Whatdoesthismean?Theproducersofcornwillhavetwosacksfortheirservices,whichtogetherwillbeworthwhatasinglesackwasworth,andtheproducersofclothwillhavetwopieces,whichtogetherwillbeworthwhatonewasworth。Intheexchangecalledproductionthesameserviceswillhaveobtained,eachintheirplace,adoublequantityofproduction,butthesetwodoublequantitiesmaybeobtainedonebytheotherasheretofore,andaseasilyso,thatwithoutlayingoutmoreinproductiveservices,anationinwhichthisproductivepowerbeginstounfolditself,willhavedoublethequantityofarticlestoconsume,eitherwheat,orcloth,oranythingelse,sincewehaveagreedtorepresentbywheatandclotheverythingthehumanspeciesmaywantforitssupport。Theproductionsinsuchanexchangeareopposedinvaluetoproductiveservices。Now,asineveryexchangeoneofthetwoarticlesisofgreatervalue,inproportiontothequantityitobtainsoftheother,itfollows,thatproductiveservicesarethemorevaluableinproportionasproductionsaremultiplied,andatlowerprice。(13)
Thisisthereasonwhythediminutioninthepriceofproductions,byaugmentingthevalueoftheproductivefundsofanation,andtherevenuesresultingtherefrom,increasesthenationalwealth。Thisdemonstration,whichisdetailedinthe3rdChapterofthe2d。BookofmyTreatiseonPoliticalEconomy(4thedition),hasIthinkrenderedsomeservicetothesciencebyexplainingthatwhichuptothatperiodhadbeenfeltbutnotexplained。Whichis,thatalthoughwealthisachangeablevalue,generalwealthhasaccruedbythelowpriceofcommoditiesandeverykindofproduction。(14)
Neverperhapshasanincreaseofdoubleintheproductivepoweroflabortakenplaceallatonce,andinallproductionsatthesametime,butitisindisputablethatithastakenplacegraduallyinmanyproductions,andinveryvariedproportions。Apurplecloakamongsttheancients,ofthesamequalityandsize,ofthesamesolidityandbeautyofcolor,costnodoubtdoublewhatitcostsnow。AndIhavenodoubtthatwheat,paidinlabor,isdiminishedonehalfatleastsincetheunknownepochaoftheinventionoftheplough。Alltheseproductionscostinglesslabor,havebeen,inconsequenceofcompetition,givenforwhattheycost,withoutanyonebeingaloserbyit,andalltheworldhasgainedinrevenue。
Butwemustreturntothefirstpartofyourobjection。Theproducersofwheatandtheproducersofclothwillthenproducemorewheatandcloththaneithertheoneortheothercanconsume。Ah!Sir,afterhavingprovedthatnotwithstandingareductionofmorethanhalfthevalueoftheproductionsthesamelaborcouldbuythewholeofthem,andtherebyprocuredoublethemeansofexistenceandenjoyment,shallIbereducedtothenecessityofprovingtothejustlycelebratedauthoroftheEssayonPopulationthateverythingthatcanbeproducedmayfindconsumers,andthatamongsttheenjoymentswhichthequantityofproductionsofwhichmankindcandispose,procure,thecomfortsofhomeandtheincreaseofchildrenarenottheleast?Afterhavingwrittenthreejustlyadmiredvolumestoprovethatthepopulationalwaysrisestothelevelofthemeansofexistence,canyouadmitthecaseofagreatincreaseofproductions,withastationarynumberofconsumers,andwantsreducedbyparsimony?
(page355。)
EithertheAuthoroftheEssayonPopulationortheauthorofthePrinciplesofPoliticalEconomymustbewrong。ButeverythingprovestousthatitisnottheauthoroftheEssayonPopulationwhoiswrong。Experienceaswellasreasonshowsthataproduction,athingnecessaryoragreeabletoman,isonlydespisedwhenonehasnotthemeansofbuyingit。Thesemeansofbuyingitarepreciselywhatestablishthedemandfortheproduction,whichsetapricetoit。Nottowantausefulthingisnottohavewherewithtopayforit。Andhowisitwehavenotwherewithtopayforit?Itisbecausewearedeprivedofthatwhichconstituteswealth,deprivedofeitherindustry,land,orcapital。
Whenmenareonceprovidedwiththemeansofproducing,theyappropriatetheirproductionstotheirwants,fortheproductionitselfisanexchangeinwhichtheproductivemeansaresupplied,andinwhichthearticlewemostwantisdemandedinreturn。Tocreateathing,thewantofwhichdoesnotexist,istocreateathingwithoutvalue:thiswouldnotbeproduction。
Nowfromthemomentithasavalue,theproducercanfindmeanstoexchangeitforthosearticleshewants。
Thispowerofexchange,peculiartomanamongstalltheanimals,appropriatesallproductionstoallwants,andallowshimtocalculateforhisexistencenotonthespeciesofproduction(hewillexchangeitassoonashelikesifithasavaluebutonthevalue。
Thedifficulty,youwillsay,istocreatearticleswhichareworththeexpencesoftheirproduction;inmynextletteryouwillseewhatI
thinkonthissubject。Butinthehypothesisinwhichwestillare,ofthelibertyofindustry,youwillallowmetoobservethatthereisnodifficultyexperiencedincreatingarticleswhichareworththeexpencesoftheirproduction,exceptthehighdemandsofsuppliersofproductiveservices。Nowthehighpriceofproductiveservicesdenotesthatwhatweseekforexists,thatistosay,thatthereisamodeofemployingthemsoastomaketheproducesufficienttorepaywhattheycost。
Youreproachthosewhosubscribetomyopinionwith"havingnoregardtotheinfluencesogeneralandsoimportantofman’sdispositiontoindolenceandlaziness"(page358)。Yousupposeacase,inwhichmenafterhavingproducedwherewithtosatisfytheirmostnecessarywantswouldprefertodonothingmore,theloveofeasebeingpredominantintheirmindsoverthatofpleasure。Thissupposition,allowmetosay,provesinmyfavorandagainstvou。WhatmoreshallIsaythanthatweonlyselltothosewhoproduce?Whyarenotarticlesofluxurysoldtoafarmerwholikestoleadarusticlife?Becausehehadratherbeidlethanproducewherewithtopurchasethem。Whateverbethecausethatcircumscribesproduction,whetherthewantofcapital,ofpopulation,ofdiligence,orliberty,theeffectinmymindisthesame:thearticleswhichareofferedontheonehandarenotsoldbecausetoofewareproducedontheother。
Youlookuponindolencethatwillnotproduceasdirectlyagainstavent,andIamentirelyofyouropinion。Butthen,howcanyouconsiderasyoudo(ch。7sec。9)theindolenceofwhatyoucallunproductiveconsumersasfavorabletothissamevent。Itisabsolutelynecessaryyousay(page463)thatacountrywhichhasgreatmeansofproductionshouldpossesanumerousbodyofunproductiveconsumers。Howcanitbethatthatindolencewhichrefusestoproduce,shouldoverateagainstaventinthefirstease,andbefavorabletoitinthesecond。
IfImustspeakplain,thisindolenceisagainstitinbotheases。Whodoyoumeanbythisnumerousbodyofunproductiveconsumerssonecessaryinyouropiniontoproducers?Aretheytheproprietorsoflandandcapitals?
