SupposenextthatA’stenthousandpounds,insteadofbeing
lenttoB,arelentonmortgagetoC,alandedproprietor,by
whomtheyareemployedinimprovingtheproductivepowersofhis
estate,byfencing,draining,road—making,orpermanentmanures。
Thisisproductiveemployment。Thetenthousandpoundsaresunk,
butnotdissipated。Theyyieldapermanentreturn;thelandnow
affordsanincreaseofproduce,sufficient,inafewyears,if
theoutlayhasbeenjudicious,toreplacetheamount,andintime
tomultiplyitmanifold。Here,then,isavalueoftenthousand
pounds,employedinincreasingtheproduceofthecountry。This
constitutesacapital,forwhichC,ifheletshisland,receives
thereturnsinthenominalformofincreasedrent;andthe
mortgageentitlesAtoreceivefromthesereturns,intheshape
ofinterest,suchannualsumashasbeenagreedon。Wewillnow
varythecircumstances,andsupposethatCdoesnotemploythe
loaninimprovinghisland,butinpayingoffaformermortgage
orinmakingaprovisionforchildren。Whetherthetenthousand
poundsthusemployedarecapitalornot,willdependonwhatis
donewiththeamountbytheultimatereceiver。Ifthechildren
investtheirfortunesinaproductiveemployment,orthe
mortgageeonbeingpaidofflendstheamounttoanother
landholdertoimprovehisland,ortoamanufacturertoextend
hisbusiness,itisstillcapital,becauseproductivelyemployed。
Suppose,however,thatC,theborrowinglandlord,isa
spendthrift,whoburdenshislandnottoincreasehisfortunebut
tosquanderit,expendingtheamountinequipagesand
entertainments。Inayearortwoitisdissipated,andwithout
return。Aisasrichasbefore;hehasnolongerhistenthousand
pounds,buthehasalienontheland,whichhecouldstillsell
forthatamount。C,however,is10,000l。poorerthanformerly;
andnobodyisricher。Itmaybesaidthatthosearericherwho
havemadeprofitoutofthemoneywhileitwasbeingspent。No
doubtifClostitbygaming,orwascheatedofitbyhis
servants,thatisameretransfer,notadestruction,andthose
whohavegainedtheamountmayemployitproductively。ButifC
hasreceivedthefairvalueforhisexpenditureinarticlesof
subsistenceorluxury,whichhehasconsumedonhimself,orby
meansofhisservantsorguests,thesearticleshaveceasedto
exist,andnothinghasbeenproducedtoreplacethem:whileif
thesamesumhadbeenemployedinfarmingormanufacturing,the
consumptionwhichwouldhavetakenplacewouldhavebeenmore
thanbalancedattheendoftheyearbynewproducts,createdby
thelabourofthosewhowouldinthatcasehavebeenthe
consumers。ByC’sprodigality,thatwhichwouldhavebeen
consumedwithareturn,isconsumedwithoutreturn。C’stradesmen
mayhavemadeaprofitduringtheprocess;butifthecapitalhad
beenexpendedproductively,anequivalentprofitwouldhavebeen
madebybuilders,fencers,tool—makers,andthetradespeoplewho
supplytheconsumptionofthelabouringclasses;whileatthe
expirationofthetime(tosaynothingofanyincrease),Cwould
havehadthetenthousandpoundsoritsvaluereplacedtohim,
whichnowhehasnot。Thereis,therefore,onthegeneralresult,
adifferencetothedisadvantageofthecommunity,ofatleast
tenthousandpounds,beingtheamountofC’sunproductive
expenditure。ToA,thedifferenceisnotmaterial,sincehis
incomeissecuredtohim,andwhilethesecurityisgood,andthe
marketrateofinterestthesame,hecanalwayssellthemortgage
atitsoriginalvalue。ToA,therefore,thelienoftenthousand
poundsonC’sestate,isvirtuallyacapitalofthatamount;but
isitsoinreferencetothecommunity?Itisnot。Ahada
capitaloftenthousandpounds,butthishasbeenextinguished——
dissipatedanddestroyedbyC’sprodigality。Anowreceiveshis
income,notfromtheproduceofhiscapital,butfromsomeother
sourceofincomebelongingtoC,probablyfromtherentofhis
land,thatis,frompaymentsmadetohimbyfarmersoutofthe
produceoftheircapital。Thenationalcapitalisdiminishedby
tenthousandpounds,andthenationalincomebyallwhichthose
tenthousandpounds,employedascapital,wouldhaveproduced。
Thelossdoesnotfallontheownerofthedestroyedcapital,
sincethedestroyerhasagreedtoindemnifyhimforit。Buthis
lossisonlyasmallportionofthatsustainedbythecommunity,
sincewhatwasdevotedtotheuseandconsumptionofthe
proprietorwasonlytheinterest;thecapitalitselfwas,or
wouldhavebeen,employedintheperpetualmaintenanceofan
equivalentnumberoflabourers,regularlyreproducingwhatthey
consumed:andofthismaintenancetheyaredeprivedwithout
compensation。
Letusnowvarythehypothesisstillfurther,andsuppose
thatthemoneyisborrowed,notbyalandlord,butbytheState。
AlendshiscapitaltoGovernmenttocarryonawar:hebuysfrom
theStatewhatarecalledgovernmentsecurities;thatis,
obligationsonthegovernmenttopayacertainannualincome。If
thegovernmentemployedthemoneyinmakingarailroad,this
mightbeaproductiveemployment,andA’spropertywouldstillbe
usedascapital;butsinceitisemployedinwar,thatis,inthe
payofofficersandsoldierswhoproducenothing,andin
destroyingaquantityofgunpowderandbulletswithoutreturn,
thegovernmentisinthesituationofC,thespendthrift
landlord,andA’stenthousandpoundsaresomuchnational
capitalwhichonceexisted,butexistsnolonger:virtually
thrownintothesea,asfaraswealthorproductionisconcerned;
thoughforotherreasonstheemploymentofitmayhavebeen
justifiable。A’ssubsequentincomeisderived,notfromthe
produceofhisowncapital,butfromtaxesdrawnfromtheproduce
oftheremainingcapitalofthecommunity;towhomhiscapitalis
notyieldinganyreturn,toindemnitythemforthepayment;itis
lostandgone,andwhathenowpossessesisaclaimonthe
returnstootherpeople’scapitalandindustry。Thisclaimhecan
