wealbk01-第25章

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and　the　wages　of　both　servants　and　journeymen　frequently　sink　in

dear　years。

　　　　　Masters　of　all　sorts；　therefore；　frequently　make　better

bargains　with　their　servants　in　dear　than　in　cheap　years；　and

find　them　more　humble　and　dependent　in　the　former　than　in　the

latter。　They　naturally；　therefore；　commend　the　former　as　more

favourable　to　industry。　Landlords　and　farmers；　besides；　two　of

the　largest　classes　of　masters；　have　another　reason　for　being

pleased　with　dear　years。　The　rents　of　the　one　and　the　profits　of

the　other　depend　very　much　upon　the　price　of　provisions。　Nothing

can　be　more　absurd；　however；　than　to　imagine　that　men　in　general

should　work　less　when　they　work　for　themselves；　than　when　they

work　for　other　people。　A　poor　independent　workman　will　generally

be　more　industrious　than　even　a　journeyman　who　works　by　the

piece。　The　one　enjoys　the　whole　produce　of　his　own　industry；　the

other　shares　it　with　his　master。　The　one；　in　his　separate

independent　state；　is　less　liable　to　the　temptations　of　bad

company；　which　in　large　manufactories　so　frequently　ruin　the

morals　of　the　other。　The　superiority　of　the　independent　workman

over　those　servants　who　are　hired　by　the　month　or　by　the　year；

and　whose　wages　and　maintenance　are　the　same　whether　they　do　much

or　do　little；　is　likely　to　be　still　greater。　Cheap　years　tend　to

increase　the　proportion　of　independent　workmen　to　journeymen　and

servants　of　all　kinds；　and　dear　years　to　diminish　it。

　　　　　A　French　author　of　great　knowledge　and　ingenuity；　Mr。

Messance；　receiver　of　the　taillies　in　the　election　of　St。

Etienne；　endeavours　to　show　that　the　poor　do　more　work　in　cheap

than　in　dear　years；　by　comparing　the　quantity　and　value　of　the

goods　made　upon　those　different　occasions　in　three　different

manufactures；　one　of　coarse　woollens　carried　on　at　Elbeuf；　one　of

linen；　and　another　of　silk；　both　which　extend　through　the　whole

generality　of　Rouen。　It　appears　from　his　account；　which　is　copied

from　the　registers　of　the　public　offices；　that　the　quantity　and

value　of　the　goods　made　in　all　those　three　manufactures　has

generally　been　greater　in　cheap　than　in　dear　years；　and　that　it

has　always　been　greatest　in　the　cheapest；　and　least　in　the

dearest　years。　All　the　three　seem　to　be　stationary　manufactures；

or　which；　though　their　produce　may　vary　somewhat　from　year　to

year；　are　upon　the　whole　neither　going　backwards　nor　forwards。

　　　　　The　manufacture　of　linen　in　Scotland；　and　that　of　coarse

woollens　in　the　West　Riding　of　Yorkshire；　are　growing

manufactures；　of　which　the　produce　is　generally；　though　with　some

variations；　increasing　both　in　quantity　and　value。　Upon

examining；　however；　the　accounts　which　have　been　published　of

their　annual　produce；　I　have　not　been　able　to　observe　that　its

variations　have　had　any　sensible　connection　with　the　dearness　or

cheapness　of　the　seasons。　In　1740；　a　year　of　great　scarcity；　both

manufactures；　indeed；　appear　to　have　declined　very　considerably。

But　in　1756；　another　year　of　great　scarcity；　the　Scotch

manufacture　made　more　than　ordinary　advances。　The　Yorkshire

manufacture；　indeed；　declined；　and　its　produce　did　not　rise　to

what　it　had　been　in　1755　till　1766；　after　the　repeal　of　the

American　Stamp　Act。　In　that　and　the　following　year　it　greatly

exceeded　what　it　had　ever　been　before；　and　it　has　continued　to

advance　ever　since。

　　　　　The　produce　of　all　great　manufactures　for　distant　sale　must

necessarily　depend；　not　so　much　upon　the　dearness　or　cheapness　of

the　seasons　in　the　countries　where　they　are　carried　on　as　upon

the　circumstances　which　affect　the　demand　in　the　countries　where

they　are　consumed；　upon　peace　or　war；　upon　the　prosperity　or

declension　of　other　rival　manufactures；　and　upon　the　good　or　bad

humour　of　their　principal　customers。　A　great　part　of　the

extraordinary　work；　besides；　which　is　probably　done　in　cheap

years；　never　enters　the　public　registers　of　manufactures。　The　men

