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第22章

political economy-第22章

小说: political economy 字数: 每页4000字

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ples which follow。 In the epoch of civilization; at which we are arrived; no labour can be accomplished without a capital to set it in motion; but this capital; though almost constantly represented by money; is yet quite a different thing。 An increase of the national capital is the most powerful encouragement to labour; but an increase in the circulating medium has not of necessity the same effect。 Capitals co…operate powerfully in the annual reproduction of wealth; giving rise to an annual revenue; but money continues barren; and gives rise to no revenue。 Indeed; the competition between those capitals; which are offered to accomplish the annual labour of the nation; forms the basis for the interest of money; but the greater or less abundance of the circulating medium; has no influence in the fixing of this interest。     Painful experience has shown all the inhabitants of Europe what a dearth was; and a period of general penury among a civilized people。 At these mournful epochs; every one has heard it a hundred times observed; that it was not corn or food which was wanting; but money。 Indeed; vast magazines of corn have often remained full till the next harvest; those provisions; if proportionably shared among the people; would have almost always been sufficient for their support; but the poor; having no money to offer; were not able to buy them; they could not; in exchange for their labour; obtain money; or at least enough of it; to subsist。 Money was wanting; natural wealth superabundant。 What phenomenon could appear more proper to confirm the universal prejudice which looks for wealth in money; not in consumable capital?     But the money; which is wanting in a time of scarcity; is the wage offered to the workman to make him labour。 the wage; by means of which; he would have purchased a subsistence。 The workmen never labour; except when some of those who have accumulated capitals; or in other words; the fruit of preceding labours; can profit from those capitals; by furnishing; on one hand; the raw material; on the other; a subsistence for the artisan。 Labour cannot be carried on so as to produce any material fruit; any fruit capable of becoming wealth; without raw materials on which to operate; the workman cannot labour without food to support him; and; therefore; every kind of labour is impossible without a capital previously existing in objects of consumption; to furnish his materials and his wages; and; if the workman himself lay out these advances; it is because he combines for this little object; the two characters of capitalist and artisan。     As the workman requires a capitalist; so the capitalist requires workmen; because his capital will be unproductive if it continue idle; and the revenue which he expects and has to live upon springs from the labour which he causes to be executed。 Hence; whenever he is occupied in a productive enterprise; he employs all his capital in causing labour; and leaves no part of it in idleness。 If he is a cloth…maker; and has devoted ten thousand pounds to his manufacture; he does not stop till his ten thousand pounds are done; and he no longer has new sums to employ in the operation。 If it be then asked why he stops; he will answer; like the workman; that money is wanting; that money does not circulate。     It is not; however; money which is then wanting any more than in the former case; it is consumption; or the consumer's revenue。 On commencing his manufacture; the capitalist studied to adjust it to the demand; and he reckoned that as soon as his cloths should be ready; they would be purchased by consumers; whose money; the sign of their revenue; would replace his capital; and become the sign of subsistence to new workmen; to whom he would pay new wages。 It is not money which the consumer is in want of; but revenue。 Some have had inferior harvests this year; some have gained a smaller interest on their capitals; a smaller share on the annual re…production of the fruits of industry; others; who have no income but what arises from their labour; have not found employment; or else the whole three classes are not poorer than they were; but the manufacturer had imagined them to be richer; and regulated his production according to an income which does not exist。     Income; of which we have seen all the different sources in the second chapter; is a material and consumable thing; it springs from labour; it is destined for enjoyment; it is exactly of the same nature with the advances in wages and raw material laid out by the manufacturer; and money is but the sign and the measure of it。 The capital it should replace is also composed of material objects; destined for consumption; and incessantly renewed。 Money serves but to represent it; and always forms the smallest part of each merchant's funds。 We have supposed the cloth…maker to possess 100;000 l。; but; it half this sum is employed in fixed capitals; it will be sufficient; if his sale amount weekly to 1200 l。 to give him; in the shape of interest and profit; 20 per cent。 on his circulating capital; and to allow 1000 l weekly; in money; to maintain an annual production of 60;000 l。; so that he never possesses in cash more than the fiftieth part of his circulating capital。     An increase of the national capitals is the most powerful encouragement of labour; either because this augmentation presupposes an augmentation of income; and; consequently; of means of consumption; or because these capitals; not being profitable to their proprietor; except as they are employed; each capitalist incessantly endeavours to create new production by their means。 In distributing them to his workmen; he gives to those workmen revenue which enables them to purchase and consume the preceding year's production; and he sees those capitals return increased by the revenue; which he is to expect from them in the following year's production。 But though he distributes and afterwards recovers them; by means of the circulating medium; which serves for all exchanges; it is not the circulating medium which forms the essential requisite in his operation。 The same cloth…maker; labouring each year on an equal quantity; sends 2400 pieces of cloth to the market; which have been valued at 60;000 l。 or 25 l。 a piece。 He exchanges 400 pieces for such objects of consumption as are needed to supply the wants; the enjoyments; the luxuries of himself and family。 He exchanges 2000 pieces for the raw materials; and the labour which; within the year; are to re…produce an equal quantity; and thus next year; and every following year; he will have; as before; 2400 pieces to exchange on the same conditions。 His capital; equally with his revenue; is actually in cloths; not in money; and the perpetual result of his commerce is to exchange cloth against cloth。     If the consumption of cloth is increased; if by this means his trade; in place of comprehending 2400 pieces annually; comprehends 3000; more labour will; no doubt; be ordered by him; and executed by his workmen; but if the money alone is increased; and not the consumption or the income which determines it; labour and production cannot increase。 Let us take separately each one of his customers; as he calls them。 There is not one of them who does nor levy a greater or a smaller portion of his income in kind; but all may arrange matters so as to receive the whole of it in money。 They are not; however; more rich on this account; they will not be at more expense; they will not buy more cloth from him; and this trade will experience no kind of augmentation。 What happens to individuals may equally happen to nations。 The revenue of a country or the sum total of profits arising from the different kinds of labour; amounted; we shall say; last year; and this year; to fifty millions; but last year the country levied all its profit in goods; in merchandise destined for its consumption; this year; from some mercantile circumstance; some arrangement of exchanges; it has levied the fourth; the third part; in money imported through the frontiers。 It is neither richer nor poorer; for this alteration; its consumption will; as formerly; be fifty millions; and with regard to the money imported; apparently its industry required this money; otherwise it will be ag

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