wealbk01-第2章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



different　branch　of　the　work　employs　so　great　a　number　of　workmen

that　it　is　impossible　to　collect　them　all　into　the　same

workhouse。　We　can　seldom　see　more；　at　one　time；　than　those

employed　in　one　single　branch。　Though　in　such　manufactures；

therefore；　the　work　may　really　be　divided　into　a　much　greater

number　of　parts　than　in　those　of　a　more　trifling　nature；　the

division　is　not　near　so　obvious；　and　has　accordingly　been　much

less　observed。

　　　　　To　take　an　example；　therefore；　from　a　very　trifling

manufacture；　but　one　in　which　the　division　of　labour　has　been

very　often　taken　notice　of；　the　trade　of　the　pin…maker；　a　workman

not　educated　to　this　business　（which　the　division　of　labour　has

rendered　a　distinct　trade）；　nor　acquainted　with　the　use　of　the

machinery　employed　in　it　（to　the　invention　of　which　the　same

division　of　labour　has　probably　given　occasion）；　could　scarce；

perhaps；　with　his　utmost　industry；　make　one　pin　in　a　day；　and

certainly　could　not　make　twenty。　But　in　the　way　in　which　this

business　is　now　carried　on；　not　only　the　whole　work　is　a　peculiar

trade；　but　it　is　divided　into　a　number　of　branches；　of　which　the

greater　part　are　likewise　peculiar　trades。　One　man　draws　out　the

wire；　another　straights　it；　a　third　cuts　it；　a　fourth　points　it；

a　fifth　grinds　it　at　the　top　for　receiving；　the　head；　to　make　the

head　requires　two　or　three　distinct　operations；　to　put　it　on　is　a

peculiar　business；　to　whiten　the　pins　is　another；　it　is　even　a

trade　by　itself　to　put　them　into　the　paper；　and　the　important

business　of　making　a　pin　is；　in　this　manner；　divided　into　about

eighteen　distinct　operations；　which；　in　some　manufactories；　are

all　performed　by　distinct　hands；　though　in　others　the　same　man

will　sometimes　perform　two　or　three　of　them。　I　have　seen　a　small

manufactory　of　this　kind　where　ten　men　only　were　employed；　and

where　some　of　them　consequently　performed　two　or　three　distinct

operations。　But　though　they　were　very　poor；　and　therefore　but

indifferently　accommodated　with　the　necessary　machinery；　they

could；　when　they　exerted　themselves；　make　among　them　about　twelve

pounds　of　pins　in　a　day。　There　are　in　a　pound　upwards　of　four

thousand　pins　of　a　middling　size。　Those　ten　persons；　therefore；

could　make　among　them　upwards　of　forty…eight　thousand　pins　in　a

day。　Each　person；　therefore；　making　a　tenth　part　of　forty…eight

thousand　pins；　might　be　considered　as　making　four　thousand　eight

hundred　pins　in　a　day。　But　if　they　had　all　wrought　separately　and

independently；　and　without　any　of　them　having　been　educated　to

this　peculiar　business；　they　certainly　could　not　each　of　them

have　made　twenty；　perhaps　not　one　pin　in　a　day；　that　is；

certainly；　not　the　two　hundred　and　fortieth；　perhaps　not　the　four

thousand　eight　hundredth　part　of　what　they　are　at　present　capable

of　performing；　in　consequence　of　a　proper　division　and

combination　of　their　different　operations。

　　　　　In　every　other　art　and　manufacture；　the　effects　of　the

division　of　labour　are　similar　to　what　they　are　in　this　very

trifling　one；　though；　in　many　of　them；　the　labour　can　neither　be

so　much　subdivided；　nor　reduced　to　so　great　a　simplicity　of

operation。　The　division　of　labour；　however；　so　far　as　it　can　be

introduced；　occasions；　in　every　art；　a　proportionable　increase　of

the　productive　powers　of　labour。　The　separation　of　different

trades　and　employments　from　one　another　seems　to　have　taken　place

in　consequence　of　this　advantage。　This　separation；　too；　is

generally　called　furthest　in　those　countries　which　enjoy　the

highest　degree　of　industry　and　improvement；　what　is　the　work　of

one　man　in　a　rude　state　of　society　being　generally　that　of

several　in　an　improved　one。　In　every　improved　society；　the　farmer

is　generally　nothing　but　a　farmer；　the　manufacturer；　nothing　but

a　manufacturer。　The　labour；　too；　which　is　necessary　to　produce

any　one　complete　manufacture　is　almost　always　divided　among　a

