayable;inthislegalrespectitisnotanevidenceofdebtoracreditinstrument。9*Butithaslittlevoiceinthedirectionoftheconcern’sbusinesspolicy。10*Inpracticethemanagementrestschieflyontheholdingsofcommonstock。Thisisdueinparttothefactthatthepreferredbearsastatedrateofdividendsandisthereforetakenupbyscatteredpurchasersasaninvestmentsecuritytoagreaterextentthanthecommon。Inthispractical
  respectitamountstoadebenture。Itspracticalcharacterasadebentureisshownbythestatedrateofdividends,andwhereitis“cumulative“thatfeatureaddsafurtherstepofassimilationtotheordinaryclassofdebentures。Indeed,inpointofpracticaleffectpreferredstockisinsomerespectscommonlyamorepronouncedcreditinstrumentthantheordinarymortgage;italienatesthecontrolofthepropertywhichitrepresentsmoreeffectuallythantheordinarybondormortgageloan,inthatitmaypracticallybeadebtwhich,byitsownterms,cannotbecollected,sothatbyitsowntermsitmayconveyacreditextensionfromtheholdertotheissuingcorporationinperpetuity。Itseffectistoconveythediscretionarycontrolofthematerialpropertieswhichitisheldtorepresentintothehandsoftheholdersofthecommonstockoftheconcern。Thediscretionarymanagementofthecorporatecapitalis,bythisdevice,quiteaseffectuallyasbytheuseofordinarycreditinstruments,vestedinthecommonstock,whichisheldtorepresentthecorporation’sgoodwill。Thediscretionarydisposaloftheentirecapitalvestsinsecuritiesrepresentingtheintangibleassets。Inthissense,then,thenucleusofthemoderncorporatecapitalizationistheimmaterialgoodscoveredbythecommonstock。11*
  Thismethodofcapitalization,therefore,effectsasomewhatthoroughgoingseparationbetweenthemanagementandtheownershipoftheindustrialequipment。Roughlyspeaking,undercorporateorganizationtheownersoftheindustrialmaterialhavenovoiceinitsmanagement,andwherepreferredstockisalargeconstituentofthecapitalthisalienationofcontrolonthepartsoftheownersmaybe,bysomuch,irrevocable。Preferredstockis,practically,adeviceforplacingthepropertyitrepresentsinperpetualtrustwiththeholdersofthecommonstock,and,withcertainqualifications,thesetrusteesarenotanswerablefortheadministrationofthepropertytotheirtrustors。Thepropertyrelationoftheownerstotheirpropertyisatthispointattenuatedtoanextremedegree。Formostbusinesspurposes,itshouldbeadded,thecapitalcoveredbyotherformsofdebenturesisinmuchthesamepositionasthatcoveredbythepreferredstock。12*