unto this last-第3章

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themselves　for　consideration　in　the　matter。



　　　　The　first　　How　far　the　rate　of　wages　may　be　so　regulated　as



not　to　vary　with　the　demand　for　labour。



　　　　The　second　　How　far　it　is　possible　that　bodies　of　workmen



may　be　engaged　and　maintained　at　such　fixed　rate　of　wages



（whatever　the　state　of　trade　may　be）；　without　enlarging　or



diminishing　their　number；　so　as　to　give　them　permanent　interest



in　the　establishment　with　which　they　are　connected；　like　that　of



the　domestic　servants　in　an　old　family；　or　an　esprit　de　corps；



like　that　of　the　soldiers　in　a　crack　regiment。



　　　　The　first　question　is；　I　say；　how　far　it　may　be　possible　to



fix　the　rate　of　wages；　irrespectively　of　the　demand　for　labour。



　　　　Perhaps　one　of　the　most　curious　facts　in　the　history　of　human



error　is　the　denial　by　the　common　political　economist　of　the



possibility　of　thus　regulating　wages；　while；　for　all　the



important；　and　much　of　the　unimportant；　labour；　on　the　earth；



wages　are　already　so　regulated。



　　　　We　do　not　sell　our　prime…ministership　by　Dutch　auction；　nor；



on　the　decease　of　a　bishop；　whatever　may　be　the　general



advantages　of　simony；　do　we　（yet）　offer　his　diocese　to　the



clergyman　who　will　take　the　episcopacy　at　the　lowest　contract。　We



（with　exquisite　sagacity　of　political　economy！）　do　indeed　sell



commissions；　but　not　openly；　generalships：　sick；　we　do　not



inquire　for　a　physician　who　takes　less　than　a　guinea；　litigious；



we　never　think　of　reducing　six…and…eight…pence　to



four…and…sixpence；　caught　in　a　shower；　we　do　not　canvass　the



cabmen；　to　find　one　who　values　his　driving　at　less　than　sixpence



a　mile。



　　　　It　is　true　that　in　all　these　cases　there　is；　and　in　every



conceivable　case　there　must　be；　ultimate　reference　to　the



presumed　difficulty　of　the　work；　or　number　of　candidates　for　the



office。　If　it　were　thought　that　the　labour　necessary　to　make　a



good　physician　would　be　gone　through　by　a　sufficient　number　of



students　with　the　prospect　of　only　half…guinea　fees；　public



consent　would　soon　withdraw　the　unnecessary　half…guinea。　In　this



ultimate　sense；　the　price　of　labour　is　indeed　always　regulated　by



the　demand　for　it；　but；　so　far　as　the　practical　and　immediate



administration　of　the　matter　is　regarded；　the　best　labour　always



has　been；　and　is；　as　all　labour　ought　to　be；　paid　by　an



invariable　standard。



　　　　〃What！〃　the　reader　perhaps　answers　amazedly：　〃pay　good　and



bad　workmen　alike？〃



　　　　Certainly。　The　difference　between　one　prelate's　sermons　and



his　successor's　　or　between　one　physician's　opinion　and



another's　　is　far　greater；　as　respects　the　qualities　of　mind



involved；　and　far　more　important　in　result　to　you　personally；



than　the　difference　between　good　and　bad　laying　of　bricks　（though



that　is　greater　than　most　people　suppose）。　Yet　you　pay　with　equal



fee；　contentedly；　the　good　and　bad　workmen　upon　your　soul；　and



the　good　and　bad　workmen　upon　your　body；　much　more　may　you　pay；



contentedly；　with　equal　fees；　the　good　and　bad　workmen　upon　your



house。



　　　　〃Nay；　but　I　choose　my　physician　and　（？）　my　clergyman；　thus



indicating　my　sense　of　the　quality　of　their　work。〃　By　all　means；



also；　choose　your　bricklayer；　that　is　the　proper　reward　of　the



good　workman；　to　be　〃chosen。〃　The　natural　and　right　system



respecting　all　labour　is；　that　it　should　be　paid　at　a　fixed　rate；



but　the　good　workman　employed；　and　the　bad　workman　unemployed。



The　false；　unnatural；　and　destructive　system　is　when　the　bad



workman　is　allowed　to　offer　his　work　at　half…price；　and　either



take　the　place　of　the　good；　or　force　him　by　his　competition　to



work　for　an　inadequate　sum。



　　　　This　equality　of　wages；　then；　being　the　first　object　toward



which　we　have　to　discover　the　directest　available　road；　the