great　number　of　hands。　How　many　different　trades　are　employed　in

each　branch　of　the　linen　and　woollen　manufactures　from　the

growers　of　the　flax　and　the　wool；　to　the　bleachers　and　smoothers

of　the　linen；　or　to　the　dyers　and　dressers　of　the　cloth！　The

nature　of　agriculture；　indeed；　does　not　admit　of　so　many

subdivisions　of　labour；　nor　of　so　complete　a　separation　of　one

business　from　another；　as　manufactures。　It　is　impossible　to

separate　so　entirely　the　business　of　the　grazier　from　that　of　the

corn…farmer　as　the　trade　of　the　carpenter　is　commonly　separated

from　that　of　the　smith。　The　spinner　is　almost　always　a　distinct

person　from　the　weaver；　but　the　ploughman；　the　harrower；　the

sower　of　the　seed；　and　the　reaper　of　the　corn；　are　often　the

same。　The　occasions　for　those　different　sorts　of　labour　returning

with　the　different　seasons　of　the　year；　it　is　impossible　that　one

man　should　be　constantly　employed　in　any　one　of　them。　This

impossibility　of　making　so　complete　and　entire　a　separation　of

all　the　different　branches　of　labour　employed　in　agriculture　is

perhaps　the　reason　why　the　improvement　of　the　productive　powers

of　labour　in　this　art　does　not　always　keep　pace　with　their

improvement　in　manufactures。　The　most　opulent　nations；　indeed；

generally　excel　all　their　neighbours　in　agriculture　as　well　as　in

manufactures；　but　they　are　commonly　more　distinguished　by　their

superiority　in　the　latter　than　in　the　former。　Their　lands　are　in

general　better　cultivated；　and　having　more　labour　and　expense

bestowed　upon　them；　produce　more　in　proportion　to　the　extent　and

natural　fertility　of　the　ground。　But　this　superiority　of　produce

is　seldom　much　more　than　in　proportion　to　the　superiority　of

labour　and　expense。　In　agriculture；　the　labour　of　the　rich

country　is　not　always　much　more　productive　than　that　of　the　poor；

or；　at　least；　it　is　never　so　much　more　productive　as　it　commonly

is　in　manufactures。　The　corn　of　the　rich　country；　therefore；　will

not　always；　in　the　same　degree　of　goodness；　come　cheaper　to

market　than　that　of　the　poor。　The　corn　of　Poland；　in　the　same

degree　of　goodness；　is　as　cheap　as　that　of　France；

notwithstanding　the　superior　opulence　and　improvement　of　the

latter　country。　The　corn　of　France　is；　in　the　corn　provinces；

fully　as　good；　and　in　most　years　nearly　about　the　same　price　with

the　corn　of　England；　though；　in　opulence　and　improvement；　France

is　perhaps　inferior　to　England。　The　corn…lands　of　England；

however；　are　better　cultivated　than　those　of　France；　and　the

corn…lands　of　France　are　said　to　be　much　better　cultivated　than

those　of　Poland。　But　though　the　poor　country；　notwithstanding　the

inferiority　of　its　cultivation；　can；　in　some　measure；　rival　the

rich　in　the　cheapness　and　goodness　of　its　corn；　it　can　pretend　to

no　such　competition　in　its　manufactures；　at　least　if　those

manufactures　suit　the　soil；　climate；　and　situation　of　the　rich

country。　The　silks　of　France　are　better　and　cheaper　than　those　of

England；　because　the　silk　manufacture；　at　least　under　the　present

high　duties　upon　the　importation　of　raw　silk；　does　not　so　well

suit　the　climate　of　England　as　that　of　France。　But　the　hardware

and　the　coarse　woollens　of　England　are　beyond　all　comparison

superior　to　those　of　France；　and　much　cheaper　too　in　the　same

degree　of　goodness。　In　Poland　there　are　said　to　be　scarce　any

manufactures　of　any　kind；　a　few　of　those　coarser　household

manufactures　excepted；　without　which　no　country　can　well　subsist。

　　　　　This　great　increase　of　the　quantity　of　work　which；　in

consequence　of　the　division　of　labour；　the　same　number　of　people

are　capable　of　performing；　is　owing　to　three　different

circumstances；　first；　to　the　increase　of　dexterity　in　every

particular　workman；　secondly；　to　the　saving　of　the　time　which　is

commonly　lost　in　passing　from　one　species　of　work　to　another；　and

lastly；　to　the　invention　of　a　great　number　of　machines　which

facilitate　and　abridge　labour；　and　enable　one　man　to　do　the　work

of　many。

　　　　　First；　the　improvement　of　the　dexterity　of　the　workman