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of　the　world？　In　vain　would　the　Germans　be　content　to　obtain　their



requirements　of　manufactured　goods　from　England　in　exchange　for



their　fine　sheep's　wool；　they　would　by　such　a　policy　hardly　prevent



Australia　from　flooding　all　Europe　with　fine　wool　in　the　course　of



the　next　twenty　years。



　　　　Such　a　condition　of　dependence　appears　still　more　deplorable



when　we　consider　that　such　nations　lose　in　times　of　war　their　means



of　selling　their　agricultural　products；　and　thereby　the　means　of



purchasing　the　manufacturing　products　of　the　foreigner。　At　such



times　all　economical　considerations　and　systems　are　thrust　into　the



background。　It　is　the　principle　of　self…maintenance；　of



self…defence；　which　counsels　the　nations　to　work　up　their



agricultural　products　themselves；　and　to　dispense　with　the



manufactured　goods　of　the　enemy。　Whatever　losses　may　be　involved　in



adopting　such　a　war…prohibitive　system；　cannot　be　taken　into



account　during　such　a　state　of　things。　However　great　the　exertions



and　the　sacrifices　may　have　been　by　which　the　agricultural　nation



during　the　time　of　war　has　called　into　existence　manufactures　and



works；　the　competition　of　the　manufacturing　supremacy　which　sets　in



on　the　recurrence　of　peace　will　again　destroy　all　these　creations



of　the　times　of　necessity。　In　short；　it　is　an　eternal　alternation



of　erecting　and　destroying；　of　prosperity　and　calamity　which　those



nations　have　to　undergo　who　do　not　strive　to　insure；　through



realisation　of　their　national　division　of　labour　and　through　the



confederation　of　their　own　powers　of　production；　the　benefits　of



the　continuation　of　their　own　industries　from　generation　to



generation。







Chapter　25







The　Manufacturing　Power　and　the　Inducement　to　Production　and



Consumption







　　　　In　society　man　is　not　merely　productive　owing　to　the



circumstance　that　he　directly　brings　forth　products　or　creates



powers　of　production；　but　he　also　becomes　productive　by　creating



inducements　to　production　and　to　consumption；　or　to　the　formation



of　productive　powers。



　　　　The　artist　by　his　works　acts　in　the　first　place　on　the



ennobling　and　refinement　of　the　human　spirit　and　on　the　productive



power　of　society；　but　inasmuch　as　the　enjoyment　of　art　presupposes



the　possession　of　those　material　means　whereby　it　must　be



purchased；　the　artist　also　offers　inducements　to　material



production　and　to　thrift。



　　　　Books　and　newspapers　act　on　the　mental　and　material　production



by　giving　information；　but　their　acquisition　costs　money；　and　so



far　the　enjoyment　which　they　afford　is　also　an　inducement　to



material　production。



　　　　The　education　of　youth　ennobles　society；　but　what　great



exertions　do　parents　make　to　obtain　the　means　of　giving　their



children　a　good　education！



　　　　What　immense　performances　in　both　mental　and　material



production　arise　out　of　the　endeavour　to　move　in　better　society！



　　　　We　can　live　as　well　in　a　house　made　of　boards　as　in　a　villa；　we



can　protect　ourselves　for　a　few　florins　against　rain　and　cold　as



well　as　by　means　of　the　finest　and　most　elegant　clothing。　Ornaments



and　utensils　of　gold　and　silver　add　no　more　to　comfort　than　those



of　iron　and　tin；　but　the　distinction　connected　with　the　possession



of　the　former　acts　as　an　inducement　to　exertions　of　the　body　and



the　mind；　and　to　order　and　thrift；　and　to　such　inducements　society



owes　a　large　part　of　its　productiveness。　Even　the　man　living　on　his



private　property　who　merely　occupies　himself　with　preserving；



increasing；　and　consuming　his　income；　acts　in　manifold　ways　on



mental　and　material　production　：　firstly；　by　supporting　through　his



consumption　art　and　science；　and　artistic　trades；　next；　by



discharging；　as　it　were；　the　function　of　a　preserver　and　augmenter



of　the　material　capital　of　society；　finally；　by　inciting　through



his　display　all　other　classes　of　society　to　emulation。　As　a　whole



school　is　encouraged　to　exertions　by　the　offer　of　prizes；　although



only　a　few　become　winners　of　the　principal　prizes；　so　does　the



possession　of　large　property；　and　the　appearance　and　display



connected　with　it；　act　on　civil　society。　This　action　of　course



ceases　when　the　great　property　is　the　fruit　of　usurpation；　of



extortion；　or　fraud；　or　where　the　possession　of　it　and　the



enjoyment　of　its　fruits　cannot　be　openly　displayed。



　　　　Manufacturing　production　yields　either　productive　instruments



or　the　means　of　satisfying　the　necessities　of　life　and　the　means　of



display。　The　last　two　advantages　are　frequently　combined。　The



various　ranks　of　society　are　everywhere　distinguished　by　the　manner



in　which　and　where　they　live；　and　how　they　are　furnished　and