second　is；　as　above　stated；　that　of　maintaining　constant　numbers



of　workmen　in　employment；　whatever　may　be　the　accidental　demand



for　the　article　they　produce。



　　　　I　believe　the　sudden　and　extensive　inequalities　of　demand；



which　necessarily　arise　in　the　mercantile　operations　of　an　active



nation；　constitute　the　only　essential　difficulty　which　has　to　be



overcome　in　a　just　organization　of　labour。　The　subject　opens　into



too　many　branches　to　admit　of　being　investigated　in　a　paper　of



this　kind；　but　the　following　general　facts　bearing　on　it　may　be



noted。



　　　　The　wages　which　enable　any　workman　to　live　are　necessarily



higher；　if　his　work　is　liable　to　intermission；　than　if　it　is



assured　and　continuous；　and　however　severe　the　struggle　for　work



may　become；　the　general　law　will　always　hold；　that　men　must　get



more　daily　pay　if；　on　the　average；　they　can　only　calculate　on



work　three　days　a　week　than　they　would　require　if　they　were　sure



of　work　six　days　a　week。　Supposing　that　a　man　cannot　live　on　less



than　a　shilling　a　day；　his　seven　shillings　he　must　get；　either



for　three　days'　violent　work；　or　six　days'　deliberate　work。　The



tendency　of　all　modern　mercantile　operations　is　to　throw　both



wages　and　trade　into　the　form　of　a　lottery；　and　to　make　the



workman's　pay　depend　on　intermittent　exertion；　and　the



principal's　profit　on　dexterously　used　chance。



　　　　In　what　partial　degree；　I　repeat；　this　may　be　necessary　in



consequence　of　the　activities　of　modern　trade；　I　do　not　here



investigate；　contenting　myself　with　the　fact；　that　in　its



fatalest　aspects　it　is　assuredly　unnecessary；　and　results　merely



from　love　of　gambling　on　the　part　of　the　masters；　and　from



ignorance　and　sensuality　in　the　men。　The　masters　cannot　bear　to



let　any　opportunity　of　gain　escape　them；　and　frantically　rush　at



every　gap　and　breach　in　the　walls　of　Fortune；　raging　to　be　rich；



and　affronting；　with　impatient　covetousness；　every　risk　of　ruin；



while　the　men　prefer　three　days　of　violent　labour；　and　three　days



of　drunkenness；　to　six　days　of　moderate　work　and　wise　rest。　There



is　no　way　in　which　a　principal；　who　really　desires　to　help　his



workmen；　may　do　it　more　effectually　than　by　checking　these



disorderly　habits　both　in　himself　and　them；　keeping　his　own



business　operations　on　a　scale　which　will　enable　him　to　pursue



them　securely；　not　yielding　to　temptations　of　precarious　gain；



and；　at　the　same　time；　leading　his　workmen　into　regular　habits　of



labour　and　life；　either　by　inducing　them　rather　to　take　low　wages



in　the　form　of　a　fixed　salary；　than　high　wages；　subject　to　the



chance　of　their　being　thrown　out　of　work；　or；　if　this　be



impossible；　by　discouraging　the　system　of　violent　exertion　for



nominally　high　day　wages；　and　leading　the　men　to　take　lower　pay



for　more　regular　labour。



　　　　In　effecting　any　radical　changes　of　this　kind；　doubtless



there　would　be　great　inconvenience　and　loss　incurred　by　all　the



originators　of　movement。　That　which　can　be　done　with　perfect



convenience　and　without　loss；　is　not　always　the　thing　that　most



needs　to　be　done；　or　which　we　are　most　imperatively　required　to



do。



　　　　I　have　already　alluded　to　the　difference　hitherto　existing



between　regiments　of　men　associated　for　purposes　of　violence；　and



for　purposes　of　manufacture；　in　that　the　former　appear　capable　of



self…sacrifice　　the　latter；　not；　which　singular　fact　is　the



real　reason　of　the　general　lowness　of　estimate　in　which　the



profession　of　commerce　is　held；　as　compared　with　that　of　arms。



Philosophically；　it　does　not；　at　first　sight；　appear　reasonable



（many　writers　have　endeavoured　to　prove　it　unreasonable）　that　a



peaceable　and　rational　person；　whose　trade　is　buying　and　selling；



should　be　held　in　less　honour　than　an　unpeaceable　and　often



irrational　person；　whose