Doubtlesstheydonotproducedirectly,buttheirpropertyproducesforthem。Theyconsumethevalue,tothecreationofwhichtheirlandsandcapitalshavecontributed。Theycontributethereforetotheproduction,andcanonlypurchasewhattheydo,inconsequenceofthatcontribution。
Iftheyfurthercontributebytheirlabor,andjointotheirprofitasproprietorsandcapitalistsotherprofitaslaborers,therebyproducingmore,theycanconsumemore,butitisnotintheircharacterofnon—producersthattheyaugmenttheventofproducers。
Doyoumeanpublicfunctionaries,soldiers,andstatepensioners?Neitherisitintheircharacterofnon—producersthattheyfavoravent。Iamfarfromcontestingthelegitimacyoftheemolumentstheyreceive,butIcannotthinkthatthosewhopaytaxeswouldbeatalosswhattodowiththeirmoneyifthecollectordidnotcometotheirassistanceeithertheirwantswouldbemoreamplysatisfied,ortheywouldemploythesamemoneyinareproductivemanner。Ineitherease,themoneywouldbespentandwouldfavortheventofsomeproductionsequalinvaluetowhatisnowpurchasedbythoseyoucallunproductiveconsumers。Confesstherefore,Sir,thatitisnotbyunproductiveconsumersthattheventisfavored,butratherbythosewhohelptokeepthem,andthatineasetheunproductiveconsumersshouldhappentodisappear,whichGodforbid,theventwouldnotbeinjuredthevalueofasinglehalfpenny。
Iknownobetteronwhatprincipleyoudecide(page856)thatproductioncannotgoonifthevalueofcommoditiesonlypaysalittlemorethanthelabortheyhavecost。Itisbynomeansnecessarythattheproduceshouldyieldmorethanthecostofproduction,toenabletheproducerstogoon。
Whenanenterprisebeginswithacapitalofahundredthousandfrancs,itissufficientifityieldaproduceorahundredthousandfrancs,toenableittorecommenceitsoperation。Andwhere,youask,aretheproducer’sprofits?Thewholecapitalhasservedtopaythem。(15)Anditisthepricethathasbeenpaidforitwhichformstherevenueofalltheproducers。Iftheproduceresultingfromitisworthonlyahundredthousandfrancs,thesamecapitalisre—establishedandalltheproducersarepaid。(16)
Iamthereforenotafraidofmaldngyourobjectionstrongerthanyouhavedonebyexpressingitthus:"Althougheachcommoditymayhavecostinitsproductionthesamequantityoflaborandcapital,andtheonemaybeequivalenttotheother,stilltheymaybothbesoabundant,asnottopurchasemorelaborthantheycost。Inthiscase,canproductiongoon?certainlynot。"No?whynot,Ibeseechyou?Whycannotthefarmersandmanufacturers,whomaketogether60francsworthofwheatandcloth,whoIhaveshownwouldbeinasituationtopurchasethisentirequantityofcommodity,sufficientfortheirwants,whycantheynotafterhavingboughtandconsumedit,beginagain?Theywouldhavethesameland,thesamecapital,thestoneindustryasbefore,theywouldbepreciselywheretheywerewhentheybegan,andtheywouldhavelived,andsupportedthemselvesupontheirincomefromthesaleoftheirproductiveservices。Whatmoreisnecessaryforthepreservationofsociety?ThisgreatphenomenonProductionbeinganalysedandshewninitstruecolorsexplainseverything。
Aftertheapprehensionyouareunder,Sir,thattheproductionsofsocietyshouldoutstepinquantitywhatitcanandwillconsume,itisnaturalyoushouldbeholdthesecapitalsincreasedbyparsimony,withterror,forthecapitalswhichseekemployment,occasionanincreaseofproductionandfreshmeansofaccumulation,fromwhenceariseproductions:infactyouseemtometobeafraidthatweshallbestifledunderamassofwealth,whichfearIconfesstoyoubynomeanstroublesme。
Wasitforyou,Sir,tostiruppopularprejudicesagainstthosewhodonotspendtheirincomeinarticlesofluxury?Youadmit(page351)thatnopermanentincreaseofwealthcantakeplacewithoutapreviousaugmentationofcapital!youadmit(page352)thatthosewhoworkareconsumersaswellasthosewhoareidle,andstillyoufearthatifwearealwaysaccumulatingwecannotconsumethequantity(continuallyincreasing)
ofcommoditiesproducedbythesenewlaborers。(page353。)
Yourvainfearsmustbedestroyed,butfirstofallallowmetomakeareflexionontheobjectofmodernPoliticalEconomy,ofanaturetodirectusinourcourse。
WhatisitthatdistinguishesusfromtheEconomistsoftheschoolofQuesnay?Itisthepainswetaketoobservetheconnexionofthefactswhichregardwealth,therigorousexactitudeweimposeuponourselvesinthedescriptionofthem。Nowtocomprehendwell,anddescribewell,wemustasmuchaspossibleremainpassivespectators。Notthatwecannotnoroughtsometimestosighatthosegrossoperations,oftheunhappyconsequencesofwhichweareoftenthesorrowfulandhelplesswitnesses。Isthephilanthropichistorianinterdictedfromthosesorrowfulreflexionswhichtheiniquitiesofpolicysometimesdrawfromhim?Butareproach,athought,anadvicearenothistory,andIamboldtosay,arenotPoliticalEconomy。Whatweowetothepublicistotellthemhowandwhysuchafactistheconsequenceofsuchotherfact;whethertheycourtordreadtheconsequence,thatissufficientforthem,theyknowwhattheyhavetodo,butnoexhortations。
ItconsequentlyappearstomethatIoughtnomoretopreach,savingaftertheexampleofAdamSmith,thanyououghttocryupdissipationafterthatofmyLordLauderdale。Letusthereforeconfineourselvestotheobservinghowthingsfollowandarelinkedtogetherintheaccumulationofcapital。
InthefirstplaceIremarkthemajorpartofaccumulationsarenecessarilyslow。Alltheworld,whateverincometheymayhave,mustlivebeforetheyaccumulate,andwhatIherecalllifeisingeneralmoreexpensiveinproportionaswearerich。Inmosttradesandprofessions,themaintenanceandestablishmentofafamilyrequirethewholeoftheincomeandoftentimesthecapital,andalthoughsomethingyearlymaybesaved,itisgenerallyverydisproportionatetothecapitalactuallyemployed。Anenterpriserwhohasahundredthousandfrancsandindustry,gainsinordinaryeasesandinamoderatetimefromtwelvetofifteenthousandfrancs。Nowwithsuchacapital,andindustrywhichisworthasmuch,thatistosayafortuneoftwohundredthousandfrancs,heiseconomicalifhespendsonlytenthousand,inwhicheasehewouldonlysaveyearlyfivethousandfrancsorthetwentiethpartofhiscapital。
Ifyoudividethisfortuneasisoftentheeasebetweenpersons,oneofwhomfurnishestheindustry,theotherthecapital,thesavingisthenmuchless,becauseinthateasetwofamiliesinsteadofonehavetobemaintainedfromtheunitedprofitsofthecapitalandindustry。(17)Atalleventsitisonlyverygreatfortunesthatcanmakegreatsavings,andverylargefortunesarerareinallcountries。Capitalscannotthereforeincreasewitharapiditycapableofproducingtheoverthrowofindustry。
Icannotsubscribetothefearswhichmakeyouexpress,inpage357,"Thatacountryisalwaysmoreexposedtotherapidincreaseofthefundsdestinedforthesupportofthelaboringclassthanofthelaboringclassitself。"NormnIfrightenedattheenormousincreaseofproductionwhichmayresultfromanaugmenration(soslowinitsnature)ofcapital。Iseeonthecontrarythesenewcapitalsandtheincomestheyproducedistributethemselvesinthemostfavorablemanneramongstproducers。Inthefirstplacethecapitalistinaugnnentinghiscapitalseeshisincomeincrease,whichinducesgreaterenjoyments。Acapitalincreasedoneyearbuysthefollowingyearalittlemoreindustriousservice。Theseservicesbeingmoreindemandarepaidalittlebetter。Agreaternumberofindustriouspersonsfindemployandtherewardoftheirfacultics。Theyworkandunproductivelyconsumetheproduceoftheirlabor,sothatiftherearemoreproductionscreatedinconsequenceofthisincreaseofcapitaltherearcalsomoreproductionsconsumed。Nowwhatisthisbutanincreaseofprosperity?
