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第7部分

political economy-第7部分

小说: political economy 字数: 每页4000字

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uying。 The one drew more advantages from the money which he received; than he would have done from his merchandise; the other more advantage from the merchandise which he acquired; than he would have done from his money。 Both parties had gained; and hence the nation gained doubly by their bargain。 On the same principle when a master set any workman to labour; and gave him in exchange for the work expected to be done; a wage which corresponded to the workman's maintenance during his labour; … both these contractors gained; the workman because he had received in advance the fruit of his labour before it was accomplished; … the master; because this workman's labour was worth more than his wages。 The nation gained with both; for as the national wealth must; at the long run; be realized in enjoyment; Whatever augments the enjoyment of individuals; must be considered as a gain for all。     Thus the labour of man created wealth; but wealth; in its turn; created the labour of man。 Wherever wealth offered a profit; a wage; a subsistence; it produced a class of men; eager to acquire them。 The accumulation of primary labour had created the value of land; by unfolding its productive power。 This power; as it seconded the labour; of man; henceforth became a species of wealth; and a person possessed of land might; without himself labouring; obtain payment for surrendering the use of it to such as laboured。 Hence the origin of sales and leases of land。 The farmer again might hire workmen to labour; and thus might acquire the advantages attached to exchanging present subsistence against distant produce。 He incurred all the charges of cultivation; he drew all its profits; and left to his workmen nothing but their wages。 Thus the revenues of land; all comprised in the annual crop; were divided among three classes of men; under the name of rent; profit; and wages; whilst a surplus included the seed and the farmer's advance。     The manufacturer again possessed machinery and materials: he offered to his labourers an immediate subsistence for the fruit of a labour which required time and long advances。 He enabled them to live; he furnished them with lodging; tools; machinery; and paid himself with interest by their work。 If; in his own hand; he had not enough of accumulated wealth; or enough of the money which represents it; to provide his workmen with all the advances which their enterprise required; and to wait for the sale of their labour; he borrowed money; and paid the lender an interest; analogous to the rent which a farmer pays his landlord。 The labour of the workmen employed by him annually produced a certain quantity of goods; in the value of which were to be included the interest of capital for the money…lender; the rent of implements; machines; immovables; and all kinds of fixed capital; the profits of the head manufacturer; the wages of his workmen; and; lastly; the capital expended in raw materials; together with the whole of that capital which; as it circulates annually in the manufactory; must be deducted from its annual produce; in order to leave the net revenue。     The produce of the soil and of manufactories belonged often to climates very distant from those inhabited by their consumers。 A class of men undertook to facilitate all kinds of exchange; on condition of sharing in the profits which it yields。 These men gave money to the producer; at the time when his work was finished and ready for sale; after which having transported the merchandise to the place where it was wanted; they waited the consumer's convenience; and retailed to him in parcels what he could not purchase all at once。 They did service to every one; and repaid themselves for it by the share which is named profits of trade。 The advantage arising from a judicious management of exchanges was the origin of those profits。 In the north; a producer reckoned two measures of his merchandize equivalent to one of southern merchandize。 In the south; on the other hand; a producer reckoned two measures of his merchandize equivalent to one of northern merchandize。 Between two equations so different there was room to cover all the expenses of transport; all the profits of trade; and interest for all the money advanced to carry it on。 In fact; at the sale of such commodities transported by commerce; there must be realized; first the capital repaid to the manufacturer; then the wages of the sailors; carriers; clerks; and all persons employed by the trader; next the interest of all those funds to which he gives movement; and lastly; the mercantile profit。     Society requires something more than wealth; it would not be complete if it contained nothing but productive labourers。 It requires administrators; judges; lawgivers; men employed about its general interests; soldiers and sailors to defend it。 No one of those classes produces any thing; their labour never assumes a material shape; it is not susceptible of accumulation。 Yet without their assistance all the wealth arising from productive labour would be destroyed by violence; and work would cease; if the labourer could not calculate on peaceably enjoying its fruits。 To support this guardian population; a part must be deducted from the funds created annually by labour。 But as the service done to the community; by such persons; how important soever it be; is felt by no one in particular; it cannot; like other services; be an object of exchange。 The community itself was under the necessity of paying it by a forced contribution from the revenues of all。 It was not long; indeed; till this contribution came to be regulated by the persons destined to profit from it; and hence the contributors were loaded without measure; civil and military offices were multiplied far beyond what the public weal required; there was too much government; too much defence of men; who were forced to accept those services; and to pay them; superfluous or even burdensome as they might be; and the rulers of nations; established to protect wealth; were often the main authors of its dilapidation。     Society needs that kind of labour which produces mental enjoyments; and as mental enjoyments are; nearly all; immaterial; the objects destined to satisfy them cannot be accumulated。 Religion; science; the arts; yield happiness to man; their origin is labour; their end enjoyment; but what belongs only to the soul is not capable of being treasured up。 If a nation; however; does not reckon literature and the arts among its wealth; it may reckon literary men and artists; the education they receive; the distinction they acquire; accumulate a high value on their heads; and the labour which they execute being often better paid than that of the most skilled workmen; may thus contribute to the spread of opulence。     Society; in the last place; needs those kinds of labour; the object of which is to take care of the persons; not the fortunes of men。 Such labour may be of the most elevated; or of the most servile kind: according as it requires either the knowledge of nature and the command of her secrets; like the physician's labour; or merely complaisance and obedience to the will of a master; like the footman's labour。 All of them are species of labour intended for enjoyment; and differing from productive labour; only in so far as their effects are incapable of accumulation。 Hence; though they add to the well…being of a state; they do not add to its wealth; and such as are employed in them must live on voluntary contributions drawn from the revenue formed by other kinds of labour。

