labour defended against the claims of capital-第4章

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from　them　twice　a　day。　The　meat；　also；　which　the　labourer　eats　is
not　ready；　even　for　cooking；　till　it　is　on　the　shambles；　and　it
cannot　be　stored　up；　for　it　begins　instantly　to　deteriorate　after
it　is　brought　to　market。　The　cattle　which　are　to　be　slaughtered
require　the　same　sort　of　care　and　attention　as　cows；　and　not　one
particle　of　meat　could　the　cotton…spinner　ever　procure　were　not
the　farmer；　the　grazier　and　the　drover　continually　at　work；
preparing　meat　while　he　is　preparing　cotton。　But　after　the　meat
is　brought　to　market；　it　is　not　even　then　ready　for　consumption。
We　are　not　cannibals；　and　either　our　wives；　or　some　labourer　who
makes　this　his　business；　completes　the　preparation　of　the　meat
only　a　few　hours；　or　even　minutes；　before　it　is　eaten。　Of　the
drink　of　the　labourer；　that　which　is　supplied　by　nature　never
ceases　to　flow。　His　beer　is　prepared　only　so　long　before　it　is
drunk　as　is　necessary　to　have　it　good；　and；　while　the　existing
stock　is　disposing　of；　the　brewer　is　busy　creating　a　fresh
supply。　There　may　probably　be　as　much　tea　imported　at　one　time　as
serves　for　a　few　months；　and；　while　this　stock　is　consuming；
ships　are　continually　arriving　with　more。
　　　　　Now　as　to　clothing。　Some　labourers　buy　ready…made　clothes；
others　order　them　to　be　made　for　them。　There　is；　it　may　be
admitted；　a　small　stock　of　clothing　on　hand；　but　considering　what
enemies　moths　are　to　the　materials　of　which　it　is　made；　only　a
very　small　stock　is　ever　prepared。　The　materials　for　women's
garments　may　be　prepared　a　few　weeks　before　they　are　made　up；　but
the　garments　are　rarely　formed　till　they　are　actually　put　on。
　　　　　　Other　examples　might　be　brought　from　every　branch　of
industry；　if　it　were　necessary　to　examine　each　on　in　detail；　for
in　this　respect　every　labourer　is　similarly　situated。　The　farmer
knows　he　will　be　able　to　get　clothes　when　he　requires　them；　and
the　tailor　knows　he　will　be　able　to　get　food；　but　the　former
knows　nothing　of　any　stored…up　stock　of　clothes；　and　the　latter
nothing　of　any　stored…up　stock　of　provisions。　The　labourer　knows
that　when　he　is　able　to　pay　for　bread；　for　meat　and　for　drink　he
can　procure　them；　but　he　knows　nothing　further；　and　I　have　shown
that　these　are　not　prepared　till　he　needs　them。　As　far　as　food；
drink　and　clothing　are　concerned；　it　is　quite　plain；　then；　that
no　species　of　labourer　depends　on　any　previously　prepared　stock；
for　in　fact　no　such　stock　exists；　but　every　species　of　labourer
does　constantly；　and　at　all　times；　depend　for　his　supplies　on　the
co…existing　labour　of　some　other　labourers。
　　　　　　To　enable　either　the　master　manufacturer　or　the　labourer　to
devote　himself　to　any　particular　occupation；　it　is　only　necessary
that　he　should　possess　　not；　as　political　economists　say；　a
stock　of　commodities；　or　circulating　capital；　but　a　conviction
that　while　he　is　labouring　at　his　particular　occupation　the
things　which　he　does　not　produce　himself　will　be　provided　for
him；　and　that　he　will　be　able　to　procure　them　and　pay　for　them　by
the　produce　of　his　own　labour。　This　conviction　arises；　in　the
first　instance；　without　any　reflection　from　habit。　As　we　expect
that　the　sun　will　rise　tomorrow；　so　we　also　expect　that　men　in
all　time　to　come　will　be　actuated　by　the　same　motives　as　they
have　been　in　times　past。　If　we　push　our　inquiries　still　further；
all　that　we　can　learn　is；　that　there　are　other　men　in　existence
who　are　preparing　those　things　we　need；　while　we　are　preparing
those　which　they　need。　The　conviction　may；　perhaps；　ultimately　be
traced　them　to　our　knowledge　that　other　men　exist　and　labour；　but
never　to　any　conviction　or　knowledge　that　there　is　a　stored…up
stock　of　commodities。　It　is　labour　which　produces　all　things　as
they　are　wanted；　and　the　only　thing　which　can　be　said　to　be
stored　up　or　previously　prepared　is　the　skill　of　the　labourer。　If
the　skill　of　the　baker；　butcher；　grazier；　tailor；　weaver；　etc。；
was　not　previously　created　and　stored　up；　the　commodities　which
each　of　them　purchases　could　not　be　obtained；　but　where　that