Yousay(pages352and360)thatifthesavingshavenootherobjectthantheincreaseofcapital,"ifthecapitalistsdonotincreasetheirenjoymentswiththeirincome,theyhavenotasufficientmotiveforsaving:
formendonotsaveforaphilanthropysake,andmerelytomakeindustryprosper。"Thatistrue。Butwhatconclusionwillyoudrawfromit?Iftheysave,Isaytheyencourageindustryandproduction,andthisincreaseofproductiondistributesitselfinamannerveryadvantageoustothepublic。
IftheydonotsaveIknownotwhattosay。Butyoucannotconcludefromthat,thatproducerswillbebenefittedbyit,forwhatthecapitalistswouldhavesaved,wouldstillhavebeenspent。Byspendingitunproductively,theexpenditureisnotmadegreater。Astosumsaccumulatedwithoutbeingproductivelyconsumed,forinstance,thosehoardedupinthemiser’scoffer,neitherSmith,myself,noranyoneundertakestodefendthis,buttheyalarmusbutlittleinthefirstplace,becausetheyareveryinconsiderableincomparisontotheproductivecapitalsofaNation,andinthesecondplacebecausetheirconsumptionisnomorethansuspended。Therearenotreasuresthathavenotsometimeorotherbeenspenteitherproductivelyorunproductively。
Idonotknowuponwhatprincipleyouconsiderreproductiveexpences,suchasfordiggingcanals,agriculturalbuildings,constructingmachines,andpayingartistsandartisans,asmorefavorabletoproducersthanimproductiveexpensessuchasthosewhichareonlyforthepersonalgratificationoftheprodigal。"Solong,"yousay(page363,)"ascultivatorsaredisposedtoconsumethearticlesofluxurycreatedbythemanufacturers,andthemanufacturersthearticlesofluxurycreatedbythecultivators,alliswell。Butifeitherclassweredisposedtoeconomisewithaviewofbetteringtheirconditionandofprovidingfortheestablishmentoftheirfamilies,thecasewouldbequitedifferent,"(thatistosayapparently,thateverythingwouldgoill)。
"Thefarmerinsteadofallowinghiswiferibbons,laces,andvelvets,wouldbecontentwithplainerclothingforher,buthiseconomywouldtakeawayfromthemanufacturerthepowerofpurchasingsogreataquantityofhisproduce,andhewouldnolongerfindaventfortheproduceoflanduponwhichnothinghadbeensparedinlaborandamendment。Ifthemanufactureronhispartinsteadofgratifyinghisdesiresbytheconsumptionofsugar,plumbs,andtobacco,wishestolayupforthefuture,hecannotsucceed,thankstotheparsimonyofthefarmer,andtothewantofdemandfortheproductionsofmanufacture。
Andalittlefurtheron(page365)"Thepopulationnecessarytofurnishclothingforsuchasocietybythehelpofmachineswouldbereducedtoatriflingnumber,andwouldabsorbbutasmallpartoftheexcessofarichandwellcultivatedterritory。Therewouldevidentlybeageneralfallingoffinthedemand,eitherforproductionsorpopulation。Andwhilstitiscertainthataproperpassionforconsumption(unproductive)wouldpreserveajustproportionbetweenthesupplyanddemand,whatevermaybethepowerofproduction,it:doesnotappearlessclearthataninclinationtosavemustinevitablyleadtoaproductionofcommoditiesexceedingwhattheorganisationandhabitsofsuchasocietywouldpermitthemtoconsume。"
Yougosofarastoaskwhatwouldbecomeofthecommodities,ifeverykindofconsumption,breadandwaterexcepted,weresuspendedonlyforsixmonths(18)and,itistomeinthefirstinstancethatyouaddressthisquestion。
Inthisandtheprecedingpassageyouimplicitlyrestuponthefact,thataproducesavediswithdrawnfromeverykindofconsumption,whilstinallthediscussionsinalltheworksyouattack,inthoseofAdamSmith,Mr。Ricardo,mine,andevenyourown,(19)itisestablishedthataproducesavedisavaluewithdrawnfromanunproductiveconsumptiontoaddittothecapital,thatis,tothatvaluewhichweconsume,orcausetobeconsumedreproductively。Whatwouldbecomeofthecommodities,ifeverykind,ofconsumption,breadandwaterexcepted,weresuspendedforsixmonths?why,Sir,theywouldsellforthestoneamount,foratlengthwhatwouldtherebybeaddedtotheamountofthecapitalswouldbuymeat,beer,clothes,shirts,shoesandfurnitureforthatclassofproducerswhichthesumssavedwouldsettowork。Butifwelivedonbreadandwateranddidnotemployoursavings?Thatis,yousupposeweshouldimposeuponourselvesgenerallyanextravagantfastforpleasureandwithoutanobject。
Whatanswer,Sir,wouldyougivetohimwhoamongstthenumberofstrangeeventswhichmayhappeninsociety,shouldincludetheeaseofthemoon’sfallingupontheearth。Aeasenotphysicallyimpossible。Herrencontrewithasuspendedcomet,orthe—merestoppageofthisstarinitsorbitwouldbesufficient。NeverthelessIsuspectyouwillthinkthisquestionratherimpertinent,andIconfesstoyouthatyouwillnotbealtogetherwrong。
Iadmitthatthisisamethodwhichphilosophydoesnotdisown,topushprinciplestothegreatestpossibleextremityforthepurposeofexaggeratingthemanddiscoveringtheirerrors,butthisexaggerationitselfisanerrorwhenthenatureofthingsalonepresentsobstaclescontinuallyincreasingtotheexcessweimagine,therebyrenderingthesuppositioninadmissible。
YouopposetoallthosewhothinkwithAdamSmiththatsavingisagood,theinconvenienceofanexcessivesaving;butheretheexcesscarriesitsremedyalongwithit。Wherethecapitalsbecometooabundant,theinterestwhichthecapitalistsderivefromthembecometoolowtobalancetheprivationstheyimposeuponthemselvesbytheirsavings。Safeemploymentforcapitalwillbedifficulttobefound;capitalsareemployedabroad。Thecommoncourseofnatureputsastoptomanyaccumulations。Agreatpartofthosewhichtakeplaceinfamiliesineasycircumstances,ceasethemomentitbecomesnecessarytoprovideforthesettlementofthechildren。Theincomeofthefathers,beingreducedbythiscircumstance,theylosethemeansofaccumulation,atthesametimethattheyloseapartofthemotivestheyhadforaccumulating。Manysavingsarestoppedbydeath。Apropertyisdividedbetweenheirs,andlegatees,whosesituationinnowayresemblesthatofthedeceased,andwhofrequentlydissipateapartofthepropertyinsteadofincreasingit;thatpartwhichgoestogovernmentismostundoubtedlydissipated,forthestatedoesnotemployitreproductively。
Theprodigalityandignoranceofmanypersonswholoseapartoftheircapitalinill—conceivedenterprizesmustnecessarilybesetagainstthesavingsofmanyothers。Everythingservestoconvinceusthatinwhatrelatestoaccumulationsaswellasalltherestthereismuchlessdangerinlettingthingstaketheirnaturalcoursethantoendeavourtogivethemaforceddirection。
Yousay(page495)thatincertaincasesitiscontrarytotheprinciplesofasoundPoliticalEconomy,torecommendsavlng。AhSir!AgoodPoliticalEconomyrecommendslittle,itshewswhatacapitaljudiciouslyemployedaddstothepowerofindustry,thesameasagoodagricultureteacheswhatirrigationwelldirectedaddstothepowerofthesoil;fortherestitgivestomankindthetruthsitunfolds,itisforthemtomakeuseofthemaccordingtotheirintelligenceandcapacity。
Allthatisrequired,Sir,ofsoenlightenedamanasyourself,isnottopropagatethepopularerror,thatprodigalityanymorethansavingisbeneficialtoproducers。(20)
Wearetoomuchinclinedtosacrificethefutureforthepresent。Theprincipleofeveryamendmentisonthecontrarythesacrificeofthetemptationsofthemomentforthefuturegood。Thisistheground—workofallvirtue,andofallwealth。Themanwholoseshisreputationbyviolatingadeposit,hewhoruinshishealthbecausehewillnotresisthisinclinations,andhewhospendsto—dayhismeansofgettingto—morrow,allequallyfailineconomy,andthisiswhathasgivenrisetothesayingthatviceisafterallnothingmorethanabadcalculation。
HowisitMr。Malthusdoesnotseethatmarriageproduceschildrenandconsequentlyfreshwants,whilstcapitalshavenowants,butonthecontrarycarrywiththemthemeansofsatisfyingthem?