Chapter 3

Of Territorial Wealth


    The riches proceeding from land should be the first to engage the attention of an economist or a legislator。 They are the most necessary of all; because it is from the ground that our subsistence is derived; because they furnish the materials for every other kind of labour; and lastly; because; in preparation; they constantly employ the half; often much more than the half; of all the nation。 The class of people who cultivate the ground are particularly valuable for bodily qualities fitted to make excellent soldiers; and for mental qualities fitted to make good citizens。 The happiness of a rural population is also more easily provided for than that of a city population; the progress of this kind of wealth is more easily followed; and government is more culpable when it allows agriculture to decay; because it almost always lies in the power of government to make it flourish。     The annual revenue of land; or the annual crop; is decomposed; as we observed above; in the following manner。 One part of the fruits; produced by labour; is destined to pay the proprietor for the assistance which the earth has given to the labour of men; and also for the interest of all the capital successively employed to improve the soil。 This portion alone is called the net revenue。 Another part of the fruits replaces what has been consumed in executing the labour to which the crop is due; the seed; and all the cultivator's advances。 Economists call this portion the resumption。 Another part remains for a profit to the person who directed the labours of the ground: it is proportionate to his industry and the capital advanced by him。 Government likewise takes a share of all those fruits; and by various imposts diminishes the proprietor's rent; the cultivator's profit; and the day…labourer's wages; in order to form a revenue for another class of persons。 Nor do the fruits distributed among the workmen; the superintendent of the labour; and the proprietor; entirely remain with them in kind: after having kept a portion requisite for their subsistence; the whole then equally part with what remains; in exchange for objects produced by the industry of towns; and it is by means of this exchange; that all other classes of the nation are supplied with food。     The net revenue of territorial produce is considered to be that portion which remains with proprietors after the expenses of cultivation have been paid。 Proprietors frequently imagine that a system of cultivation is the better; the higher those rents are: what concerns the nation; however; what should engage the economist's undivided attention; is the gross produce; or the total amount of the crop; by which subsistence is provided for the whole 

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