sell,andgetbacktheequivalentofhiscapital,whichhemay
afterwardsemployproductively。True;buthedoesnotgetback
hisowncapital,oranythingwhichithasproduced;that,andall
itspossiblereturns,areextinguished:whathegetsisthe
capitalofsomeotherperson,whichthatpersoniswillingto
exchangeforhislienonthetaxes。Anothercapitalist
substituteshimselfforAasamortgageeofthepublic,andA
substituteshimselffortheothercapitalistasthepossessorof
afundemployedinproduction,oravailableforit。Bythis
exchangetheproductivepowersofthecommunityareneither
increasednordiminished。Thebreachinthecapitalofthe
countrywasmadewhenthegovernmentspentA’smoney:wherebya
valueoftenthousandpoundswaswithdrawnorwithheldfrom
productiveemployment,placedinthefundforunproductive
consumption,anddestroyedwithoutequivalent。
ThePrinciplesofPoliticalEconomybyJohnStuartMillBook1,Chapter5
FundamentalPropositionsRespectingCapital1。Iftheprecedingexplanationshaveansweredtheirpurpose,theyhavegivennotonlyasufficientlycompletepossessionoftheideaofCapitalaccordingtoitsdefinition,butasufficientfamiliaritywithitintheconcrete,andamidsttheobscuritywithwhichthecomplicationofindividualcircumstancessurroundsit,tohavepreparedeventheunpractisedreaderforcertainelementarypropositionsortheoremsrespectingcapital,thefullcomprehensionofwhichisalreadyaconsiderablestepoutofdarknessintolight。
Thefirstofthesepropositionsis,Thatindustryislimitedbycapital。Thisissoobviousastobetakenforgrantedinmanycommonformsofspeech;buttoseeatruthoccasionallyisonething,torecogniseithabitually,andadmitnopropositionsinconsistentwithit,isanother。Theaxiomwasuntillatelyalmostuniversallydisregardedbylegislatorsandpoliticalwriters;anddoctrinesirreconcileablewithitarestillverycommonlyprofessedandinculcated。
Thefollowingarecommonexpressions,implyingitstruth。Theactofdirectingindustrytoaparticularemploymentisdescribedbythephrase"applyingcapital"totheemployment。Toemployindustryonthelandistoapplycapitaltotheland。Toemploylabourinamanufactureistoinvestcapitalinthemanufacture。
Thisimpliesthatindustrycannotbeemployedtoanygreaterextentthanthereiscapitaltoinvest。Theproposition,indeed,mustbeassentedtoassoonasitisdistinctlyapprehended。Theexpression"applyingcapital"isofcoursemetaphorical:whatisreallyappliedislabour;capitalbeinganindispensablecondition。Again,weoftenspeakofthe"productivepowersofcapital。"Thisexpressionisnotliterallycorrect。Theonlyproductivepowersarethoseoflabourandnaturalagents;orifanyportionofcapitalcanbyastretchoflanguagebesaidtohaveaproductivepowerofitsown,itisonlytoolsandmachinery,which,likewindorwater,maybesaidtoco—operatewithlabour。Thefoodoflabourersandthematerialsofproductionhavenoproductivepower;butlabourcannotexertitsproductivepowerunlessprovidedwiththem。Therecanbenomoreindustrythanissuppliedwithmaterialstoworkupandfoodtoeat。Self—evidentasthethingis,itisoftenforgottenthatthepeopleofacountryaremaintainedandhavetheirwantssupplied,notbytheproduceofpresentlabour,butofpast。Theyconsumewhathasbeenproduced,notwhatisabouttobeproduced。Now,ofwhathasbeenproduced,apartonlyisallottedtothesupportofproductivelabour;andtherewillnotandcannotbemoreofthatlabourthantheportionsoallotted(whichisthecapitalofthecountry)canfeed,andprovidewiththematerialsandinstrumentsofproduction。
Yet,indisregardofafactsoevident,itlongcontinuedtobebelievedthatlawsandgovernments,withoutcreatingcapital,couldcreateindustry。Notbymakingthepeoplemorelaborious,orincreasingtheefficiencyoftheirlabour;theseareobjectstowhichthegovernmentcan,insomedegree,indirectlycontribute。Butwithoutanyincreaseintheskillorenergyofthelabourers。andwithoutcausinganypersonstolabourwhohadpreviouslybeenmaintainedinidleness,itwasstillthoughtthatthegovernment,withoutprovidingadditionalfunds,couldcreateadditionalemployment。Agovernmentwould,byprohibitorylaws,putastoptotheimportationofsomecommodity;andwhenbythisithadcausedthecommoditytobeproducedathome,itwouldplumeitselfuponhavingenrichedthecountrywithanewbranchofindustry,wouldparadeinstatisticaltablestheamountofproduceyieldedandlabouremployedintheproduction,andtakecreditforthewholeofthisasagaintothecountry,obtainedthroughtheprohibitorylaw。althoughthissortofpoliticalarithmetichasfallenalittleintodiscreditinEngland,itstillflourishesinthenationsofContinentalEurope。Hadlegislatorsbeenawarethatindustryislimitedbycapital,theywouldhaveseenthat,theaggregatecapitalofthecountrynothavingbeenincreased,anyportionofitwhichtheybytheirlawshadcausedtobeembarkedinthenewly—acquiredbranchofindustrymusthavebeenwithdrawnorwithheldfromsomeother;inwhichitgave,orwouldhavegiven,employmenttoprobablyaboutthesamequantityoflabourwhichitemploysinitsnewoccupation。(1)*
2。Becauseindustryislimitedbycapital,wearenothowevertoinferthatitalwaysreachesthatlimit。Capitalmaybetemporarilyunemployed,asinthecaseofunsoldgoods,orfundsthathavenotyetfoundaninvestment:duringthisintervalitdoesnotsetinmotionanyindustry。Ortheremaynotbeasmanylabourersobtainable,asthecapitalwouldmaintainandemploy。