LETTERTHETHIRD。
SIR,Wehavebeenarguinguponthehypothesisofanindefinitelibertygiventoanation,tocarrytoasgreatanextentaspossibleeverykindofproduction,andIthinkIhaveprovedthatifthishypothesisweretoberealised,thatnationwouldbeabletopurchasewhateveritchose。Fromthispower,andman’snaturaldesire,continuallytobetterhiscondition,wouldinfalliblyproceedaninfinitemultiplicationofindividualsandenjoyments。
Thisisnothowevertheease。Natureontheonehand,andthevicesofsocialcommunityontheother,havesetboundstothisindefinitepowerofproduction,andtheenquiryintotheseobstacles,bybringingusintotherealworldwillservetoprove,inadditiontothedoctrineestablishedinmytreatiseonPoliticalEconomy,thatitistheseobstaclestoproductionwhichalonepreventthecirculationandtheventofproductions。
Idonotpretendtobeabletopointoutalltheobstacleswhichcounteractproduction。ManyofthemwillnodoubtbediscoveredasPoliticalEconomyimproves,otherswillperhapsneverbediscovered,butverypowerfulonesmaybealreadydescriedbothinnaturalandpoliticalorder。
Innaturalorder,theproductionofalimentaryprovisionshascloserboundsprescribedtoitthantheproductionofprovisionsoffurnitureandclothes。Atthesametime,thatmankindhasneedeitherinweightorvalue,ofagreaterquantityofalimentaryproduce,thanofalltherestputtogether,theseproductionscannotbebroughtfromagreatdistance,fortheirtransmittalisdifficult,andkeepingthemisexpensive。Astothosewhichcanbegrownwithintheterritoryofanation,theyhavetheirlimits,whichamoreperfectsystemofagriculture,andlargercapitalsengagedinagriculturaloperations,cannodoubtremove,(21)butwhichmustexistsomewhere。ArthurYoungthinksFrancescarcelyproduceshalfthealimentaryprovisions,sheiscapableofproducing。(22)SupposeArthurYoungsaystrue。Supposeeventhatwithabettersystemofagriculture,Franceshouldgrowtwicethequantityofruralproduce,withouthavingmoreagriculturists,(23)shewouldthenhave45millioninhabitantswhocouldemploythemselvesinanyotheroccupationthanagriculture。Hermanufacturalproductionswouldfindgreaterventinthecountrythantheydoatpresent,andthesurpluswouldfindaventamongthemanufacturingpopulationitself。Weshouldnotbeworsefedthanwearenow,butingeneralweshouldbebetterprovidedwithmanufacturedarticles;weshouldhavebetterhabitations,betterfurniture,finerclothes,andarticlesofuse,instruction,andamusement,whicharenowattainablebya。verysmallnumberofpersons。
Alltherestofthepopulationisstillrudeanduncultivated。
Still,inproportionasthemanufacturingclassincreased,alimentaryprovisionswouldbecomemoreindemand,anddearer,incomparisonwithmanufacturedarticles。Thelatterwouldprocuremorerestrictedprofitsandsalaries,whichwoulddiscouragetheirproduction;andthusitmaybeconceived,howthoseboundswhichNaturesetstoagriculturalproductions,wouldalsosetthemtomanufacturalproductions。Butthiseffect,likeeverythin~whichhappensnaturallyandarisesoutofthenatureofthings,isalongwayintheperspective,andwouldbeaccompaniedwithlessinconveniencethananyotherpossibleevent。
Inadmittingthesebounds——setbyNatureherself,totheproductionoffood,andindirectlytothatofallotherarticles——itmaybeasked,howveryindustriouscountries,suchasEngland,inwhichcapitalsabound,andcommunicationiseasy,areobstructedinthecirculationoftheircommodities,longbeforetheiragriculturalproductionsarearrivedataheightbeyondwhichtheycannotgo。Thereisthenavice,ahiddenevilwhichtormentsthem。Thereareprobablymore,andthesewilldiscoverthemselvessuccessively;
butalreadyIperceiveone,immenseanddisastrous,worthyofthemostseriousattention。
Ifitshouldhappenthat,aftereverycommercial,manufactural,oragriculturalenterprise,aman,acollectorofduties,shouldcomeandestablishhimself;
andthatthisman,withoutaddinganythingtothemeritoftheproduction,toitsusefulness,ortothatqualitywhichmakesitsought。afterandsellsit,shouldneverthelessaddtothecostofitsproduction;whatwouldbetheresultofthis,Iaskyou?Thepricethatissetuponanarticle,evenwhenonehasthemeansofattainingit,(24)dependsontheenjoymentweexpectfromit,ortheuseitmaybeof。Inproportionasthepricegetsup,itceases,withrespecttomanypersons,tobeworthwhatitcosts,andthenumberofitsbuyersdecreases。
Besides,thetaxnotincreasingtheprofitofanyproducer,butstillenhancingthepriceofeveryarticle,theproducer’sincomeisnolongeradequatetothepurchaseoftheproductions,fromthemomentthatanaccidentsuchasIhavejustmentionedaugmentstheirprice。
Letusexplaintoourselvesthiseffectbynumber,inordertotraceittoitsultimateconsequences。Itisworththepainsbestoweduponit,ifitpointsouttoustheprincipalcauseofanevilthatthreatenseveryindustriousnationonthefaceoftheearth。Englandalreadybyhersufferings,warnsothernationsofthecalamitiesinreserveforthem;whichwillbethemoredisastrous,inproportionasarobustconstitutioninducesthem,moreorjess,toverygreatexertions,fromwhichverybeneficialeffectswillresultifnotcircumscribed,andfrightfulconvulsionsiftheyare。
Iftheenterpriser,theproducerofapieceofcloth,atthesametimethathedividesbetweenhimselfandhisbrotherproducersasumof30francs,fortheproductiveserviceswhichhavebeenemployedinthemanufactureofthecloth,isobligedtopaybesides6francstothetax—gatherer,eitherhemustceasetomanufacturecloth,ormustsellhispiecefor36francs。(25)Butthepiecebeingat36francs,theproducers,whoaltogetherhaveonlyreceived30forit,canonlypurchasefive—sixthsofthatsamepiecewhichpreviouslytheycouldpurchaseentirely,hewhoboughtanellofitcouldnowonlybuyfive—sixthsofanell,andsooftherest。
Theproducerofwheat,whoonhispartpaystoanothertax—gathereracontributionof6francsforasackwhichcost30francsinproductiveservices,isobligedtosellhissackfor36francsinsteadofthirty。
Theconsequenceofwhichis,thattheproducersofwheatandtheproducersofcloth,whethertheywantwheatorcloth,canonly,withtheprofittheyhavemade,purchasefive—sixthsoftheirproductions。
Thiseffecttakingplaceintworeciprocalproductions,maytakeplacegenerallyinallproductions。——Withoutchangingthepositionofthequestion,wemaysupposethattheproducers,towhateverproductiontheyhavedevotedthemselves,haveoccasionsuccessivelyfordrink,autumnalprovisions,lodging,amusements,andarticlesofluxuryornecessity。Andstilltheywillfindtheseproductionsdearerthantheycanafford,whatevertheirincomemaybe,accordingtotheranktheyholdamongproducers。Therewillalwaysbe,inthehypothesiswhichservesasourexample,asixthoftheproductionsremainingunsold。
Itistrue,thatthe6francsleviedbythecollectorgotosomebody,andthatthosewhomthecollectorrepresents,(publicfunctionaries,militarymen,orstatepensioners,)mayemploythismoneyinthepurchaseoftheremainingsixth,eitherofthewheatorclothorofanyotherproduction。
——Thisisindeedthefact;butobservethatconsumptiontakesplaceattheexpenseoftheproducers,andthatthecollector,orhisconstituents,iftheyconsumeasixthoftheproductions,therebycompeltheproducerstofeedandclothethemselves——infacttoliveuponfive—sixthsofwhattheyproduce。
Thiswillbeadmitted;butatthesametimeitwillbesaid,thatitispossibleforeveryonetoliveuponfive—sixthsofwhatheproduces。——
Iwilladmititmyselfifitiswished;butIshallaskinmyturn,ifyouthinktheproducerwouldliveaswelliftwo—sixthsorathird,insteadofone—sixth,weretakenfromhim。No——buthewouldstilllive。Ah!youthinkhewouldlive!Inthiscase,Iaskifhewouldstillliveiftwo—thirds——three—quarters——weretakenfromhim;butIperceivethatnoanswerisgiven。
