wealbk01-第24章

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last。

　　　　　The　wear　and　tear　of　a　slave；　it　has　been　said；　is　at　the

expense　of　his　master；　but　that　of　a　free　servant　is　at　his　own

expense。　The　wear　and　tear　of　the　latter；　however；　is；　in

reality；　as　much　at　the　expense　of　his　master　as　that　of　the

former。　The　wages　paid　to　journeymen　and　servants　of　every　kind

must　be　such　as　may　enable　them；　one　with　another；　to　continue

the　race　of　journeymen　and　servants；　according　as　the　increasing；

diminishing；　or　stationary　demand　of　the　society　may　happen　to

require。　But　though　the　wear　and　tear　of　a　free　servant　be

equally　at　the　expense　of　his　master；　it　generally　costs　him　much

less　than　that　of　a　slave。　The　fund　destined　for　replacing　or

repairing；　if　I　may　say　so；　the　wear　and　tear　of　the　slave；　is

commonly　managed　by　a　negligent　master　or　careless　overseer。　That

destined　for　performing　the　same　office　with　regard　to　the　free

man；　is　managed　by　the　free　man　himself。　The　disorders　which

generally　prevail　in　the　economy　of　the　rich；　naturally　introduce

themselves　into　the　management　of　the　former：　the　strict

frugality　and　parsimonious　attention　of　the　poor　as　naturally

establish　themselves　in　that　of　the　latter。　Under　such　different

management；　the　same　purpose　must　require　very　different　degrees

of　expense　to　execute　it。　It　appears；　accordingly；　from　the

experience　of　all　ages　and　nations；　I　believe；　that　the　work　done

by　freemen　comes　cheaper　in　the　end　than　that　performed　by

slaves。　It　is　found　to　do　so　even　at　Boston；　New　York；　and

Philadelphia；　where　the　wages　of　common　labour　are　so　very　high。

　　　　　The　liberal　reward　of　labour；　therefore；　as　it　is　the　effect

of　increasing　wealth；　so　it　is　the　cause　of　increasing

population。　To　complain　of　it　is　to　lament　over　the　necessary

effect　and　cause　of　the　greatest　public　prosperity。

　　　　　It　deserves　to　be　remarked；　perhaps；　that　it　is　in　the

progressive　state；　while　the　society　is　advancing　to　the　further

acquisition；　rather　than　when　it　has　acquired　its　full　complement

of　riches；　that　the　condition　of　the　labouring　poor；　of　the　great

body　of　the　people；　seems　to　be　the　happiest　and　the　most

comfortable。　It　is　hard　in　the　stationary；　and　miserable　in　the

declining　state。　The　progressive　state　is　in　reality　the　cheerful

and　the　hearty　state　to　all　the　different　orders　of　the　society。

The　stationary　is　dull；　the　declining；　melancholy。

　　　　　The　liberal　reward　of　labour；　as　it　encourages　the

propagation；　so　it　increases　the　industry　of　the　common　people。

The　wages　of　labour　are　the　encouragement　of　industry；　which；

like　every　other　human　quality；　improves　in　proportion　to　the

encouragement　it　receives。　A　plentiful　subsistence　increases　the

bodily　strength　of　the　labourer；　and　the　comfortable　hope　of

bettering　his　condition；　and　of　ending　his　days　perhaps　in　ease

and　plenty；　animates　him　to　exert　that　strength　to　the　utmost。

Where　wages　are　high；　accordingly；　we　shall　always　find　the

workmen　more　active；　diligent；　and　expeditious　than　where　they

are　low：　in　England；　for　example；　than　in　Scotland；　in　the

neighbourhood　of　great　towns　than　in　remote　country　places。　Some

workmen；　indeed；　when　they　can　earn　in　four　days　what　will

maintain　them　through　the　week；　will　be　idle　the　other　three。

This；　however；　is　by　no　means　the　case　with　the　greater　part。

Workmen；　on　the　contrary；　when　they　are　liberally　paid　by　the

piece；　are　very　apt　to　overwork　themselves；　and　to　ruin　their

health　and　constitution　in　a　few　years。　A　carpenter　in　London；

and　in　some　other　places；　is　not　supposed　to　last　in　his　utmost

vigour　above　eight　years。　Something　of　the　same　kind　happens　in

many　other　trades；　in　which　the　workmen　are　paid　by　the　piece；　as

they　generally　are　in　manufactures；　and　even　in　country　labour；

wherever　wages　are　higher　than　ordinary。　Almost　every　class　of

artificers　is　subject　to　some　peculiar　infirmity　occasioned　by

excessive　application　to　their　peculiar　species　of　work。