Thishasbeenknowntooccurinnewcolonies,wherecapitalhassometimesperisheduselesslyforwantoflabour:theSwanRiversettlement(nowcalledWesternAustralia),inthefirstyearsafteritsfoundation,wasaninstance。Therearemanypersonsmaintainedfromexistingcapital,whoproducenothing,orwhomightproducemuchmorethantheydo。Ifthelabourerswerereducedtolowerwages,orinducedtoworkmorehoursforthesamewages,oriftheirfamilies,whoarealreadymaintainedfromcapital,wereemployedtoagreaterextentthantheynowareinaddingtotheproduce,agivencapitalwouldaffordemploymenttomoreindustry。Theunproductiveconsumptionofproductivelabourers,thewholeofwhichisnowsuppliedbycapital,mightcease,orbepostponeduntiltheproducecamein;andadditionalproductivelabourersmightbemaintainedwiththeamount。Bysuchmeanssocietymightobtainfromitsexistingresourcesagreaterquantityofproduce:andtosuchmeansithasbeendriven,whenthesuddendestructionofsomelargeportionofitscapitalrenderedtheemploymentofthereminderwiththegreatestpossibleeffect,amatterofparamountconsiderationforthetime。
Whenindustryhasnotcomeuptothelimitimposedbycapital,governmentsmay,invariousways,forexamplebyimportingadditionallabourers,bringitnearertothatlimit:asbytheimportationofCooliesandfreeNegroesintotheWestIndies。Thereisanotherwayinwhichgovernmentscancreateadditionalindustry。Theycancreatecapital。Theymaylayontaxes,andemploytheamountproductively。Theymaydowhatisnearlyequivalent;theymaylaytaxesonincomeorexpenditure,andapplytheproceedstowardspayingoffthepublicdebts。Thefundholder,whenpaidoff,wouldstilldesiretodrawanincomefromhisproperty,mostofwhichthereforewouldfinditswayintoproductiveemployment,whileagreatpartofitwouldhavebeendrawnfromthefundforunproductiveexpenditure,sincepeopledonotwhollypaytheirtaxesfromwhattheywouldhavesaved,butpartly,ifnotchiefly,fromwhattheywouldhavespent。Itmaybeadded,thatanyincreaseintheproductivepowerofcapital(or,moreproperlyspeaking,oflabour)byimprovementintheartsoflife,orotherwise,tendstoincreasetheemploymentforlabour。since,whenthereisagreaterproducealtogether,itisalwaysprobablethatsomeportionoftheincreasewillbesavedandconvertedintocapital;especiallywhentheincreasedreturnstoproductiveindustryholdoutanadditionaltemptationtotheconversionoffundsfromanunproductivedestinationtoaproductive。
3。While,ontheonehand,industryislimitedbycapital,soontheother,everyincreaseofcapitalgives,oriscapableofgiving,additionalemploymenttoindustry。,andthiswithoutassignablelimit。Idonotmeantodenythatthecapital,orpartofit,maybesoemployedasnottosupportlabourers,beingfixedinmachinery,buildings,improvementofland,andthelike。
Inanylargeincreaseofcapitalaconsiderableportionwillgenerallybethusemployed,andwillonlyco—operatewithlabourers,notmaintainthem。WhatIdointendtoassertis,thattheportionwhichisdestinedtotheirmaintenance,may(supposingnoalterationinanythingelse)beindefinitelyincreased,withoutcreatinganimpossibilityoffindingthememployment:inotherwords,thatiftherearehumanbeingscapableofwork,andfoodtofeedthem,theymayalwaysbeemployedinproducingsomething。Thispropositionrequirestobesomewhatdweltupon,beingoneofthosewhichitisexceedinglyeasytoassenttowhenpresentedingeneralterms,butsomewhatdifficulttokeepfastholdof,inthecrowdandconfusionoftheactualfactsofsociety。Itisalsoverymuchopposedtocommondoctrines。Thereisnotanopinionmoregeneralamongmankindthanthis,thattheunproductiveexpenditureoftherichisnecessarytotheemploymentofthepoor。BeforeAdamSmith,thedoctrinehadhardlybeenquestioned;andevensincehistime,authorsofthehighestnameandofgreatmerit*havecontended,thatifconsumersweretosaveandconvertintocapitalmorethanalimitedportionoftheirincome,andwerenottodevotetounproductiveconsumptionanamountofmeansbearingacertainratiotothecapitalofthecountry,theextraaccumulationwouldbemerelysomuchwaste,sincetherewouldbenomarketforthecommoditieswhichthecapitalsocreatedwouldproduce。I
conceivethistobeoneofthemanyerrorsarisinginpoliticaleconomy,fromthepracticeofnotbeginningwiththeexaminationofsimplecases,butrushingatonceintothecomplexityofconcretephenomena。
Everyonecanseethatifabenevolentgovernmentpossessedallthefood,andalltheimplementsandmaterials,ofthecommunity,itcouldexactproductivelabourfromallcapableofit,towhomitallowedashareinthefood,andcouldbeinnodangerofwantingafieldfortheemploymentofthisproductivelabour,sinceaslongastherewasasinglewantunsaturated(whichmaterialobjectscouldsupply),ofanyoneindividual,thelabourofthecommunitycouldbeturnedtotheproductionofsomethingcapableofsatisfyingthatwant。Now,theindividualpossessorsofcapital,whentheyaddtoitbyfreshaccumulations,aredoingpreciselythesamethingwhichwesupposetobedonebyabenevolentgovernment。Asitisallowabletoputanycasebywayofhypothesis,letusimaginethemostextremecaseconceivable。Supposethateverycapitalistcametobeofopinionthatnotbeingmoremeritoriousthanawell—conductedlabourer,heoughtnottofarebetter;andaccordinglylaidby,fromconscientiousmotives,thesurplusofhisprofits;orsupposethisabstinencenotspontaneous,butimposedbylaworopinionuponallcapitalists,anduponlandownerslikewise。Unproductiveexpenditureisnowreducedtoitslowestlimit:anditisasked,howistheincreasedcapitaltofindemployment?Whoistobuythegoodswhichitwillproduce?Therearenolongercustomersevenforthosewhichwereproducedbefore。Thegoods,therefore,(itissaid)willremainunsold;theywillperishinthewarehouses;untilcapitalisbroughtdowntowhatitwasoriginally,orrathertoasmuchless,asthedemandoftheconsumershaslessened。Butthisisseeingonlyone—halfofthematter。Inthecasesupposed,therewouldnolongerbeanydemandforluxuries,onthepartofcapitalistsandlandowners。Butwhentheseclassesturntheirincomeintocapital,theydonottherebyannihilatetheirpowerofconsumption;theydobuttransferitfromthemselvestothelabourerstowhomtheygiveemployment。Now,therearetwopossiblesuppositionsinregardtothelabourers;eitherthereis,orthereisnot,anincreaseoftheirnumbers,proportionaltotheincreaseofcapital。Ifthereis,thecaseoffersnodifficulty。Theproductionofnecessariesforthenewpopulation,takestheplaceoftheproductionofluxuriesforaportionoftheold,andsuppliesexactlytheamountofemploymentwhichhasbeenlost。Butsupposethatthereisnoincreaseofpopulation。