Now,Sir,Iflattermyselfthatmyanswertoyourmostforcibleobjectionswillbeeasilyunderstood,aswellasmyanswertothoseofM。Sismondi。
If,yousay,itissufficienttocreatefreshproductions,inordertobeenabledtoconsumeorexchangethemforthosewhichsuperabound,andtherebyprocureaventforboththeoneandtheother,whyaretheynotcreated?Arethecapitalswanting?Theyabound;enterprisesaresoughtfor,inwhichtoemploythemtoadvantage:itisevidenttheyarenottobefoundyousay(page499);thateverykindofcommerceissooverloadedwithcapitalsdndlaborers,bothofwhichoffertheirproductionsatareducedpricesaysM。Sismondi。(26)
Idonotmeantosay,thatitistheactofadupe,todevoteoneselftotheusefularts;butyoumustadmit,gentlemen,thatifitshouldeverbecomeso,theeffectwouldbenootherthanthatofwhichyoucomplain。
Inordertobuythoseproductionswhichsuperabound,itwouldbenecessarytocreateotherproductions;butifthesituationofproducerswastoodisadvantageous;ifafterhavingusedmeansofproductionsufficienttoproduceabullock,asheeponlywastheresult;ifonlythesameportionofutilityasisfoundinasheepcouldbeobtainedinexchangeagainstanyotherproduce,whowouldproduceatsuchadisadvantage?Thosewhohaddevotedthemselvestoproduction,wouldhavemadeabadbargain;theywouldhavemadeanadvancewhichtheutilityoftheirproductionisnotsufficienttorepay。Whoevershouldbe~sounwiseastocreateaproductioncapableofpurchasingtheformer,wouldhavetostruggleagainstthesamedisadvantages,andwouldgetintothesameembarrassment。Theprofithewouldobtainfromhisproductionwouldnotindemnifyhimforhisexpences;
andwhathecouldpurchasewiththisproductionwouldbeworthnomore。
Thentheworkmancouldnolongerlivebyhislabor,andwouldbecomeaburthentohisparish。(27)Thentheenterpriser,nolongerenabledtoliveuponhisprofits,wouldrenouncehisindustry。
Hewouldpurchasestock,orrathergoabroadtoseekbetterfortune,amorelucrativeoccupation,orwhatcomesexactlytothesamething,aproductionwhichshouldbeaccompaniedwithlessexpences。(28)Ifheshouldtheremeetwithotherinconveniences,hewouldstillseekanothersceneforhistalents,anddifferentcountrieswouldbeseendrivingaway,seizingbythehead,boththeircapitalsandlaborers;thatistosay,whatissufficienttocarrytheprosperityofhumansocietiestothehighestpitch,whentheyknowtheirrealinterestandthemeansofbenefitingbyit。
Ishallnottakeuponmyselftosaywhichofthefeaturesofthispicturearesuitabletoyourcountry,ortoanyother,butIleavethemtoyourexamination,andtothatofallhonestmen,ofgoodintentions,andwhodesiretofoundtheirhappinessontheinteresting,laborious,andusefulpartofmankind。
Whydothesavagesofthenewworld,whoseprecarioussubsistencedependsuponthechanceofthechase,refusetobuildvillages,andencloseandcultivateland?Itisbecausethissortofliferequirestooassiduousandtoopainfulalabor。Theyarewrong;badcalculators,fortheprivationstheyendurearemuchworsethantheshacklesofawellunderstoodsociallifewouldimposeuponthem。Butifthissociallifewereagalley,inwhichbyrowingwithalltheirmightforsixteenhoursoutofthetwenty—four,theyonlyobtainedamorselofbreadinsufficientfortheirsupport;theywouldthenindeedbeexcusablefornotpreferringasociallife。Noweverythingwhichrendersthesituationofaproducer——ofamanessentialtosociety——worse,tendstodestroytheprincipleofexistenceofthesocialbody,toapproximateacivilisedpeopletobarbarians,tobringonanorderofthingsinwhichlessisproducedandlessconsumed,todestroycivilisation,whichismoreflorishinginproportionasmoreisproducedandmoreconsumed。
Youremarkinmanyplaces,thatmanisnaturallyindolent;anditistoknowhimbutlittle"tosupposethathewouldalwaysconsumeallthatheiscapableofproducing,(page503)"。Indeedyouareright;nordoIholdadifferentopinionwhenIsaythattheutilityofproductionsisnolongerworththeproductiveservicesatthepriceoneisobligedtopayforthem。
Youyourselfseemtohaveadmittedthistruth,whenyousaidinanotherplace,(page842,)"ataxmayputanendtotheproductionofacommodity,ifnopersoncanconsenttoputuponthiscommodityapriceequivalenttothefreshdifficultiesofitsproduction。"Andthisinternalvice,{tohavecostmoreinproducingthanthe。thingisworth),istransmittedwiththecommoditytotheendoftheworld。——Itiseverywheretoodeartobewort,hwhatitcost,becauseevery。whereweareobligedtopayforitbyproductiveservicesequaltothoseithascost。
Aconsiderationwhichisnottobedespisedeither,isthatthecostsofproductionarenotonlyincreasedbythemultipliedtaxes,andbythehighpriceofeverythins,butalsobythecustomswhicharetheresultofaviciouspoliticalsystem。Iftheprogressofluxuryandlargeemoluments;
thefacilityofobtainingillegitimateprofits,byfavorincontractsorfinancialoperations,compelthemanufacturer,themerchant,ortherealproducer,inordertopreservehisrankinsociety,toseekforprofitsdisproportionatetotheservicesherenderstotheproduction,thentheseotherabusestendtoincreasebyothercauses,thechargesofproduction,andconsequentlythepriceofproductionsbeyondtheirrealutility……Theconsumptionofthemisthemorecircumscribed;inordertoobtainthemweareobligedtogivemoreproductiveservicestowardsthecreationofanotherproduction,andtogointolargerexpencesofproduction。Judge,Sir,bythis,oftheevilthatisdonebyencouraginguselessexpences,andmultiplyingunproductiveconsumers。
Whatprovestohowgreatanextentthecostsofproductionarearealobstacletothesaleofproductions,istherapidsaleofanarticlewhichanexpeditiousmeansofproductionputsatalowprice。Itisthenobtainedbyeveryonewithlesslaborandlesschargesofproductionofanysort。
Wheninconsequenceofthecontinentalsystemwewereobligedtopayfivefrancsforapoundofsugar,appliedeithertotheproductionofthesugaritselfortoanyothercommoditywhichwasexchangedforthesugar。Francecouldonlypurchasefourteenmillionsofpounds。(29)Nowsugarischeapweconsumeeightymillionsofpoundsyearly,whichisnearlythreepoundseachperson。AtCuba,wheresugarisstillcheaper,upwardsofthirtypoundsareconsumedbyeachfreeperson。(30)
Letisthenadmitatruthwhichstaresusfullintheface;thattolevyexcessivetaxes,withorwithouttheparticipationofanationalrepresentation,orwithaderisiverepresentation,itmatterslittle,isincreasingthechargesofproduction,withoutincreasingtheutilityoftheproduction,andwithoutaddinganythingtobesatisfactionofaconsumerintheuseofthem;isputtingafineuponproduction,upontheexistenceofSociety。
Andasamongstproducerssomearebetterenabledthanothers,tothrowupontheirco—producerstheburthenofcircumstances,theyaffectsomeclassesmorethanothers。Acapitalistoftentimescanwithdrawhiscapitalfromonebranchtoemployitinanother;orhemaysenditabroad。Theenterpriserinabranchofindustryhasoftenfortunesufficienttosuspendandtheenterpriseraremastersoftheirsituations,thelaboreriscontinuallyobligedtoworkatanyprice,evenwhentheproductionnolongeraffordshimwherewithtolive。Itisthus,Sir,thattheexcessiveexpencesofproductionreducemanyclassesofcertainnations,toconsumenomorethanwhatisindispensablynecessarytotheirexistence,andthelowerorderstoperishforwant。Nowisnotthis,accordingtoyourownidea,(31)ofallothersthemostdesperateandbarbarousmeansofreducingthenumberofmankind?(32)
Here,perhaps,thestrongestobjectionpresentsitself,becauseitissupportedbyastrikingexample。IntheUnitedStateshindrancestoproductionarelessnumerousandthetaxeslight,andthere,aselsewhere,commoditiesaboundbutcommercewantsvent。—"Thedifficulties,"yousay(33)"cannotbeattributedtothecultureofbadland,nortothehindrancesoindustry,northeenormityofthetaxes,wherefore,fortheincreaseofwealthsomethingmoreisnecessarythanthepowerofproduction。"Alas!
