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