Thewholeofwhatwaspreviouslyexpendedinluxuries,bycapitalistsandlandlords,isdistributedamongtheexistinglabourers,intheformofadditionalwages。Wewillassumethemtobealreadysufficientlysuppliedwithnecessaries。Whatfollows?Thatthelabourersbecomeconsumersofluxuries;andthecapitalpreviouslyemployedintheproductionofluxuries,isstillabletoemployitselfinthesamemanner:thedifferencebeing,thattheluxuriesaresharedamongthecommunitygenerally,insteadofbeingconfinedtoafew。Theincreasedaccumulationandincreasedproduction,might,rigorouslyspeaking,continue,untileverylabourerhadeveryindulgenceofwealth,consistentwithcontinuingtowork;supposingthatthepoweroftheirlabourwerephysicallysufficienttoproduceallthisamountofindulgencesfortheirwholenumber。Thusthelimitofwealthisneverdeficiencyofconsumers,butofproducersandproductivepower。Everyadditiontocapitalgivestolaboureitheradditionalemployment,oradditionalremuneration;
enricheseitherthecountry,orthelabouringclass。Ifitfindsadditionalhandstosettowork,itincreasestheaggregateproduce:ifonlythesamehands,itgivesthemalargershareofit;andperhapseveninthiscase,bystimulatingthemtogreaterexertion,augmentstheproduceitself。
4。AsecondfundamentaltheoremrespectingCapital,relatestothesourcefromwhichitisderived。Itistheresultofsaving。Theevidenceofthisliesabundantlyinwhathasbeenalreadysaidonthesubject。Butthepropositionneedssomefurtherillustration。
Ifallpersonsweretoexpendinpersonalindulgencesallthattheyproduce,andalltheincometheyreceivefromwhatisproducedbyothers,capitalcouldnotincrease。Allcapital,withatriflingexception,wasoriginallytheresultofsaving。Isay,withatriflingexception;becauseapersonwholaboursonhisownaccount,mayspendonhisownaccountallheproduces,withoutbecomingdestitute;andtheprovisionofnecessariesonwhichhesubsistsuntilhehasreapedhisharvest,orsoldhiscommodity,thougharealcapital,cannotbesaidtohavebeensaved,sinceitisallusedforthesupplyofhisownwants,andperhapsasspeedilyasifithadbeenconsumedinidleness。Wemayimagineanumberofindividualsorfamiliessettledonasmanyseparatepiecesofland,eachlivingonwhattheirownlabourproduces,andconsumingthewholeproduce。Buteventhesemustsave(thatis,sparefromtheirpersonalconsumption)asmuchasisnecessaryforseed。Somesaving,therefore,theremusthavebeen,eveninthissimplestofallstatesofeconomicalrelations;peoplemusthaveproducedmorethantheyused,orusedlessthantheyproduced。Stillmoremusttheydosobeforetheycanemployotherlabourers,orincreasetheirproductionbeyondwhatcanbeaccomplishedbytheworkoftheirownhands。Allthatanyoneemploysinsupportingandcarryingonanyotherlabourthanhisown,musthavebeenoriginallybroughttogetherbysaving;somebodymusthaveproduceditandforbornetoconsumeit。Wemaysay,therefore,withoutmaterialinaccuracy,thatallcapital,andespeciallyalladditiontocapital,aretheresultofsaving。
Inarudeandviolentstateofsociety,itcontinuallyhappensthatthepersonwhohascapitalisnottheverypersonwhohassavedit,butsomeonewho,beingstronger,orbelongingtoamorepowerfulcommunity,haspossessedhimselfofitbyplunder。Andeveninastateofthingsinwhichpropertywasprotected,theincreaseofcapitalhasusuallybeen,foralongtime,mainlyderivedfromprivationswhich,thoughessentiallythesamewithsaving,arenotgenerallycalledbythatname,becausenotvoluntary。Theactualproducershavebeenslaves,compelledtoproduceasmuchasforcecouldextortfromthem,andtoconsumeaslittleastheself—interestortheusuallyveryslenderhumanityoftheirtaskmasterswouldpermit。Thiskindofcompulsorysaving,however,wouldnothavecausedanyincreaseofcapital,unlessapartoftheamounthadbeensavedoveragain,voluntarily,bythemaster。Ifallthathemadehisslavesproduceandforbeartoconsume,hadbeenconsumedbyhimonpersonalindulgences,hewouldnothaveincreasedhiscapital,norbeenenabledtomaintainanincreasingnumberofslaves。Tomaintainanyslavesatall,impliedaprevioussaving;astock,atleastoffood,providedinadvance。Thissavingmaynot,however,havebeenmadebyanyself—imposedprivationofthemaster;butmoreprobablybythatoftheslavesthemselveswhilefree;therapineorwar,whichdeprivedthemoftheirpersonalliberty,havingtransferredalsotheiraccumulationstotheconqueror。
Thereareothercasesinwhichthetermsaving,withtheassociationsusuallybelongingtoit,doesnotexactlyfittheoperationbywhichcapitalisincreased。Ifitweresaid,forinstance,thattheonlywaytoacceleratetheincreaseofcapitalisbyincreaseofsaving,theideawouldprobablybesuggestedofgreaterabstinence,andincreasedprivation。Butitisobviousthatwhateverincreasestheproductivepoweroflabour,createsanadditionalfundtomakesavingsfrom,andenablescapitaltobeenlargednotonlywithoutadditionalprivation,butconcurrentlywithanincreaseofpersonalconsumption。
