第 9 节
作者:乐乐陶陶      更新:2023-05-17 13:23      字数:9322
  which labour is directed; determines its productive powers。 I
  therefore would caution my fellow labourers not to limit the term
  labour to the operations of the hands。
  Before many of our most useful machines and instruments
  could be invented; a vast deal of knowledge gathered in the
  progress of the world by many generations was necessary。 At
  present also a great number of persons possessed of different
  kinds of knowledge and skill must combine and cooperate; although
  they have never entered into any express contract for this
  purpose; before many of our most powerful machines can be
  completed and before thy can be used。 The labour of the
  draughtsman is as necessary to construct a ship as the labour of
  the man who fastens her planks together。 The labour of the
  engineer; who 〃in his mind's eye〃 sees the effect of every
  contrivance; and who adapts the parts of a complicated machine to
  each other; is as necessary to the completion of that machine as
  the man who casts or fits any part of it; without being sensible
  of the purpose for which the whole is to serve。 In like manner
  the labour and the knowledge of many different persons must be
  combined before almost any product intended for consumption can
  be brought to market。 The knowledge and skill of the master
  manufacturer; or of the man who plans and arranges a productive
  operation; who must know the state of the markets and the
  qualities of different materials; and who has some tact in buying
  and selling; are just as necessary for the complete success of
  any complicated operation as the skill of the workmen whose hands
  actually alter the shape and fashion of these materials。 Far be
  it; therefore; from the manual labourer; while he claims the
  reward due to his own productive powers; to deny its appropriate
  reward to any other species of labour; whether it be of the head
  or the hands。 The labour and skill of the contriver; or of the
  man who arranges an adapts a whole; are as necessary as the
  labour and skill of him who executes only a part; and they must
  be paid accordingly。
  I must; however; add that it is doubtful whether one species
  of labour is more valuable than another; certainly it is not more
  necessary。 But because those who have been masters。 Planners;
  contrivers; etc。; have in general also been capitalists; and have
  also had a command over the labour of those who have worked with
  their hands; their labour has been paid as much too high as
  common labour has been under paid。 The wages of the master;
  employer or contriver has been blended with the profit of the
  capitalists; and he may probably be still disposed to claim the
  whole as only the proper reward of his exertions。 On the other
  hand; manual labourers; oppressed by the capitalist; have never
  been paid high enough; and even now are more disposed to estimate
  their own deserts rather by what they have hitherto received than
  by what they produce。 This sort of prejudice makes it; and will
  long make it; difficult even for labourers themselves to
  apportion with justice the social reward or wages of each
  individual labourer。 No statesman can accomplish this; nor ought
  the labourers to allow any statesman to interfere in it。 The
  labour is theirs; the produce ought to be theirs; and they alone
  ought to decide how much each deserves of the produce all。 While
  each labourer claims his own reward; let him cheerfully allow the
  just claims of every other labourer; but let him never assent to
  the strange doctrine that the food he eats and the instruments he
  uses; which are the work of his own hands; become endowed; by
  merely changing proprietors; with productive power greater than
  his; and that the owner of them is entitled to a more abundant
  reward than the labour; skill and knowledge which produce and use
  them。
  Masters; it is evident; are labourers as well as their
  journeymen。 In this character their interest is precisely the
  same as that of their men。 But they are also either capitalist;
  or the agents of the capitalist; and in this respect their
  interest is decidedly opposed to the interest of their workmen。
  As the contrivers and enterprising undertakers of new works; they
  may be called employers as well as labourers; and they deserve
  the respect of the labourer。 As capitalist; and as the agents of
  he capitalist; they are merely middlemen; oppressing the
  labourer; and deserving of anything but his respect。 The labourer
  should know and bear this in mind。 Other people should also
  remember it; for it is indispensable to correct reasoning to
  distinguish between these two characters of all masters。 If by
  combining the journeymen were to drive masters; who are a useful
  class of labourers; out of the country; if they were to force
  abroad the skill and ingenuity which contrive; severing them from
  the hands which execute; they would do themselves and the
  remaining inhabitants considerable mischief。 If; on the contrary;
  by combining they merely incapacitate the masters from obtaining
  any profit on their capital; and merely prevent them from
  completing the engagements they have contracted with the
  capitalist; they will do themselves and the country incalculable
  service。 They may reduce or destroy altogether the profit of the
  idle capitalist  and from the manner in which capitalists have
  treated labourers; even within our own recollection; they have no
  claim on the gratitude of the labourer  but they will augment
  the wages and rewards of industry; and will give to genius and
  skill their due share of the national produce。 They will also
  increase prodigiously the productive power of the country by
  increasing the number of skilled labourers。 The most successful
  and widest spread possible combination to obtain an augmentation
  of wages would have no other injurious effect than to reduce the
  incomes of those who live on profit and interest; and who have no
  just claim but custom to any share of the national produce。
  It has indeed been said by some sapient legislators; both
  Lords and Commoners; that the journeymen will do themselves
  incalculable mischief by driving capital out of the country; and
  one of the reasons urged for the new law was that it would
  prevent the journeymen injuring themselves。 Whenever the devil
  wants to do mischief he assumes the garb of holiness; and
  whenever a certain class of persons wish to commit a more than
  usually flagrant violation of justice it is always done in the
  name of humanity。 If the labourers are disposed blindly to injure
  themselves I see no reason for the legislature interfering to
  prevent them; except as a farmer watches over the health of his
  cattle; or a West India planter looks after the negroes because
  they are his property; and bring him a large profit。 The
  journeymen; however; know their own interest better than it is
  known to the legislator; and they would be all the richer if
  there were not an idle capitalist in the country。 I shall not
  enter into any investigation of the origin of this opinion that
  the workmen will injure themselves by driving away capital; but
  it would not be difficult to show that it springs from the false
  theory I have opposed; and that it is based on a narrow
  experience。 Because there are a few instances of political and
  religious persecution; driving both masters and journeymen; or a
  large quantity of national stock of skilled labour; from
  different countries; greatly; I admit; to the injury; and justly
  so; of the remaining inhabitants who permitted or practised this
  persecution; it has been asserted that this injury was caused by
  the banishment; not of the men but of the capital; and it being;
  therefore; now concluded that the proceedings of the workmen will
  in like manner banish capital from this country it has been
  affirmed that they will injure both themselves and the rest of
  the inhabitants。 But they carry on neither political nor
  religious persecution; and it is somewhat preposterous in the
  race of politicians; by way; perhaps; of throwing a veil over
  their own crimes; to attribute to the actions of the workmen the
  same consequences as have been produced by some of the absurd and
  cruel proceedings of their own class。 If the workmen do not
  frighten away the skill of the contriver and the master  and
  where can that be put to so good a use as where there are plenty
  of skilful hands  and even if they should; the wide spread of
  education among the mechanics and artisans will soon repair the
  loss; they will frighten away no other part of the national
  advantages。 The merest tyro in political economy knows that the
  capitalist cannot export any great quantity of food; clothing and
  machines from this country; nor even the gold and silver which
  forms the current coin of the realm; to any advantage; either he
  must bring back an equivalent; which returns him a profit when
  consumed here; or he must carry with him those skilled labourers
  who have hitherto produced him his profit as they have consumed
  his food and used his instruments and machines。 There is not a
  political injury on the one hand and both masters and workmen on
  the other; but on the one side is the labourer and on the other
  the capitalist; and however successful the workmen m