servants　who　leave　their　masters　become　independent　labourers。

The　women　return　to　their　parents；　and　commonly　spin　in　order　to

make　clothes　for　themselves　and　their　families。　Even　the

independent　workmen　do　not　always　work　for　public　sale；　but　are

employed　by　some　of　their　neighbours　in　manufactures　for　family

use。　The　produce　of　their　labour；　therefore；　frequently　makes　no

figure　in　those　public　registers　of　which　the　records　are

sometimes　published　with　so　much　parade；　and　from　which　our

merchants　and　manufacturers　would　often　vainly　pretend　to

announce　the　prosperity　or　declension　of　the　greatest　empires。

　　　　　Though　the　variations　in　the　price　of　labour　not　only　do　not

always　correspond　with　those　in　the　price　of　provisions；　but　are

frequently　quite　opposite；　we　must　not；　upon　this　account；

imagine　that　the　price　of　provisions　has　no　influence　upon　that

of　labour。　The　money　price　of　labour　is　necessarily　regulated　by

two　circumstances；　the　demand　for　labour；　and　the　price　of　the

necessaries　and　conveniences　of　life。　The　demand　for　labour；

according　as　it　happens　to　be　increasing；　stationary；　or

declining；　or　to　require　an　increasing；　stationary；　or　declining

population；　determines　the　quantity　of　the　necessaries　and

conveniencies　of　life　which　must　be　given　to　the　labourer；　and

the　money　price　of　labour　is　determined　by　what　is　requisite　for

purchasing　this　quantity。　Though　the　money　price　of　labour；

therefore；　is　sometimes　high　where　the　price　of　provisions　is

low；　it　would　be　still　higher；　the　demand　continuing　the　same；　if

the　price　of　provisions　was　high。

　　　　　It　is　because　the　demand　for　labour　increases　in　years　of

sudden　and　extraordinary　plenty；　and　diminishes　in　those　of

sudden　and　extraordinary　scarcity；　that　the　money　price　of　labour

sometimes　rises　in　the　one　and　sinks　in　the　other。

　　　　　In　a　year　of　sudden　and　extraordinary　plenty；　there　are

funds　in　the　hands　of　many　of　the　employers　of　industry

sufficient　to　maintain　and　employ　a　greater　number　of　industrious

people　than　had　been　employed　the　year　before；　and　this

extraordinary　number　cannot　always　be　had。　Those　masters；

therefore；　who　want　more　workmen　bid　against　one　another；　in

order　to　get　them；　which　sometimes　raises　both　the　real　and　the

money　price　of　their　labour。

　　　　　The　contrary　of　this　happens　in　a　year　of　sudden　and

extraordinary　scarcity。　The　funds　destined　for　employing　industry

are　less　than　they　had　been　the　year　before。　A　considerable

number　of　people　are　thrown　out　of　employment；　who　bid　against

one　another；　in　order　to　get　it；　which　sometimes　lowers　both　the

real　and　the　money　price　of　labour。　In　1740；　a　year　of

extraordinary　scarcity；　many　people　were　willing　to　work　for　bare

subsistence。　In　the　succeeding　years　of　plenty；　it　was　more

difficult　to　get　labourers　and　servants。

　　　　　The　scarcity　of　a　dear　year；　by　diminishing　the　demand　for

labour；　tends　to　lower　its　price；　as　the　high　price　of　provisions

tends　to　raise　it。　The　plenty　of　a　cheap　year；　on　the　contrary；

by　increasing　the　demand；　tends　to　raise　the　price　of　labour；　as

the　cheapness　of　provisions　tends　to　lower　it。　In　the　ordinary

variations　of　the　price　of　provisions　those　two　opposite　causes

seem　to　counterbalance　one　another；　which　is　probably　in　part　the

reason　why　the　wages　of　labour　are　everywhere　so　much　more　steady

and　permanent　than　the　price　of　provisions。

　　　　　The　increase　in　the　wages　of　labour　necessarily　increases

the　price　of　many　commodities；　by　increasing　that　part　of　it

which　resolves　itself　into　wages；　and　so　far　tends　to　diminish

their　consumption　both　at　home　and　abroad。　The　same　cause；

however；　which　raises　the　wages　of　labour；　the　increase　of　stock；

tends　to　increase　its　productive　powers；　and　to　make　a　smaller

quantity　of　labour　produce　a　greater　quantity　of　work。　The　owner

of　the　stock　which　employs　a　great　number　of　labourers；

necessarily　endeavours；　for　his　own　advantage；　to　make　such　a

proper　division　and　distribution　of　employment　that　they　may　be