Nevertheless,thereishereanincreaseofsaving,inthescientificsense。Thoughthereismoreconsumed,thereisalsomorespared。Thereisagreaterexcessofproductionoverconsumption。Itisconsistentwithcorrectnesstocallthisagreatersaving。Thoughthetermisnotunobjectionable,thereisnootherwhichisnotliabletoasgreatobjections。Toconsumelessthanisproduced,issaving;andthatistheprocessbywhichcapitalisincreased;notnecessarilybyconsumingless,absolutely。Wemustnotallowourselvestobesomuchtheslavesofwords,astobeunabletousethewordsavinginthissense,withoutbeingindangerofforgettingthattoincreasecapitalthereisanotherwaybesidesconsumingless,namely,toproducemore。
5。AthirdfundamentaltheoremrespectingCapital,closelyconnectedwiththeonelastdiscussed,is,thatalthoughsaved,andtheresultofsaving,itisneverthelessconsumed。Thewordsavingdoesnotimplythatwhatissavedisnotconsumed,norevennecessarilythatitsconsumptionisdeferred;butonlythat,ifconsumedimmediately,itisnotconsumedbythepersonwhosavesit。Ifmerelylaidbyforfutureuse,itissaidtobehoarded;andwhilehoarded,isnotconsumedatall。Butifemployedascapital,itisallconsumed;thoughnotbythecapitalist。Partisexchangedfortoolsormachinery,whicharewornoutbyuse;partforseedormaterials,whicharedestroyedassuchbybeingsownorwroughtup,anddestroyedaltogetherbytheconsumptionoftheultimateproduct。Theremainderispaidinwagestoproductivelabourers,whoconsumeitfortheirdailywants;oriftheyintheirturnsaveanypart,thisalsoisnot,generallyspeaking,hoarded,but(throughsavingsbanks,benefitclubs,orsomeotherchannel)re—employedascapital,andconsumed。
Theprinciplenowstatedisastrongexampleofthenecessityofattentiontothemostelementarytruthsofoursubject:foritisoneofthemostelementaryofthemall,andyetnoonewhohasnotbestowedsomethoughtonthematterishabituallyawareofit,andmostarenotevenwillingtoadmititwhenfirststated。
Tothevulgar,itisnotatallapparentthatwhatissavedisconsumed。Tothem,everyonewhosaves,appearsinthelightofapersonwhohoards:theymaythinksuchconductpermissible,orevenlaudable,whenitistoprovideforafamily,andthelike;
buttheyhavenoconceptionofitasdoinggoodtootherpeople:
savingistothemanotherwordforkeepingathingtooneself;
whilespendingappearstothemtobedistributingitamongothers。Thepersonwhoexpendshisfortuneinunproductiveconsumption,islookeduponasdiffusingbenefitsallaround;andisanobjectofsomuchfavour,thatsomeportionofthesamepopularityattacheseventohimwhospendswhatdoesnotbelongtohim;whonotonlydestroyshisowncapital,ifheeverhadany,butunderpretenceofborrowing,andonpromiseofrepayment,possesseshimselfofcapitalbelongingtoothers,anddestroysthatlikewise。
Thispopularerrorcomesfromattendingtoasmallportiononlyoftheconsequencesthatflowfromthesavingorthespending;alltheeffectsofeitherwhichareoutofsight,beingoutofmind。Theeyefollowswhatissaved,intoanimaginarystrong—box,andtherelosessightofit;whatisspent,itfollowsintothehandsoftradespeopleanddependents;butwithoutreachingtheultimatedestinationineithercase。Saving(forproductiveinvestment),andspending,coincideverycloselyinthefirststageoftheiroperations。Theeffectsofbothbeginwithconsumption;withthedestructionofacertainportionofwealth;onlythethingsconsumed,andthepersonsconsuming,aredifferent。Thereis,intheonecase,awearingoutoftools,adestructionofmaterial,andaquantityoffoodandclothingsuppliedtolabourers,whichtheydestroybyuse:intheothercase,thereisaconsumption,thatistosay,adestruction,ofwines,equipages,andfurniture。Thusfar,theconsequencetothenationalwealthhasbeenmuchthesame;anequivalentquantityofithasbeendestroyedinbothcases。Butinthespending,thisfirststageisalsothefinalstage;thatparticularamountoftheproduceoflabourhasdisappeared,andthereisnothingleft;
while,onthecontrary,thesavingperson,duringthewholetimethatthedestructionwasgoingon,hashadlabourersatworkrepairingit;whoareultimatelyfoundtohavereplaced,withanincrease,theequivalentofwhathasbeenconsumed。Andasthisoperationadmitsofbeingrepeatedindefinitelywithoutanyfreshactofsaving,asavingoncemadebecomesafundtomaintainacorrespondingnumberoflabourersinperpetuity,reproducingannuallytheirownmaintenancewithaprofit。
Itistheinterventionofmoneywhichobscures,toanunpractisedapprehension,thetruecharacterofthesephenomena。
AlmostallexpenditurebeingcaRedonbymeansofmoney,themoneycomestobelookeduponasthemainfeatureinthetransaction;andsincethatdoesnotperish,butonlychangeshands,peopleoverlookthedestructionwhichtakesplaceinthecaseofunproductiveexpenditure。Themoneybeingmerelytransferred,theythinkthewealthalsohasonlybeenhandedoverfromthespendthrifttootherpeople。Butthisissimplyconfoundingmoneywithwealth。Thewealthwhichhasbeendestroyedwasnotthemoney,butthewines,equipages,andfurniturewhichthemoneypurchased;andthesehavingbeendestroyedwithoutreturn,societycollectivelyispoorerbytheamount。Itmaybesaid,perhaps,thatwines,equipages,andfurniture,arenotsubsistence,tools,andmaterials,andcouldnotinanycasehavebeenappliedtothesupportoflabour;thattheyareadaptedfornootherthanunproductiveconsumption,andthatthedetrimenttothewealthofthecommunitywaswhentheywereproduced,notwhentheywereconsumed。Iamwillingtoallowthis,asfarasisnecessaryfortheargument,andtheremarkwouldbeverypertinentiftheseexpensiveluxuriesweredrawnfromanexistingstock,nevertobereplenished。