Ramuzzini；　an　eminent　Italian　physician；　has　written　a　particular

book　concerning　such　diseases。　We　do　not　reckon　our　soldiers　the

most　industrious　set　of　people　among　us。　Yet　when　soldiers　have

been　employed　in　some　particular　sorts　of　work；　and　liberally

paid　by　the　piece；　their　officers　have　frequently　been　obliged　to

stipulate　with　the　undertaker；　that　they　should　not　be　allowed　to

earn　above　a　certain　sum　every　day；　according　to　the　rate　at

which　they　were　paid。　Till　this　stipulation　was　made；　mutual

emulation　and　the　desire　of　greater　gain　frequently　prompted　them

to　overwork　themselves；　and　to　hurt　their　health　by　excessive

labour。　Excessive　application　during　four　days　of　the　week　is

frequently　the　real　cause　of　the　idleness　of　the　other　three；　so

much　and　so　loudly　complained　of。　Great　labour；　either　of　mind　or

body；　continued　for　several　days　together；　is　in　most　men

naturally　followed　by　a　great　desire　of　relaxation；　which；　if　not

restrained　by　force　or　by　some　strong　necessity；　is　almost

irresistible。　It　is　the　call　of　nature；　which　requires　to　be

relieved　by　some　indulgence；　sometimes　of　ease　only；　but

sometimes；　too；　of　dissipation　and　diversion。　If　it　is　not

complied　with；　the　consequences　are　often　dangerous；　and

sometimes　fatal；　and　such　as　almost　always；　sooner　or　later；

brings　on　the　peculiar　infirmity　of　the　trade。　If　masters　would

always　listen　to　the　dictates　of　reason　and　humanity；　they　have

frequently　occasion　rather　to　moderate　than　to　animate　the

application　of　many　of　their　workmen。　It　will　be　found；　I

believe；　in　every　sort　of　trade；　that　the　man　who　works　so

moderately　as　to　be　able　to　work　constantly　not　only　preserves

his　health　the　longest；　but；　in　the　course　of　the　year；　executes

the　greatest　quantity　of　work。

　　　　　In　cheap　years；　it　is　pretended；　workmen　are　generally　more

idle；　and　in　dear　ones　more　industrious　than　ordinary。　A

plentiful　subsistence；　therefore；　it　has　been　concluded；　relaxes；

and　a　scanty　one　quickens　their　industry。　That　a　little　more

plenty　than　ordinary　may　render　some　workmen　idle；　cannot　well　be

doubted；　but　that　it　should　have　this　effect　upon　the　greater

part；　or　that　men　in　general　should　work　better　when　they　are　ill

fed　than　when　they　are　well　fed；　when　they　are　disheartened　than

when　they　are　in　good　spirits；　when　they　are　frequently　sick　than

when　they　are　generally　in　good　health；　seems　not　very　probable。

Years　of　dearth；　it　is　to　be　observed；　are　generally　among　the

common　people　years　of　sickness　and　mortality；　which　cannot　fail

to　diminish　the　produce　of　their　industry。

　　　　　In　years　of　plenty；　servants　frequently　leave　their　masters；

and　trust　their　subsistence　to　what　they　can　make　by　their　own

industry。　But　the　same　cheapness　of　provisions；　by　increasing　the

fund　which　is　destined　for　the　maintenance　of　servants；

encourages　masters；　farmers　especially；　to　employ　a　greater

number。　Farmers　upon　such　occasions　expect　more　profit　from　their

corn　by　maintaining　a　few　more　labouring　servants　than　by　selling

it　at　a　low　price　in　the　market。　The　demand　for　servants

increases；　while　the　number　of　those　who　offer　to　supply　that

demand　diminishes。　The　price　of　labour；　therefore；　frequently

rises　in　cheap　years。

　　　　　In　years　of　scarcity；　the　difficulty　and　uncertainty　of

subsistence　make　all　such　people　eager　to　return　to　service。　But

the　high　price　of　provisions；　by　diminishing　the　funds　destined

for　the　maintenance　of　servants；　disposes　masters　rather　to

diminish　than　to　increase　the　number　of　those　they　have。　In　dear

years；　too；　poor　independent　workmen　frequently　consume　the

little　stocks　with　which　they　had　used　to　supply　themselves　with

the　materials　of　their　work；　and　are　obliged　to　become　journeymen

for　subsistence。　More　people　want　employment　than　can　easily　get

it；　many　are　willing　to　take　it　upon　lower　terms　than　ordinary；

and　the　wages　of　both　servants　and　journeymen　frequently　sink　in

dear　years。

　　　　　Masters　of　all　sorts；　therefore；