clothed；　by　the　costliness　of　their　equipages　and　the　quality；



number；　and　external　appearance　of　their　servants。　Where　the



commercial　production　is　on　a　low　scale；　this　distinction　is　but



slight；　i。e。　almost　all　people　live　badly　and　are　poorly　clothed；



emulation　is　nowhere　observable。　It　originates　and　increases



according　to　the　ratio　in　which　industries　flourish。　In　flourishing



manufacturing　countries　almost　everyone　lives　and　dresses　well；



although　in　the　quality　of　manufactured　goods　which　are　consumed



the　most　manifold　degrees　of　difference　take　place。　No　one　who



feels　that　he　has　any　power　in　him　to　work　is　willing　to　appear



outwardly　needy。　Manufacturing　industry；　therefore；　furthers



production　by　the　community　by　means　of　inducements　which



agriculture；　with　its　mean　domestic　manufacture；　its　productions　of



raw　materials　and　provisions；　cannot　offer。



　　　　There　is　of　course　an　important　difference　between　various



modes　of　living；　and　everyone　feels　some　inducement　to　eat　and



drink　well；　but　we　do　not　dine　in　public；　and　a　German　proverb　says



strikingly；　'Man　sieht　mir　auf　den　Kragen；　nicht　auf　den　Magen'



（One　looks　at　my　shirt　collar；　not　at　my　stomach）。　If　we　are



accustomed　from　youth　to　rough　and　simple　fare；　we　seldom　wish　for



better。　The　consumption　of　provisions　also　is　restricted　to　very



narrow　limits　where　it　is　confined　to　articles　produced　in　the



immediate　neighbourhood。　These　limits　are　extended　in　countries　of



temperate　climate；　in　the　first　instance；　by　procuring　the　products



of　tropical　climates。　But　as　respects　the　quantity　and　the　quality



of　these　products；　in　the　enjoyment　of　which　the　whole　population



of　a　country　can　participate；　they　can　only　be　procured　（as　we　have



shown　in　a　former　chapter）　by　means　of　foreign　commerce　in



manufactured　goods。



　　　　Colonial　products；　so　far　as　they　do　not　consist　of　raw



materials　for　manufacturing　purposes；　evidently　act　more　as



stimulants　than　necessary　means　of　subsistence。　No　one　will　deny



that　barley　coffee　without　sugar　is　as　nutritious　as　mocha　coffee



with　sugar；　and　admitting　also　that　these　products　contain　some



nutritious　matter；　their　value　in　this　respect　is　nevertheless　so



unimportant　that　they　can　scarcely　be　considered　as　substitutes　for



native　provisions。　With　regard　to　spices　and　tobacco；　they　are



certainly　mere　stimulants；　i。e。　they　chiefly　produce　a　useful



effect　on　society　only　so　far　as　they　augment　the　enjoyments　of　the



masses；　and　incite　them　to　mental　and　bodily　labour。



　　　　In　many　countries　very　erroneous　notions　prevail　among　those



who　live　by　salaries　or　rents；　respecting　what　they　are　accustomed



to　call　the　luxurious　habits　of　the　lower　classes；　such　persons　are



shocked　to　observe　that　labourers　drink　coffee　with　sugar；　and



regret　the　times　when　they　were　satisfied　with　gruel；　they　deplore



that　the　peasant　has　exchanged　his　poor　clothing　of　coarse　homespun



for　woollen　cloth；　they　express　fears　that　the　maid…servant　will



soon　not　be　distinguishable　from　the　lady　of　the　house；　they　praise



the　legal　restrictions　on　dress　of　previous　centuries。　But　if　we



compare　the　result　of　the　labour　of　the　workman　in　countries　where



he　is　clad　and　nourished　like　the　well…to…do　man　with　the　result　of



his　labour　where　he　has　to　be　satisfied　with　the　coarsest　food　and



clothing；　we　shall　find　that　the　increase　of　his　comfort　in　the



former　case　has　been　attained　not　at　the　expense　of　the　general



welfare；　but　to　the　advantage　of　the　productive　powers　of　the



community。　The　day's　work　of　the　workman　is　double　or　three　times



greater　in　the　former　case　than　in　the　latter。　Attempts　to　regulate



dress　and　restrictions　on　luxury　have　destroyed　wholesome　emulation



in　the　large　masses　of　society；　and　have　merely　tended　to　the



increase　of　mental　and　bodily　idleness。



　　　　In　any　case　products　must　be　created　before　they　can　be



consumed；　and　thus　production　must　necessarily　generally　precede



consumption。　In　popular　and　national　practice；　however；　consumption



frequently　precedes　production。　Manufacturing　nations；　supported　by



large　capital　and　less　restricted　in　their　production　than　mere



agricultural　nations；　make；　as　a　rule；　advances　to　the　latter　on



the　yield　of　future　crops；　the　latter　thus　consume　before　they



produce　　they　produce　later　on　because　they　have　previously



consumed。　The　same　thing　manifests　itself　in　a　much　greater　degree



in　the　relation　between　town　and　country：　the　closer　the



manufacturer　is　to　the　agriculturist；　the　more　will　the　former



offer　to　the　latter　both　an　inducement　to　consume　and　means　for



consumption；　the　more　also　will　the　latter　feel　himself　stimulated



to　greater　production。



　　　　Among　the　most　potent　stimulants　are　those　a