Butsince,onthecontrary,theycontinuetobeproducedaslongasthereareconsumersforthem,andareproducedinincreasedquantitytomeetanincreaseddemand;thechoicemadebyaconsumertoexpendfivethousandayearinluxuries,keepsacorrespondingnumberoflabourersemployedfromyeartoyearinproducingthingswhichcanbeofnousetoproduction;theirservicesbeinglostsofarasregardstheincreaseofthenationalwealth,andthetools,materials,andfoodwhichtheyannuallyconsumebeingsomuchsubtractedfromthegeneralstockofthecommunityapplicabletoproductivepurposes。Inproportionasanyclassisimprovidentorluxurious,theindustryofthecountrytakesthedirectionofproducingluxuriesfortheiruse;whilenotonlytheemploymentforproductivelabourersisdiminished,butthesubsistenceandinstrumentswhicharethemeansofsuchemploymentdoactuallyexistinsmallerquantity。
Saving,inshort,enriches,andspendingimpoverishes,thecommunityalongwiththeindividual;whichisbutsayinginotherwords,thatsocietyatlargeisricherbywhatitexpendsinmaintainingandaidingproductivelabour,butpoorerbywhatitconsumesinitsenjoyments。(2*)
6。Toreturntoourfundamentaltheorem。Everythingwhichisproducedisconsumedbothwhatissavedandwhatissaidtobespent;andtheformerquiteasrapidlyasthelatter。Alltheordinaryformsoflanguagetendtodisguisethis。Whenpeopletalkoftheancientwealthofacount,ofrichesinheritedfromancestors,andsimilarexpressions,theideasuggestedis,thattherichessotransmittedwereproducedlongago,atthetimewhentheyaresaidtohavebeenfirstacquired,andthatnoportionofthecapitalofthecountrywasproducedthisyear,exceptasmuchasmayhavebeenthisyearaddedtothetotalamount。Thefactisfarotherwise。Thegreaterpart,invalue,ofthewealthnowexistinginEnglandhasbeenproducedbyhumanhandswithinthelasttwelvemonths。Averysmallproportionindeedofthatlargeaggregatewasinexistencetenyearsago;——
ofthepresentproductivecapitalofthecountryscarcelyanypart,exceptfarm—housesandmanufactories,andafewshipsandmachines;andeventhesewouldnotinmostcaseshavesurvivedsolong,iffreshlabourhadnotbeenemployedwithinthatperiodinputtingthemintorepair。Thelandsubsists,andthelandisalmosttheonlythingthatsubsists。Everythingwhichisproducedperishes,andmostthingsveryquickly。Mostkindsofcapitalarenotfittedbytheirnaturetobelongpreserved。Thereareafew,andbutafewproductions,capableofaveryprolongedexistence。
WestminsterAbbeyhaslastedmanycenturies,withoccasionalrepairs;someGreciansculptureshaveexistedabovetwothousandyears;thePyramidsperhapsdoubleortreblethattime。Butthesewereobjectsdevotedtounproductiveuse。Ifweexceptbridgesandaqueducts(towhichmayinsomecountriesbeaddedtanksandembankments),therearefewinstancesofanyedificeappliedtoindustrialpurposeswhichhasbeenofgreatduration;suchbuildingsdonotholdoutagainstwearandtear,norisitgoodeconomytoconstructthemofthesoliditynecessaryforpermanency。Capitaliskeptinexistencefromagetoagenotbypreservation,butbyperpetualreproduction:everypartofitisusedanddestroyed,generallyverysoonafteritisproduced,butthosewhoconsumeitareemployedmeanwhileinproducingmore。
Thegrowthofcapitalissimilartothegrowthofpopulation。
Everyindividualwhoisborn,dies,butineachyearthenumberbornexceedsthenumberwhodie:thepopulation,therefore,alwaysincreases,thoughnotonepersonofthosecomposingitwasaliveuntilaveryrecentdate。
7。Thisperpetualconsumptionandreproductionofcapitalaffordstheexplanationofwhathassooftenexcitedwonder,thegreatrapiditywithwhichcountriesrecoverfromastateofdevastation;thedisappearance,inashorttime,ofalltracesofthemischiefsdonebyearthquakes,floods,hurricanes,andtheravagesofwar。Anenemylayswasteacountrybyfireandsword,anddestroysorcarriesawaynearlyallthemoveablewealthexistinginit:alltheinhabitantsareruined,andyetinafewyearsafter,everythingismuchasitwasbefore。Thisvismedicatrixnaturaehasbeenasubjectofsterileastonishment,orhasbeencitedtoexemplifythewonderfulstrengthoftheprincipleofsaving,whichcanrepairsuchenormouslossesinsobriefaninterval。Thereisnothingatallwonderfulinthematter。Whattheenemyhavedestroyed,wouldhavebeendestroyedinalittletimebytheinhabitantsthemselves:thewealthwhichtheysorapidlyreproduce,wouldhaveneededtobereproducedandwouldhavebeenreproducedinanycase,andprobablyinasshortatime。Nothingischanged,exceptthatduringthereproductiontheyhavenotnowtheadvantageofconsumingwhathadbeenproducedpreviously。Thepossibilityofarapidrepairoftheirdisasters,mainlydependsonwhetherthecountryhasbeendepopulated。Ifitseffectivepopulationhavenotbeenextirpatedatthetime,andarenotstarvedafterwards;then,withthesameskillandknowledgewhichtheyhadbefore,withtheirlandanditspermanentimprovementsundestroyed,andthemoredurablebuildingsprobablyunimpaired,oronlypartiallyinjured,theyhavenearlyalltherequisitesfortheirformeramountofproduction。Ifthereisasmuchoffoodlefttothem,orofvaluablestobuyfood,asenablesthembyanyamountofprivationtoremainaliveandinworkingcondition,theywillinashorttimehaveraisedasgreataproduce,andacquiredcollectivelyasgreatwealthandasgreatacapital,asbefore;bythemerecontinuanceofthatordinaryamountofexertionwhichtheyareaccustomedtoemployintheiroccupations。Nordoesthisevinceanystrengthintheprincipleofsaving,inthepopularsenseoftheterm,sincewhattakesplaceisnotintentionalabstinence,butinvoluntaryprivation。
