list2-第39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！


of　their　business　and　abundant　means　to　sell　on　credit　for　years　to



come　in　the　future；　if　it　is　required　to　acquire　the　control　of　a



foreign　market。　If　we　enumerate　and　consider　these　advantages　one



after　another；　we　may　easily　be　convinced　that　in　competition　with



such　a　power　it　is　simply　foolish　to　rest　our　hopes　on　the



operation　of　'the　natural　course　of　things'　under　free　competition；



where；　as　in　our　case；　workmen　and　technical　men　have　in　the　first



place　yet　to　be　trained；　where　the　manufacture　of　machinery　and



proper　means　of　transport　are　merely　in　course　of　erection；　where



even　the　home　market　is　not　secured　to　the　manufacturer　　not　to



mention　any　important　export　market；　where　the　credit　that　the



manufacturer　can　obtain　is　under　the　most　fortunate　circumstances



limited　to　the　lowest　point；　where　no　man　can　be　certain　even　for



a　day　that；　in　consequence　of　English　commercial　crises　and　bank



operations；　masses　of　foreign　goods　may　not　be　thrown　on　the　home



market　at　prices　which　scarcely　recoup　the　value　of　the　raw



materials　of　which　they　are　made；　and　which　bring　to　a　stand　for



years　the　progress　of　our　own　manufacturing　industries。



　　　　It　would　be　in　vain　for　such　nations　to　resign　themselves　to　a



state　of　perpetual　subordination　to　the　English　manufacturing



supremacy；　and　content　themselves　with　the　modest　determination　to



supply　it　with　what　it　may　not　be　able　to　produce　for　itself　or　to



procure　elsewhere。　Even　by　this　subordination　they　will　find　no



permanent　benefit。　What　benefit　is　it　to　the　people　of　the　United



States；　for　instance；　that　they　sacrifice　the　welfare　of　their



finest　and　most　cultivated　states；　the　states　of　free　labour；　and



perhaps　their　entire　future　national　greatness；　for　the　advantage



of　supplying　England　with　raw　cotton？　Do　they　thereby　restrict　the



endeavours　of　England　to　procure　this　material　from　other　districts



of　the　world？　In　vain　would　the　Germans　be　content　to　obtain　their



requirements　of　manufactured　goods　from　England　in　exchange　for



their　fine　sheep's　wool；　they　would　by　such　a　policy　hardly　prevent



Australia　from　flooding　all　Europe　with　fine　wool　in　the　course　of



the　next　twenty　years。



　　　　Such　a　condition　of　dependence　appears　still　more　deplorable



when　we　consider　that　such　nations　lose　in　times　of　war　their　means



of　selling　their　agricultural　products；　and　thereby　the　means　of



purchasing　the　manufacturing　products　of　the　foreigner。　At　such



times　all　economical　considerations　and　systems　are　thrust　into　the



background。　It　is　the　principle　of　self…maintenance；　of



self…defence；　which　counsels　the　nations　to　work　up　their



agricultural　products　themselves；　and　to　dispense　with　the



manufactured　goods　of　the　enemy。　Whatever　losses　may　be　involved　in



adopting　such　a　war…prohibitive　system；　cannot　be　taken　into



account　during　such　a　state　of　things。　However　great　the　exertions



and　the　sacrifices　may　have　been　by　which　the　agricultural　nation



during　the　time　of　war　has　called　into　existence　manufactures　and



works；　the　competition　of　the　manufacturing　supremacy　which　sets　in



on　the　recurrence　of　peace　will　again　destroy　all　these　creations



of　the　times　of　necessity。　In　short；　it　is　an　eternal　alternation



of　erecting　and　destroying；　of　prosperity　and　calamity　which　those



nations　have　to　undergo　who　do　not　strive　to　insure；　through



realisation　of　their　national　division　of　labour　and　through　the



confederation　of　their　own　powers　of　production；　the　benefits　of



the　continuation　of　their　own　industries　from　generation　to



generation。







Chapter　25







The　Manufacturing　Power　and　the　Inducement　to　Production　and



Consumption







　　　　In　society　man　is　not　merely　productive　owing　to　the



circumstance　that　he　directly　brings　forth　products　or　creates



powers　of　production；　but　he　also　becomes　productive　by　creating



inducements　to　production　and　to　consumption；　or　to　the　formation



of　productive　powers。



　　　　The　artist　by　his　works　acts　in　the　first　place　on　the



ennobling　and　refinement　of　the　human　spirit　and　on　the　productive



power　of　society；　but　inasmuch　as　the　enjoyment　of　art　presupposes



the　possession　of　those　material　means　whereby　it　must　be



purchased；　the　artist　also　offers　inducements　to　material



production　and　to　thrift。



　　　　Books　and　newspapers　act　on　the　mental　and　material　production



by　giving　information；　but　their　acquisition　costs　money；　and　so



far　the　enjoyment　which　they　afford　is　also　an　inducement　to



material　production。



　　　　The　education　of　youth　ennobles　society；　but　what　great



exertions　do　parents　make　to　obtain　the　means　of　giving　their



children　a　good　education！



　　　　What　immense　performances　in　both　mental　and　material



production　arise　out　of　the　endeavour　to　move　in　better　society！



　　　　We　can　live　as　well　in　a　house　made　of　boards　as　in　a　villa；　we



can　protect　ourselves　for　a　few　florins　against　rain　and　cold　as



well　as　by　means　of　the　finest　and　most　elegant　clothing。　Ornaments



and　utensils　of　gold　and　silver　add　no　more　to　comfort　than　those



of　iron　and　tin；　but　the　distinction　connected　with　the　possession