skill　exists；　these　commodities　may　always　be　procured　when
wanted。
　　　　　We　may　suppose　that　the　operation　of　cotton…spinning　is
completed；　and　the　produce　brought　to　market；　so　as　to　be
exchanged　or　sold　within　a　year；　but　there　are　many　operations
which　are　not　completed　within　this　period；　and　if　it　be　true；　as
I　have　endeavoured　to　show；　that　there　is　not　stock　of　food　and
clothing　prepared；　even　for　those　labourers　whose　operations　are
completed　within　the　period　of　two　successive　harvests；　how　much
more　evident　must　this　truth　be　of　those　operations　which　are　not
completed　within　a　year？　All　the　labourers　engaged　in　them　have
to　rely　on　the　baker；　miller；　butcher；　etc。；　completing　their
part　of　the　social　task；　and　they　must　rely　on　the　farmer；　and
that　he　will　till　his　ground；　and　sow　it；　and　reap　the　harvest　of
the　following　year。　Mr　Mill　says　and　says　justly；　〃what　is
annually　produced　is　annually　consumed。〃　So　that；　in　fact；　to
enable　men　to　carry　on　all　those　operations　which　extend　beyond　a
year　there　cannot　be　any　stock　of　commodities　stored　up。　Those
who　undertake　them　must　rely；　therefore；　not　on　any　commodities
already　created；　but　that　other　men　will　labour　and　produce　what
they　are　to　subsist　on　till　their　own　products　are　completed。
Thus　should　the　labourer　admit　that　some　accumulation　of
circulating　capital　is　necessary　for　operations　terminated　within
the　year　　and　I　have　show　how　very　limited　that　admission　ought
to　be；　if　made　at　all　　it　is　plain　that　in　all　operations　which
extend　beyond　a　year　the　labourer　does　not；　and　he　cannot；　rely
on　accumulated　capital。
　　　　　The　operations　not　terminated　within　the　year　are　neither
few　nor　unimportant。　The　time　necessary　to　acquire　a　knowledge　of
any　species　of　skilled　labour；　so　as　to　practise　it　to　advantage；
which　includes　almost　every　art；　whether　it　create　wealth　or
merely　contribute　to　amusement　　the　time　necessary　to　perform
all　distant　voyages；　and　construct　most　of　the　canals；　roads；
harbours；　docks；　large　steam…engines　and　ships；　all　of　which　are
afterward　to　be　such　powerful　instruments　in　the　hands　of　the
labourer；　is　considerably　more　than　a　year；　and　is；　in　many
cases；　several　years。　All　those　who　set　about　such　undertakings
have　a　practical　conviction；　though　it　is　seldom　expressed；　that
while　they　are　teaching　the　rising　generation　skilled　labour；　and
instructing　their　children　in　the　useful　arts；　while　they　are
making　canals；　roads；　docks；　ships；　steam…engines；　etc。；　that　the
farmer　will　continue　to　grow　corn　and　the　miller　to　grind　it；
that　the　baker　will　make　it　into　bread；　the　grazier　will　fatten
his　cattle　and　the　butcher　slaughter　them　as　they　are　needed；
that　the　cotton　and　woollen　manufacturers　will　go　on　preparing
cloth　and　the　tailor　be　always　ready　to　make　it　up　for　them　into
clothes　whenever　it　is　ordered。　Beyond　this　conviction　they　have
nothing；　they　possess　no　stock　of　circulating　capital　themselves；
nor　do　the　persons　who　are　afterwards　to　supply　food　and　clothing
during　the　whole　time　such　undertakings　are　in　progress　possess
any　such　stock　at　the　moment　when　they　are　commenced。
　　　　　Of　all　the　important　operations　which　require　more　than　a
year　to　complete　them　　and　that　they　all　are　important；　as　far
as　the　production　of　wealth　is　concerned；　does　not　require　to　be
asserted　　by　far　the　most　important　is　the　rearing　of　youth　and
teaching　them　skilled　labour；　or　some　wealth…creating　art。　I　am
particularly　desirous　of　directing　the　reader's　attention　to　this
productive　operation；　because；　if　the　observations　I　have　already
made　be　correct；　all　the　effects　usually　attributed　to
accumulation　of　circulating　capital　are　derived　from　the
accumulation　and　storing　up　of　skilled　labour；　and　because　this
most　important　operation　is　performed；　as　far　as　the　great　mass
of　the　labourers　is　concerned；　without　any　circulating　capital
whatever。　The　labour　of　the　parents　produces　and　purchases；　with
what　they　receive　as　wages；　all　the　food　and　the　clothing　which
the　rising　generation　of　labourers　use　while　they　are　learning
those　arts　by　means　of　which　they　will　hereafter　produce　al