Yetsofatalisthehabitofthinkingthoughthemediumofonlyonesetoftechnicalphrases,andsolittlereasonhavestudiousmentovaluethemselvesonbeingexemptfromtheverysamementalinfirmitieswhichbesetthevulgar,thatthissimpleexplanationwasnevergiven(sofarasIamaware)byanypoliticaleconomistbeforeDr。Chalmers;awritermanyofwhoseopinionsIthinkerroneous,butwhohasalwaysthemeritofstudyingphenomenaatfirsthand,andexpressingtheminalanguageofhisown,whichoftenuncoversaspectsofthetruththatthereceivedphraseologiesonlytendtohide。
8。Thesameauthorcarriesoutthistrainofthoughttosomeimportantconclusionsonanothercloselyconnectedsubject,thatofgovernmentloansforwarpurposesorotherunproductiveexpenditure。Theseloans,beingdrawnfromcapital(inlieuoftaxes,whichwouldgenerallyhavebeenpaidfromincome,andmadeupinpartoraltogetherbyincreasedeconomy)must,accordingtotheprincipleswehavelaiddown,tendtoimpoverishthecountry:
yettheyearsinwhichexpenditureofthissorthasbeenonthegreatestscale,haveoftenbeenyearsofgreatapparentprosperity……thewealthandresourcesofthecountry,insteadofdiminishing,havegiveneverysignofrapidincreaseduringtheprocess,andofgreatlyexpandeddimensionsafteritsclose。ThiswasconfessedlythecasewithGreatBritainduringthelastlongContinentalwar;anditwouldtakesomespacetoenumeratealltheunfoundedtheoriesinpoliticaleconomy,towhichthatfactgaverise,andtowhichitsecuredtemporarycredence;almostalltendingtoexaltunproductiveexpenditure,attheexpenseofproductive。Withoutenteringintoallthecauseswhichoperated,andwhichcommonlydooperate,topreventtheseextraordinarydraftsontheproductiveresourcesofacountryfrombeingsomuchfeltasitmightseemreasonabletoexpect,wewillsupposethemostunfavourablecasepossible:thatthewholeamountborrowedanddestroyedbythegovernment,wasabstractedbythelenderfromaproductiveemploymentinwhichithadactuallybeeninvested。Thecapital,therefore,ofthecountry,isthisyeardiminishedbysomuch。Butunlesstheamountabstractedissomethingenormous,thereisnoreasoninthenatureofthecasewhynextyearthenationalcapitalshouldnotbeasgreatasever。Theloancannothavebeentakenfromthatportionofthecapitalofthecountrywhichconsistsoftools,machinery,andbuildings。Itmusthavebeenwhollydrawnfromtheportionemployedinpayinglabourers:andthelabourerswillsufferaccordingly。Butifnoneofthemarestared;iftheirwagescanbearsuchanamountofreduction,orifcharityinterposesbetweenthemandabsolutedestitution,thereisnoreasonthattheirlabourshouldproducelessinthenextyearthanintheyearbefore。Iftheyproduceasmuchasusual,havingbeenpaidlessbysomanymillionssterling,thesemillionsaregainedbytheiremployers。Thebreachmadeinthecapitalofthecountryisthusinstantlyrepaired,butrepairedbytheprivationsandoftentherealmiseryofthelabouringclass。Hereisamplereasonwhysuchperiods,eveninthemostunfavourablecircumstances,mayeasilybetimesofgreatgaintothosewhoseprosperityusuallypasses,intheestimationofsociety,fornationalprosperity。(3*)
ThisleadstothevexedquestiontowhichDr。Chalmershasveryparticularlyadverted;whetherthefundsrequiredbyagovernmentforextraordinaryunproductiveexpenditure,arebestraisedbyloans,theinterestonlybeingprovidedbytaxes,Orwhethertaxesshouldbeatoncelaidontothewholeamount;
whichiscalledinthefinancialvocabulary,raisingthewholeofthesupplieswithintheyear。Dr。Chalmersisstronglyforthelattermethod。Hesays,thecommonnotionisthatincallingforthewholeamountinoneyear,yourequirewhatiseitherimpossible,orveryinconvenient;thatthepeoplecannot,withoutgreathardship,paythewholeatonceoutoftheiryearlyincome;
andthatitismuchbettertorequireofthemasmallpaymenteveryyearintheshapeofinterest,thansogreatasacrificeonceforall。Towhichhisansweris,thatthesacrificeismadeequallyineithercase。Whateverisspent,cannotbutbedrawnfromyearlyincome。Thewholeandeverypartofthewealthproducedinthecountry,forms,orhelpstoform,theyearlyincomeofsomebody。Theprivationwhichitissupposedmustresultfromtakingtheamountintheshapeoftaxesisnotavoidedbytakingitinaloan。Thesufferingisnotaverted,butonlythrownuponthelabouringclasses,theleastable,andwholeastought,tobearit:whilealltheinconveniences,physical,moral,andpolitical,producedbymaintainingtaxesfortheperpetualpaymentoftheinterest,areincurredinpureloss。
Whenevercapitaliswithdrawnfromproduction,orfromthefunddestinedforproduction,tobelenttotheState,andexpendedunproductively,thatwholesumiswithheldfromthelabouringclasses:theloan,therefore,isintruthpaidoffthesameyear;
thewholeofthesacrificenecessaryforpayingitoffisactuallymade:onlyitispaidtothewrongpersons,andthereforedoesnotextinguishtheclaim;andpaidbytheveryworstoftaxes,ataxexclusivelyonthelabouringclass。Andafterhaving,inthismostpainfulandunjustway,gonethroughthewholeeffortnecessaryforextinguishingthedebt,thecountryremainschargedwithit,andwiththepaymentofitsinterestinperpetuity。