of　the　former　acts　as　an　inducement　to　exertions　of　the　body　and



the　mind；　and　to　order　and　thrift；　and　to　such　inducements　society



owes　a　large　part　of　its　productiveness。　Even　the　man　living　on　his



private　property　who　merely　occupies　himself　with　preserving；



increasing；　and　consuming　his　income；　acts　in　manifold　ways　on



mental　and　material　production　：　firstly；　by　supporting　through　his



consumption　art　and　science；　and　artistic　trades；　next；　by



discharging；　as　it　were；　the　function　of　a　preserver　and　augmenter



of　the　material　capital　of　society；　finally；　by　inciting　through



his　display　all　other　classes　of　society　to　emulation。　As　a　whole



school　is　encouraged　to　exertions　by　the　offer　of　prizes；　although



only　a　few　become　winners　of　the　principal　prizes；　so　does　the



possession　of　large　property；　and　the　appearance　and　display



connected　with　it；　act　on　civil　society。　This　action　of　course



ceases　when　the　great　property　is　the　fruit　of　usurpation；　of



extortion；　or　fraud；　or　where　the　possession　of　it　and　the



enjoyment　of　its　fruits　cannot　be　openly　displayed。



　　　　Manufacturing　production　yields　either　productive　instruments



or　the　means　of　satisfying　the　necessities　of　life　and　the　means　of



display。　The　last　two　advantages　are　frequently　combined。　The



various　ranks　of　society　are　everywhere　distinguished　by　the　manner



in　which　and　where　they　live；　and　how　they　are　furnished　and



clothed；　by　the　costliness　of　their　equipages　and　the　quality；



number；　and　external　appearance　of　their　servants。　Where　the



commercial　production　is　on　a　low　scale；　this　distinction　is　but



slight；　i。e。　almost　all　people　live　badly　and　are　poorly　clothed；



emulation　is　nowhere　observable。　It　originates　and　increases



according　to　the　ratio　in　which　industries　flourish。　In　flourishing



manufacturing　countries　almost　everyone　lives　and　dresses　well；



although　in　the　quality　of　manufactured　goods　which　are　consumed



the　most　manifold　degrees　of　difference　take　place。　No　one　who



feels　that　he　has　any　power　in　him　to　work　is　willing　to　appear



outwardly　needy。　Manufacturing　industry；　therefore；　furthers



production　by　the　community　by　means　of　inducements　which



agriculture；　with　its　mean　domestic　manufacture；　its　productions　of



raw　materials　and　provisions；　cannot　offer。



　　　　There　is　of　course　an　important　difference　between　various



modes　of　living；　and　everyone　feels　some　inducement　to　eat　and



drink　well；　but　we　do　not　dine　in　public；　and　a　German　proverb　says



strikingly；　'Man　sieht　mir　auf　den　Kragen；　nicht　auf　den　Magen'



（One　looks　at　my　shirt　collar；　not　at　my　stomach）。　If　we　are



accustomed　from　youth　to　rough　and　simple　fare；　we　seldom　wish　for



better。　The　consumption　of　provisions　also　is　restricted　to　very



narrow　limits　where　it　is　confined　to　articles　produced　in　the



immediate　neighbourhood。　These　limits　are　extended　in　countries　of



temperate　climate；　in　the　first　instance；　by　procuring　the　products



of　tropical　climates。　But　as　respects　the　quantity　and　the　quality



of　these　products；　in　the　enjoyment　of　which　the　whole　population



of　a　country　can　participate；　they　can　only　be　procured　（as　we　have



shown　in　a　former　chapter）　by　means　of　foreign　commerce　in



manufactured　goods。



　　　　Colonial　products；　so　far　as　they　do　not　consist　of　raw



materials　for　manufacturing　purposes；　evidently　act　more　as



stimulants　than　necessary　means　of　subsistence。　No　one　will　deny



that　barley　coffee　without　sugar　is　as　nutritious　as　mocha　coffee



with　sugar；　and　admitting　also　that　these　products　contain　some



nutritious　matter；　their　value　in　this　respect　is　nevertheless　so



unimportant　that　they　can　scarcely　be　considered　as　substitutes　for



native　provisions。　With　regard　to　spices　and　tobacco；　they　are



certainly　mere　stimulants；　i。e。　they　chiefly　produce　a　useful



effect　on　society　only　so　far　as　they　augment　the　enjoyments　of　the



masses；　and　incite　them　to　mental　and　bodily　labour。



　　　　In　many　countries　very　erroneous　notions　prevail　among　those



who　live　by　salaries　or　rents；　respecting　what　they　are　accustomed



to　call　the　luxurious　habits　of　the　lower　classes；　such　persons　are



shocked　to　observe　that　labourers　drink　coffee　with　sugar；　and



regret　the　times　when　they　were　satisfied　with　gruel；　they　deplore



that　the　peasant　has　exchanged　his　poor　clothing　of　coarse　homespun



for　woollen　cloth；　they　express　fears　that　the　maid…servant　will



soon　not　be　distinguishable　from　the　lady　of　the　house；　they　praise



the　legal　restrictions　on　dress　of　previous　centuries。　But　if　we



compare　the　result　of　the　labour　of　the　workman　in　countries　where



he　is　clad　and　nourished　like　the　well…to…do　man　with　the　result　of



his　labour　where　he　has　to　be　satisfied　with　the　coarsest　food　and



clothing；　we　shall　find　that　the　increase　of　his　comfort　in　the



former　case　has　been　attained　not　at　the　expense　of　the　general



welfare；　but　to　the　advantage　of　the　productive　powers　of　the



community。　The　day's　work　of　the　workman　is　double　or　three　times



greater　in　the　former　case　than　in　the　latter。　Attempts　to　regulate



dress　and　restrictions　on　luxury　have　destroyed　wholesome　emulation



in　the　large　masses　of　society；　and　have　merely　tended　to