wealbk04-第9章

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value。

　　　　　The　produce　of　industry　is　what　it　adds　to　the　subject　or

materials　upon　which　it　is　employed。　In　proportion　as　the　value

of　this　produce　is　great　or　small；　so　will　likewise　be　the

profits　of　the　employer。　But　it　is　only　for　the　sake　of　profit

that　any　man　employs　a　capital　in　the　support　of　industry；　and　he

will　always；　therefore；　endeavour　to　employ　it　in　the　support　of

that　industry　of　which　the　produce　is　likely　to　be　of　the

greatest　value；　or　to　exchange　for　the　greatest　quantity　either

of　money　or　of　other　goods。

　　　　　But　the　annual　revenue　of　every　society　is　always　precisely

equal　to　the　exchangeable　value　of　the　whole　annual　produce　of

its　industry；　or　rather　is　precisely　the　same　thing　with　that

exchangeable　value。　As　every　individual；　therefore；　endeavours　as

much　as　he　can　both　to　employ　his　capital　in　the　support　of

domestic　industry；　and　so　to　direct　that　industry　that　its

produce　may　be　of　the　greatest　value；　every　individual

necessarily　labours　to　render　the　annual　revenue　of　the　society

as　great　as　he　can。　He　generally；　indeed；　neither　intends　to

promote　the　public　interest；　nor　knows　how　much　he　is　promoting

it。　By　preferring　the　support　of　domestic　to　that　of　foreign

industry；　he　intends　only　his　own　security；　and　by　directing　that

industry　in　such　a　manner　as　its　produce　may　be　of　the　greatest

value；　he　intends　only　his　own　gain；　and　he　is　in　this；　as　in

many　other　cases；　led　by　an　invisible　hand　to　promote　an　end

which　was　no　part　of　his　intention。　Nor　is　it　always　the　worse

for　the　society　that　it　was　no　part　of　it。　By　pursuing　his　own

interest　he　frequently　promotes　that　of　the　society　more

effectually　than　when　he　really　intends　to　promote　it。　I　have

never　known　much　good　done　by　those　who　affected　to　trade　for　the

public　good。　It　is　an　affectation；　indeed；　not　very　common　among

merchants；　and　very　few　words　need　be　employed　in　dissuading　them

from　it。

　　　　　What　is　the　species　of　domestic　industry　which　his　capital

can　employ；　and　of　which　the　produce　is　likely　to　be　of　the

greatest　value；　every　individual；　it　is　evident；　can；　in　his

local　situation；　judge　much　better　than　any　statesman　or　lawgiver

can　do　for　him。　The　statesman　who　should　attempt　to　direct

private　people　in　what　manner　they　ought　to　employ　their　capitals

would　not　only　load　himself　with　a　most　unnecessary　attention；

but　assume　an　authority　which　could　safely　be　trusted；　not　only

to　no　single　person；　but　to　no　council　or　senate　whatever；　and

which　would　nowhere　be　so　dangerous　as　in　the　hands　of　a　man　who

had　folly　and　presumption　enough　to　fancy　himself　fit　to　exercise

it。

　　　　　To　give　the　monopoly　of　the　home　market　to　the　produce　of

domestic　industry；　in　any　particular　art　or　manufacture；　is　in

some　measure　to　direct　private　people　in　what　manner　they　ought

to　employ　their　capitals；　and　must；　in　almost　all　cases；　be

either　a　useless　or　a　hurtful　regulation。　If　the　produce　of

domestic　can　be　brought　there　as　cheap　as　that　of　foreign

industry；　the　regulation　is　evidently　useless。　If　it　cannot；　it

must　generally　be　hurtful。　It　is　the　maxim　of　every　prudent

master　of　a　family　never　to　attempt　to　make　at　home　what　it　will

cost　him　more　to　make　than　to　buy。　The　tailor　does　not　attempt　to

make　his　own　shoes；　but　buys　them　of　the　shoemaker。　The　shoemaker

does　not　attempt　to　make　his　own　clothes；　but　employs　a　tailor。

The　farmer　attempts　to　make　neither　the　one　nor　the　other；　but

employs　those　different　artificers。　All　of　them　find　it　for　their

interest　to　employ　their　whole　industry　in　a　way　in　which　they

have　some　advantage　over　their　neighbours；　and　to　purchase　with　a

part　of　its　produce；　or　what　is　the　same　thing；　with　the　price　of

a　part　of　it；　whatever　else　they　have　occasion　for。

　　　　　What　is　prudence　in　the　conduct　of　every　private　family　can

scarce　be　folly　in　that　of　a　great　kingdom。　If　a　foreign　country

can　supply　us　with　a　commodity　cheaper　than　we　ourselves　can　make

it；　better　buy　it　of　them　with　some　part　of　the　produce　of　our