Wouldyoubelieveit,Sir?Inmyopinionitisthatverypowerofproduction,atleastatthepresent,whichiswantingtotheUnitedStates,toenabletheAmericansadvantageouslytodisposeofthesuperabundantproductionsoftheircommerce。
Thehappysituationofthispeopleduringalongwar,inwhichtheyalmostalwaysenjoyedtheadvantagesofneutrality,hasgiventooforcibleadirectionoftheiractivityandcapitalstowardsmaritimeandforeigncommerce。TheAmericansareenterprising,theycarrycheap。Theyhaveintroducedexpenditousmodesofnavigationintotheirlongvoyages,whichshortensthem,rendersthemlessexpensive,andcorrespondswiththoseimprovementswhichintheartsdiminishthecostsofproduction。InfacttheAmericanshavedrawntotheircountryallthemaritimetradewhichtheEnglishcouldnotdo。TheyhaveformanyyearsservedasintermediatepersonsbetweenallthecontinentalpowersofEuropeandtherestoftheworld。TheyhaveevenobtainedgreatersuccessthantheEnglish,wherevertheyhavebeenputincompetitionwiththem;forinstanceatChina。
Whatistheconsequence?Anexcessiveabundanceofthoseproductions,whichmaritimeandcommercialindustryprocure;andwhenthegeneralpeacecame,andrestoredthefreedomoftheseas,FrenchandDutchvesselsprecipitatedthemselveswithasortofdelirium,intothemidstofaroutewhichhadjustbeenopened,andintheirignoranceofthesituationofforeignnations,oftheiragriculture,arts,population,andmeansofpurchaseandconsumption,thesevessels,escapedfromalongdetention,carriedtoallparts,ingreatabundance,theproductionsofthecontinentofEurope,presumingthattheothercountriesoftheworld,whichhadbeensolongseparatedfromit,wouldbemosteagerforthem。
Butinordertopurchasethisextraordinarysupply,itwouldatthestonetimehavebeennecessary,thatthesecountriesontheirpartshouldhavebeenabletohaveinstantlycreatedextraordinaryproductions:foragain,thedifficultyisnothowtoconsumeEuropeancommoditiesatNewYork,Baltimore,theHavannah,RioJaneiro,orBuenosAyres。Theywouldverywillinglyconsumethemthere,iftheyhad’therewithtopayforthem。
Europeansrequirecotton,tobacco,sugar,andrice,inpayment;andthisdemandenhancesthepriceofthem;anddearasthesecommoditiesandsilver,whichisalsoacommodity,were,youmusteithertakethem,orcomeawaywithoutpayment;thesesamecommoditiesbecomescarcerattheplaceoftheirorigin,becamemoreabundantinEurope,andfinishedbybeingtoomuchsotosellwellthere;althoughtheconsumptioninEuropeissomuchincreasedsincethepeace:hencethedisadvantageousreturnswehavebeenwitnessto。ButsupposeforamomentthattheagriculturalandmanufacturedproductionsofNorthandSouthAmericawereallatoncebecomeveryconsiderable,whenthepeacetookplace;thentheirpopulationsbeingmorenumerousandmoreproductive,wouldeasilyhaveboughtallthattheEuropeanscarriedthere,andhavegiventhemsundryarticlesinreturnatareasonablerate。
AstotheUnitedStates,thiswillIhavenodoubttakeplacewhentheycanaddtothearticlesofExchangewithwhichtheirmaritimecommercefurnishesus(34)agreaterquantityofagriculturalproduce,andperhapsalsosomemanufacturedarticles。Theirculture—isextendingtheirmanufactures,multiplying,andbyanaturalconsequencetheirpopulationincreaseswithanastonishingrapidity。A
fewyearsmoreandtheirindustryaltogetherwillformamassofproductions,amongstwhichwillbefoundarticlesfittomakeprofitablereturnsoratleastprofits,whichtheAmericanswillemployinthepurchaseofEuropeancommodities。
ThosecommoditieswhichtheEuropeanssucceedinmakingatleastexpencewillbecarriedtoAmerica,andthosewhichtheAmericansoilandindustrysucceedincreatingatalowerratethanothers,willbebroughtback。
Thenatureofthedemandwilldeterminethenatureoftheproductions;
eachnationwillemployitselfinpreferenceaboutthoseproductionsinwhichtheyhavethegreatestsuccess;thatis,whichtheyproduceatleastexpence,andexchangesmutuallyandpermanentlyadvantageouswillbetheresult。Butthesecommercialimprovementscanonlytakeplaceinthecourseoftime。Thetalentsandexperiencewhichtheartsrequirearenotacquiredinafewmonths,yearsmustbedevotedtothem。ItwillnotbeuntilaftermanyexperimentsthattheAmericanswillknowwhatcommoditiestheytanproducewithsuccess。Thenthoseproductionswillnolongerbetarriedtotheircountry;buttheprofittheywillobtainfromthemwillprocurethemthemeansofbuyingotherEuropeanproductions。
Ontheotherhand,theiragriculturalenterprises,howeverrapidtheirextensionmaybe,tanonlybyveryslowdegreesoffer,bytheirproductions,anopeningtoEuropeanproductions。AscultivationandcivilisationextendthemselvesbeyondtheAlleganymountainsinKentucky,andintotheIndianaandIllinoisterritories,thefirstgainsareemployedinfeedingthecoloniesastheyarrivefromthestatesfirstpeopled,andinbuildingtheirhabitations。
Theprofitsbeyondthesewants,servetoextendtheclearingthewoods,thenextinmanufacturingarticlesforlocalconsumption;anditisonlythesavingsofthefourthclasswhichareappliedinmanufacturingtheproductionsoftheearth,andintransformingthemfordistantconsumption。
ItisthenonlythatnewStatespresentanopeningtousEuropeans;butitisevidentthiscannotbeintheirinfancy:forthatpurposeitisnecessarythattheirpopulationshouldhavehadtimetoincrease,andthattheiragriculturalproductionsshouldhavebecomesoabundant,thattheyareunderthenecessityofseekingtoexchangetheirvalueatadistance。Then,andbythenaturalprogressofthings,insteadoftransportingrougharticles,theywilltransportarticleswhichwillhavealreadyreceivedsomeshape,andwhichconsequentlycontainingagreatervalueinlesscompass,canbeartheexpencesofalongvoyage。SuchproductionswillfindtheirwaytoEuropethroughNewOrleans,acitydestinedtobeoneofthegreatestdepotsinthewholeworld。
Wehavenotyetreachedthispoint;isitthenwonderfulthattheproductionsoftheUnitedStateshavenotvetofferedfacilitiesanalogoustothecommercialardorwhichfollowedthePeace?Isitevenwonderfulthatcommercialproductions,broughtbytheAmericansthemselvesintotheirports,attheendofanexaggerateddevelopmentoftheirnauticalindustry,shouldbefoundthereinsuperabundance?