Theseviewsappeartomestrictlyjust,insofarasthevalueabsorbedinloanswouldotherwisehavebeenemployedinproductiveindustrywithinthecountry。Thepracticalstateofthecase,however,seldomexactlycorrespondswiththissupposition。Theloansofthelesswealthycountriesaremadechieflywithforeigncapital,whichwouldnot,perhaps,havebeenbroughtintobeinvestedonanylesssecuritythanthatofthegovernment:whilethoseofrichandprosperouscountriesaregenerallymade,notwithfundswithdrawnfromproductiveemployment,butwiththenewaccumulationsconstantlymakingfromincome,andoftenwithapartofthemwhich,ifnotsotaken,wouldhavemigratedtocolonies,orsoughtotherinvestmentsabroad。Inthesecases(whichwillbemoreparticularlyexaminedhereafter*),thesumwantedmaybeobtainedbyloanwithoutdetrimenttothelabourers,orderangementofthenationalindustry,andevenperhapswithadvantagetoboth,incomparisonwithraisingtheamountbytaxation,sincetaxes,especiallywhenheavy,arealmostalwayspartlypaidattheexpenseofwhatwouldotherwisehavebeensavedandaddedtocapital。Besides,inacountrywhichmakessogreatyearlyadditionstoitswealththatapartcanbetakenandexpendedunproductivelywithoutdiminishingcapital,orevenpreventingaconsiderableincrease,itisevidentthatevenifthewholeofwhatissotakenwouldhavebecomecapital,andobtainedemploymentinthecountry,theeffectonthelabouringclassesisfarlessprejudicial,andthecaseagainsttheloansystemmuchlessstrong,thaninthecasefirstsupposed。Thisbriefanticipationofadiscussionwhichwillfinditsproperplaceelsewhere,appearednecessarytopreventfalseinferencesfromthepremisespreviouslylaiddown。
9。WenowpasstoafourthfundamentaltheoremrespectingCapital,whichis,perhaps,ofteneroverlookedormisconceivedthanevenanyoftheforegoing。Whatsupportsandemploysproductivelabour,isthecapitalexpendedinsettingittowork,andnotthedemandofpurchasersfortheproduceofthelabourwhencompleted。Demandforcommoditiesisnotdemandforlabour。
Thedemandforcommoditiesdeterminesinwhatparticularbranchofproductionthelabourandcapitalshallbeemployed;itdeterminesthedirectionofthelabour;butnotthemoreorlessofthelabouritself,orofthemaintenanceorpaymentofthelabour。Thesedependontheamountofthecapital,orotherfundsdirectlydevotedtothesustenanceandremunerationoflabour。
Suppose,forinstance,thatthereisademandforvelvet;afundreadytobelaidoutinbuyingvelvet,butnocapitaltoestablishthemanufacture。Itisofnoconsequencehowgreatthedemandmaybe;unlesscapitalisattractedintotheoccupation,therewillbenovelvetmade,andconsequentlynonebought;
unless,indeed,thedesireoftheintendingpurchaserforitissostrong,thatheemployspartofthepricehewouldhavepaidforit,inmakingadvancestowork—people,thattheymayemploythemselvesinmakingvelvet;thatis,unlessheconvertspartofhisincomeintocapital,andinveststhatcapitalinthemanufacture。Letusnowreversethehypothesis,andsupposethatthereisplentyofcapitalreadyformakingvelvet,butnodemand。Velvetwillnotbemade;butthereisnoparticularpreferenceonthepartofcapitalformakingvelvet。
Manufacturersandtheirlabourersdonotproduceforthepleasureoftheircustomers,butforthesupplyoftheirownwants,andhavingstillthecapitalandthelabourwhicharetheessentialsofproduction,theycaneitherproducesomethingelsewhichisindemand,oriftherebenootherdemand,theythemselveshaveone,andcanproducethethingswhichtheywantfortheirownconsumption。Sothattheemploymentaffordedtolabourdoesnotdependonthepurchasers,butonthecapital。Iam,ofcourse,nottakingintoconsiderationtheeffectsofasuddenchange。Ifthedemandceasesunexpectedly,afterthecommoditytosupplyitisalreadyproduced,thisintroducesadifferentelementintothequestion:thecapitalhasactuallybeenconsumedinproducingsomethingwhichnobodywantsoruses,andithasthereforeperished,andtheemploymentwhichitgavetolabourisatanend,notbecausethereisnolongerademand,butbecausethereisnolongeracapital。Thiscasethereforedoesnottesttheprinciple。Thepropertestis,tosupposethatthechangeisgradualandforeseen,andisattendedwithnowasteofcapital,themanufacturebeingdiscontinuedbymerelynotreplacingthemachineryasitwearsout,andnotreinvestingthemoneyasitcomesinfromthesaleoftheproduce。Thecapitalisthusreadyforanewemployment,inwhichitwillmaintainasmuchlabourasbefore。Themanufacturerandhiswork—peoplelosethebenefitoftheskillandknowledgewhichtheyhadacquiredintheparticularbusiness,andwhichcanonlybepartiallyofusetotheminanyother;andthatistheamountoflosstothecommunitybythechange。Butthelabourerscanstillwork,andthecapitalwhichpreviouslyemployedthemwill,eitherinthesamehands,orbybeinglenttoothers,employeitherthoselabourersoranequivalentnumberinsomeotheroccupation。
Thistheorem,thattopurchaseproduceisnottoemployslabour;thatthedemandforlabourisconstitutedbythewageswhichprecedetheproduction,andnotbythedemandwhichmayexistforthecommoditiesresultingfromtheproduction;isapropositionwhichgreatlyneedsalltheillustrationitcanreceive。Itis,tocommonapprehension,aparadox;andevenamongpoliticaleconomistsofreputation,Icanhardlypointtoany,exceptMr。RicardoandM。Say,whohavekeptitconstantlyandsteadilyinview。Almostallothersoccasionallyexpressthemselvesasifapersonwhobuyscommodities,theproduceoflabour,wasanemployeroflabour,andcreatedademandforitasreally,andinthesamesense,asifheboughtthelabouritselfdirectly,bythepaymentofwages。Itisnowonderthatpoliticaleconomyadvancesslowly,whensuchaquestionasthisstillremainsopenatitsverythreshold。Iapprehend,thatifbydemandforlabourbemeantthedemandbywhichwagesareraised,orthenumberoflabourersinemploymentincreased,demandforcommoditiesdoesnotconstitutedemandforlabour。Iconceivethatapersonwhobuyscommoditiesandconsumesthemhimself,doesnogoodtothelabouringclasses;andthatitisonlybywhatheabstainsfromconsuming,andexpendsindirectpaymentstolabourersinexchangeforlabour,thathebenefitsthelabouringclasses,oraddsanythingtotheamountoftheiremployment。