own　industry　employed　in　a　way　in　which　we　have　some　advantage。

The　general　industry　of　the　country；　being　always　in　proportion

to　the　capital　which　employs　it；　will　not　thereby　be　diminished；

no　more　than　that　of　the　above…mentioned　artificers；　but　only

left　to　find　out　the　way　in　which　it　can　be　employed　with　the

greatest　advantage。　It　is　certainly　not　employed　to　the　greatest

advantage　when　it　is　thus　directed　towards　an　object　which　it　can

buy　cheaper　than　it　can　make。　The　value　of　its　annual　produce　is

certainly　more　or　less　diminished　when　it　is　thus　turned　away

from　producing　commodities　evidently　of　more　value　than　the

commodity　which　it　is　directed　to　produce。　According　to　the

supposition；　that　commodity　could　be　purchased　from　foreign

countries　cheaper　than　it　can　be　made　at　home。　It　could；

therefore；　have　been　purchased　with　a　part　only　of　the

commodities；　or；　what　is　the　same　thing；　with　a　part　only　of　the

price　of　the　commodities；　which　the　industry　employed　by　an　equal

capital　would　have　produced　at　home；　had　it　been　left　to　follow

its　natural　course。　The　industry　of　the　country；　therefore；　is

thus　turned　away　from　a　more　to　a　less　advantageous　employment；

and　the　exchangeable　value　of　its　annual　produce；　instead　of

being　increased；　according　to　the　intention　of　the　lawgiver；　must

necessarily　be　diminished　by　every　such　regulation。

　　　　　By　means　of　such　regulations；　indeed；　a　particular

manufacture　may　sometimes　be　acquired　sooner　than　it　could　have

been　otherwise；　and　after　a　certain　time　may　be　made　at　home　as

cheap　or　cheaper　than　in　the　foreign　country。　But　though　the

industry　of　the　society　may　be　thus　carried　with　advantage　into　a

particular　channel　sooner　than　it　could　have　been　otherwise；　it

will　by　no　means　follow　that　the　sum　total；　either　of　its

industry；　or　of　its　revenue；　can　ever　be　augmented　by　any　such

regulation。　The　industry　of　the　society　can　augment　only　in

proportion　as　its　capital　augments；　and　its　capital　can　augment

only　in　proportion　to　what　can　be　gradually　saved　out　of　its

revenue。　But　the　immediate　effect　of　every　such　regulation　is　to

diminish　its　revenue；　and　what　diminishes　its　revenue　is

certainly　not　very　likely　to　augment　its　capital　faster　than　it

would　have　augmented　of　its　own　accord　had　both　capital　and

industry　been　left　to　find　out　their　natural　employments。

　　　　　Though　for　want　of　such　regulations　the　society　should　never

acquire　the　proposed　manufacture；　it　would　not；　upon　that

account；　necessarily　be　the　poorer　in　any　one　period　of　its

duration。　In　every　period　of　its　duration　its　whole　capital　and

industry　might　still　have　been　employed；　though　upon　different

objects；　in　the　manner　that　was　most　advantageous　at　the　time。　In

every　period　its　revenue　might　have　been　the　greatest　which　its

capital　could　afford；　and　both　capital　and　revenue　might　have

been　augmented　with　the　greatest　possible　rapidity。

　　　　　The　natural　advantages　which　one　country　has　over　another　in

producing　particular　commodities　are　sometimes　so　great　that　it

is　acknowledged　by　all　the　world　to　be　in　vain　to　struggle　with

them。　By　means　of　glasses；　hotbeds；　and　hot　walls；　very　good

grapes　can　be　raised　in　Scotland；　and　very　good　wine　too　can　be

made　of　them　at　about　thirty　times　the　expense　for　which　at　least

equally　good　can　be　brought　from　foreign　countries。　Would　it　be　a

reasonable　law　to　prohibit　the　importation　of　all　foreign　wines

merely　to　encourage　the　making　of　claret　and　burgundy　in

Scotland？　But　if　there　would　be　a　manifest　absurdity　in　turning

towards　any　employment　thirty　times　more　of　the　capital　and

industry　of　the　country　than　would　be　necessary　to　purchase　from

foreign　countries　an　equal　quantity　of　the　commodities　wanted；

there　must　be　an　absurdity；　though　not　altogether　so　glaring；　yet

exactly　of　the　same　kind；　in　turning　towards　any　such　employment

a　thirtieth；　or　even　a　three…hundredth　part　more　of　either。

Whether　the　advantages　which　one　country　has　over　another　be

natural　or　acquired　is　in　this　respe