Yousee,Sir,thatthisfacthasnothinginitthatisnotveryconformabletothedoctrineprofessedbyyourantagonists。
RevertingtothepainfulsituationinwhicheverykindofindustryinEuropeisatpresent,Imightaddtothediscouragementwhichresultsfromthecostsofproductionmultipliedtoexcess,thedisorderswhichthesecostsoccasionintheproduction,distribution,andconsumptionofvalueproduced;disorderswhichfrequentlybringintothemarketquantitiesgreaterthanthewant,keepingbackthosethatwouldsell,andwhoseownerswouldemploytheirpriceinthepurchaseoftheformer。
Certainproducersseektoindemnifythemselvesbythequantitytheyproduce,forapartofthevalueeatupbythetaxes。Certainproductiveservicesfindmeanstoevadetheavidityofthetax—gatherers,asoftenhappens,fortheserviceofcapitalswhichinmanyinstancescontinuetoreceivethesameinterest,whilstlands,houses,andindustry,aresurcharged。
Aworkmanwhocanwithdifficultysupporthisfamily,repurchasessometimesbyexcessivelaborthelowpriceofwork。Arenotthesethecauseswhichderangethenaturalcourseofproduction,andwhichoccasionaproductioninsomearticles,beyondwhatwouldhavebeenproduced,hadthewantsoftheconsumersonlybeenconsulted?Thearticlesofconsumptionarenotnecessarytousinequaldegree。Previouslytoreducingourconsumptionofwheattoonehalf,wereducethatofmeattoonequarter,andthatofsugartonothing。Therearecapitalssoemployedincertainenterprises,particularlyinmanufactures,thattheenterprisersarefrequentlycontenttolosetheirinterestandsacrificetheprofitsoftheirownindustry,andcontinuetoworksolelyforthepurposeofkeepingtheenterprisegoinguntilmorefavorabletimes,andtopreservetheirfunds;ortheyareafraidoflosinggoodworkmen,whichthesuspensionofworkwoulddisperse:andhumanityaloneissufficienttoinduceenterpriserstocontinueamanufactoryforwhoseproductionsthereisnolongeranydemand。Fromwhenceproceeddisordersintheprogressofproductionandconsumption,stillgreaterthanthosewhichproceedfromtheobstructionofthecustomsandthevicissitudesoftheSeasons。Henceproceedunadvisedproductions,recoursetoruinousmeans,andaruinedcommerce。
Ishallremarkatthesametime,thatalthoughtheevilisgreatitmaystillseemgreaterthanitis。Thecommoditieswhichsuperaboundinthemarketsoftheuniverse,maystriketheeyebytheirmass,andalarmcommercebythedepredationoftheirprice,andstillbeonlyaverysmallpartofthecommoditiesmadeandconsumedofeachkind。Thereisnowarehousethatwouldnotbeverysoonemptied,ifeverykindofproductionofthecommoditycontainedinitwassimultaneouslytoceaseinallpartsoftheworld。
Ithasbeenfurtherremarked,thatifthequantitysentintheslightestdegreeexceedsthewant,itissufficienttoalterthepriceconsiderably。
ItwasaremarkofAddison,inhisSpectator,(No。200,)thatwhenthewheatharvestexceedsbyone—tenththeordinaryconsumption,wheatfallsonehalfinprice。Dalrymple(35)makesananalogousobservation。Wemustthereforenotbcastonished,thataslightexcessisoftentakenforanexcessiveabundance。
Thissuperabundance,asIhavealreadyremarked,dependsalsoupontheignoranceofproducersormerchants,ofthenatureandextentofthewantintheplacestowhichtheysenttheircommodities。Inlateryearstherehavebeenanumberofhazardousspeculations,onaccountofthemanyfreshconnexionswithdifferentnations。Therewaseverywhereageneralfailureofthatcalculationwhichwasrequisitetoagoodresult;butbecausemanythingshavebeenilldonedoesitfollowthatitisimpossible,withbetterinstruction,todobetter?Idarepredict,thatasthenewconnexionsgrowold,andasreciprocalwantsarebetterappreciated,theexcessofcommoditieswilleverywherecease;andthatamutualandprofitableintercoursewillbeestablished。Butinthemeantimeitwill。bepropergradually,andasmuchasthecircumstancesofeachStatewillpermit,todiminishthegeneralandpermanentinconvenienceswhicharisefromtooexpensiveaproduction。
Wemustfullyconvinceourselvesthateveryonewillsellhisproductionsmoreeasily,inproportionasothersgain;thatthereisonlyonewayofgetting,whichiseitherbyourlabororbythelaborofthecapitalandlandwepossess;thatunproductiveconsumersareonlysubstitutesforproductiveconsumers;that’themoreproducerstherearethemoreconsumersthereare;thatforthesamereason,eachnationisinterestedintheprosperityoftherest,andthattheyarealtogetherinterestedinhavingeasycommunications;
foreverydifficultyisequivalenttoanincreaseofexpence。
Suchisthedoctrineestablishedinmyworks,andwhichIconfesstoyou,Sir,doesnothithertoappeartometohavebeenshaken。Ihavetakenupthepenindefenceofit,notbecauseitismine,(Whatisthesorryself—loveofanauthorincomparisonwiththingsofsogreatimportance?)
butbecauseitistoahighdegreesocial,thatitshowstomankindthesourceofrealwealth,andwarnsthemofthedangerofcorruptingthatsource。
Therestofthisdoctrineisnotlessuseful,inasmuchasitshowsusthatcapitalandlandarenotproductive,unlesstheybecomepropertysacredtotheproprietors。Thateventhepoorthemselvesareinterestedindefendingthepropertyoftherich,andconsequentlyinthemaintenanceofgoodorder;becauseasubversion,whichnevercoulddomorethangivethemafleetingprey,wouldtakeawayfromhimaconstantincome。WhenPoliticalEconomyisstudiedasitoughttobe;whenweoncebegintoperceiveinthecourseofthisstudy,thatthemostwholesometruthsrestuponthemostcertainprinciples,wehavenothingsomuchatheartastoplacetheseprincipleswithinthereachofeverycomprehension。Donotletusincreasetheirnaturaldifficultiesbyuselessabstractions;donotletusrepeattheridiculousperformancesoftheeconomistsofthe18thcentury,byendlessdiscussionsonthenetproduceoftheearth。Letusdescribethemodeinwhichthingstakeplace,andexplainthechainwhichconnectsthem。Thenourwritingswillacquireagreatpracticalutility,andthepublicwillbereallyindebtedtothosewriterswho,likeyourself,Sir,havesogreatmeansofgivingtheminformation。
LETTERTHEFOURTH。
SIR,IhavesoughtinyourPrinciplesofPoliticalEconomy,forsomethingwherewithtoconfirmtheopinionofthepublic,relativetomachines,andgenerallyrelativelytoexpeditiousprocesses,which,inthearts,shortenmanuallaborandmultiplyproductionswithoutincreasingtheexpenceofproduction。Ishouldwishtofindinthemthosefixedprinciples,thatrigorousmodeofreasoningwhichcarriesconvictionwithit,andtowhichyourEssayonPopulationhasaccustomedthepublic。ButthisisnotanEssayonPopulation。Itappearstome,(forIamsometimesreducedtothenecessityofmakinguseofthisform,afterhavingreadyourdemonstrations,)
itappearstomethatalltheadvantageyouadmitinmachinery,andgenerallyinexpeditiousmeansofproduction,isreducedtothefactofmultiplyingproductionstosuchanextent,thatevenwhentheirsellingvalueislessenedthetotalamountstillexceedswhatitwasbeforetheimprovement。(36)Theadvantageyoupointoutisincontrovertible;andithasbeenalreadyremarked,thatthetotalvalueofcottongoods,aswellasthetotalnumberofworkmenemployedinthisbranch,hadsingularlyincreasedsincetheintroductionofexpeditiousmeans。Ananalogousremarkhadbeenmaderelativetotheprintingpress;thismachineemployedinthemultiplicationofbooks,aproductionwhichemploysatthismoment,withoutreckoningtheauthors,amuchgreaternumberofpersonsthanwhentheywerecopiedbyhand,andwhichisworthamuchlargersumthanwhenbooksweredearer。
Butthisverydecidedadvantage,isonlyoneamongthemanywhichnationshavereapedbytheemploymentofmachinery。Itonlyrelatestocertainproductions,theconsumptionofwhichwassusceptibleofsufficientextensiontobalancethediminutionintheirprice,whilstthereisanadvantageintheintroductionofmachinescommontoalleconomicalandexpeditiousprocessesingeneral;anadvantagewhichwouldbefeltevenwhentheconsumptionoftheproductionshouldbenolongercapableofanyextension;anadvantagewhichoughttobehighlyvaluedintheprinciplesofPoliticalEconomy。
Havethegoodnesstoexcuseme,if,inordertomakemyselfunderstood,Iamobligedtoreverttoafewelementaryideas。
Machinesandtoolsarebothproductions,whichimmediatelyaftertheirproductionrankintheclassofcapital,andareemployedintheperfectionofotherproductions。Theonlydifferencethereisbetweenmachinesandtools,isthattheformerarecomplextools,andthelattersimplemachines。Astherearenomachinesortoolsexistingwhichengenderforcewemuststillconsiderthemasthemeansoftransmittinganaction,anactiveforceofwhichwedispose,towardsanobjectwhichistobemodifiedbyit。Thusahammerisatoolbymeanswhereofweemploythemuscularstrengthofamaninflattening,incertaincasesaleafofgold;andthemillhammersofalargeforgearealsotoolsbymeanswhereofweemployafallofwaterinflatteningironbars。
Theemployofavoluntaryforce,withwhichNaturehasgiftedus,doesnotdepriveitofitsnatureofatool。Theweightincreasedbyvelocity,whichconstitutesthepowerofagoldbeater’shammer,isnotlessanaturalphysicalpowerthantheweightofthewaterwhichfallsfromamountain。
Whatisourindustryaltogether,buttheemploy,moreorlessunderstood,ofthelawsofNature。ItisbyobeyingNature,saysBacon,thatwelearntocommandit。Whatdifferencedoyouseebetweenknittingneedlesandastockingframe,exceptthatthelatterisamorecomplicatedandamorepowerfultoolthantheneedles;butfortherest,employingwithgreaterorlessadvantagethepropertiesofthemetal,andthepowerofthelevertomanufacturethearticleswithwhichwecoverourlegsandfeet。
Thequestionthenresolvesitselftothis:itisanadvantagetomantotakeinhishandamorepowerfultool,capableofdoingmuchmorework,orofdoingitbetter,ratherthanastilllargerbutimperfecttool,withwhichheworksslowerwithmoredifficultyandnotsowell。
IthinkIshouldofferaninsulttoyourgoodsenseandtothatofourreaders,ifIdoubtedtheansweramoment。
Theperfectionofourtools,Sir,isconnectedwiththeperfectionofourspecies。ItisthatwhichmakesthedifferencewhichisobservablebetweenusandthesavagesoftheSouthSeas,whohaveaxesofflint,andsewingneedlesmadeoffishbones。
Itisnolongeradmissible,foranyonewhowritesuponPoliticalEconomytoendeavortocircumscribetheintroductionofthemeanswhichchanceorgeniusmayputintoourhands,withaviewofpreservingmoreworkforourlaborers;suchaonewouldexposehimselftohaveallhisownargumentsmadeuseoftoprovetohimthatweought,(retrogradinginsteadofadvancinginthecareerofcivilisation,)successivelytorenounceallthediscoverieswehavealreadymade,andtorenderourartsmoreimperfectinordertomultiplyourlaborbydiminishingourenjoyments。
Nodoubtthereareinconviencesinthetransitfromoneorderofthingstoanother,evenfromanimperfecttoabetterorder。Whatpersoninhissenseswouldallatoncetakeofftheshackleswhichobstructindustry,andremovetheCustomHouseswhichseparatenations,prejudicialastheyaretotheirprosperity?Intheseeasesthedutyofwellinformedpersonsdoesnotconsistinproducingmotivesforkeepingbackandproscribingeverykindofchange,underpretenceoftheinconviencestheycarrywiththem;butinappreciatingtheseinconviences,inpointingoutthepracticablemeansofpreventingordiminishingthemasmuchaspossible,forthepurposeoffacilitatingtheadoptionofadesirableamendment。
Theinconvienceinthiseaseisaremovalofincome,whichwhenitissudden,ismoreorlessinjurioustotheclasswhoseincomeitdiminishes。
Thesubstitutionofmachinerydiminishes(sometimes,butnotalways,)theincomeoftheclasswhosefundsconsistofcorporealandmanualfaculties,toaugmenttheincomeoftheclasswhosefundsconsistinintellectualfacultiesandincapitals。Inotherwords,expeditiousmachines,beingingeneralmorecomplex,requiremoreconsiderablecapitals;consequentlytheycompeltheenterpriserwhoemploysthemtopurchasemoreofwhatwehavecalledproductiveserviceofcapital,andlessofwhatwecallproductiveservicesoflaborers。Atthesametime,asperhapstheyrequiregreaterattentionandmorecareintheirgeneralandparticularmanagement,theyemploymoreofthatkindofproductiveservicefromwhencetheenterpriser’sincomeproceeds。Acottonspinnerwhousesthesmallwheel,asweseeinmanyplacesinNormandy,scarcelydeservesthenameofenterpriser,whilstalargewholesalecottonmanufactoryisanenterpriseofmagnitude。
Butthemostimportanteffect,althoughperhapstheleastperceptible,whichproceedsfromtheemploymentofmachineryingeneral,ofallotherexpeditiousprocesses,istheincreaseofincomewhichresultsfromthemtotheconsumersoftheirproductions;anincreasewhichcostsnothingtoanybody,andofwhichitisworthwhiletogivesomedetail。
Ifwheatwerepoundedinourdays,asitwasbytheancients,bythestrengthofthearm,Iapprehenditwouldtaketwentymentogrindasmuchflourasonepairofstonesinamillcangrind。Thesetwentymen,intheneighbourhoodofParis,beingcontinuallyemployed,wouldcost40francsperday,at300days’workintheyeartheywouldcostperyearfr……12,000
Themachineandthestonescostsuppose20,000fr。ayear’sinterestonwhichwouldbe———1,000
Noenterpriserwouldprobablybefoundtoundertakesuchanenterprise,unlessitbroughthiminyearlyabout—3,000
Thecost,therefore,oftheflourthatmaybeobtainedfromapairofstonesinoneyearwould,bythismeans,amounttoabout……fr。10,000
Insteadofwhichamillernowadayscanhireawindmillfor—2,000
Hepayshisman——1,000
Isupposehegainsforhislaborandabilities———3,000
Thesamequantityofflourcanthereforebegroundfor———fr。6;000
insteadof16,000,whichitwouldhavecostifwestillfollowedthecustomofourancestors。
Thesamepopulationcanbefed,forthemilldoesnotdiminishthequantityofflourground:theprofitgainedinsocietyservestopayforfreshproductions,forthemomentthe6,000francscostofproductionarepaid,aprofitof6,000francsisgained;andsocietyenjoysthisessentialadvantage,thatmankindwhocomposeit,whateverbetheirmeansofexistenceortheirincome,whethertheyliveupontheirlabor,theircapital,ortheirstockofland,reducetheportionoftheirexpencesdestinedtothepaymentofthecostoftheflourintheproportionofsixteentosixorfive—eighths。Hewhospenteightfrancsannuallyforhisfoodwouldonlyspendthree,whichisexactlyequaltoanincreaseofincome;forthefivefrancssavedinthisarticlecanbeemployedinanyother。Ifanequalimprovementhadtakenplaceinalltheproductionsinwhichweemployourincomes,theywouldreallyhavebeenincreasedfiveeighth;andamanwhogainsthreethousandfrancs,eitherinmakingflour,orinanyothermanner,wouldactuallybeasrichasifhehadeightthousandandtheimprovedmethodhadnotbeendiscovered。
M。Sismondihasnot。aidattentiontothis,whenhewrotethefollowingpassage。
"Everytime,"hesays,(37)"thatthedemandforconsumptionexceedsthemeansofthepopulationtoproduce,everynewdiscoveryinmechanismortheartsisabenefittosociety,becauseitgivesthemeansofsatisfyingexistingwants。Everytime,onthecontrary,thattheproductionisfullyadequatetotheconsumptioneverysuchdiscoveryisacalamity,becauseitonlyaddstotheenjoymentofconsumersbysatisfyingthematacheaperrate,whilstitsuppressesthelifeitselfoftheproducers。
Itwouldbeodioustoweightheadvantageofacheaprateagainstthatofexistence……"
M。Sismondi,asappears,doesnotsufficientlyappreciatetheadvantageofacheaprate,anddoesnotfeelthatbygivinglessforonearticlewecanaffordtogivemoreforanother,beginningwiththemostindispensable。
Uptothistimenoinconvenienceisperceptibleintheinventionofflourmills,buttheadvantageofadiminutioninthepriceoftheproductionisveryvisible,whichisequaltoanincreaseofincometoallthosewhousethem。
Butthisincreaseofincomeprocuredfortheconsumers,istakenawayfromthenineteenunfortunatemenwhomthemillhasthrownoutofwork。