the vested interests and the common man-第8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！


and　free　bargaining　as　it　works　out　in　corporation　finance；　this　
margin　of　net　product　has　come　to　rest　upon　productive　industry　
as　an　overhead　charge　payable　to　anonymous　outsiders　who　own　the　
corporation　securities。　
　　　　There　need　be　no　question　of　the　equity　of　this　arrangement；　
as　between　the　men　at　work　in　the　industries　and　the　
beneficiaries　to　whom　the　overhead　charge　is　payable。　At　least　
there　is　no　intention　here　to　question　the　equity　of　it；　or　to　
defend　the　arrangement　against　any　question　that　may　be　brought。　
It　is　also　to　be　remarked　that　the　whole　arrangement　has　this　
appearance　of　gratuitous　handicap　and　hardship　only　when　it　is　
looked　at　from　the　crude　ground　level　of　tangible　performance。　
When　seen　in　the　dry　light　of　the　old　and　honest　principles　of　
self…help　and　equal　opportunity；　as　understood　by　the　substantial　
and　well…meaning　citizens；　it　all　casts　no　shadow　of　iniquity　or　
inexpediency。　
　　　　So；　without　prejudice　to　any　ulterior　question　which　may　be　
harbored　by　one　and　another；　the　question　which　is　here　had　in　
mind　is　quite　simply　as　to　the　production　of　this　disposable　
margin　of　net　product　over　human　cost。　And　to　pass　muster　today；　
any　attempted　answer　will　be　required　to　meet　that　exacting　and　
often　inconvenient　insistence　on　palpable　fact　which　is　of　the　
essence　of　the　new　order　of　knowledge　and　belief。　It　is　necessary　
to　reach　an　understanding　of　these　things　in　terms　of　tangible　
performance；　in　such　terms　as　are　germane　to　that　new　order　of　
knowledge　and　belief　out　of　which　the　perplexity　arises；　rather　
than　in　those　terms　of　equitable　imputation　that　lie　at　the　root　
of　the　certified　economic　doctrines　and　of　corporation　finance。　
　　　　These　relevant　facts　are　neither　particularly　obscure　nor　
particularly　elusive；　only；　they　have　had　little　attention　in　the　
argument　of　economists　and　politicians。　Still　less　in　the　
speculations　of　the　captains　of　finance。　The　partition　of　incomes　
has　always　been　more　easily　understood　by　these　
practically…minded　persons；　and　it　is　also　a　more　engrossing　
subject　of　argumentation　than　the　production　of　goods。　This　would　
be　particularly　true　for　these　economists　and　politicians；　who　
are　imbued　with　that　legalistic　spirit　which　pervades　the　modern　
point　of　view　and　all　its　votaries。　
　　　　But　it　is　known　to　all；　even　to　the　most　safely　guarded　
persons　who　do　not　come　in　contact　with　industry　or　production；　
or　even　with　the　products　of　the　staple　industries；　that　industry　
at　large　will　always　turn　out　something　in　the　way　of　a　net　
margin　of　product　over　human　cost；　　over　human　effort　and　
necessary　consumption。　It　holds　true　as　far　back　as　the　records　
have　anything　to　say。　It　is　evidently　a　question　of　the　
productivity　of　the　industrial　arts。　Men　at　work　turn　out　a　net　
product　because　they　know　how　and　are　interested　in　doing　it；　and　
their　output　is　limited　by　the　industrial　methods　which　they　have　
the　use　of。　But　the　output　is　limited　in　such　a　way　that　it　
always　exceeds　the　cost　by　more　or　less；　barring　accident。　By　and　
large；　throughout　past　time　the　industrial　arts　have　been　gaining　
in　efficiency；　and　the　ordinary　margin　of　net　product　over　cost　
has　consequently　gone　on　widening。　This　is　much　of　the　meaning　of　
〃an　advance　in　the　industrial　arts。〃　
　　　　In　an　earlier　time；　by　law　and　custom；　the　net　margin　of　
product　habitually　went　to　a　master　class；　so…called；　as　the　
〃earnings〃　or　the　due　emoluments　of　their　mastery　over　those　
industrious　classes　who　carried　forward　and　gave　effect　to　the　
state　of　the　industrial　arts　as　known　in　their　time。　By　virtue　of　
their　mastery　and　its　incorporation　in　the　institutions　of　the　
time；　they　had　an　equitable；　and　effectual；　vested　interest　in　
the　net　product　of　the　community's　industry；　and　by　virtue　of　the　
same　settled　principles　of　law　and　custom　it　was　for　them　to　see　
to　the　due　consumption　of　any　such　net　product　above　cost。　In　
later　times；　and　particularly　in　modern　times　and　in　the　
civilised　countries；　those　immemorial　principles　of　privilege　
equitably　vested　in　the　master　class　have　fallen　into　discredit　
as　being　not　sufficiently　grounded　in　fact；　so　that　mastery　and　
servitude　are　disallowed　and　have　disappeared　from　the　range　of　
legitimate　institutions。　The　enlightened　principles　of　self…help　
and　personal　equality　do　not　tolerate　these　things。　However；　they　
do　tolerate　free　income　from　investments。　Indeed；　the　most　
consistent　and　most　reputable　votaries　of　the　modern　point　of　
view　commonly　subsist　on　such　income。　
　　　　Ever　since　these　enlightened　principles　of　the　modern　point　
of　view　were　first　installed　in　the　eighteenth　century　as　the　
self…evident　rule　of　reason　in　civilised　life；　the　industrial　
arts　have　also　continued　to　gain　in　productive　efficiency；　at　an　
ever…accelerated　rate　of　gain；　so　that　today　the　industrial　
methods　of　the　machine　era　are　highly　productive；　beyond　any　
earlier　state　of　the　industrial　arts　or　anything　that　is　known　
outside　the　range　of　this　new　order　of　industry。　The　output　of　
this　industrial　system　yields　a　wider　margin　of　net　product　over　
cost　than　has　ever　been　obtainable　by　any　other　or　earlier　known　
method　of　work。　It　consequently　affords　ground　for　an　uncommonly　
substantial　vested　interest　in　this　disposable　net　margin。　
　　　　But　the　industrial　system　of　the　new　order　will　work　at　the　
high　rate　of　efficiency　of　which　it　is　capable；　only　under　
suitable　conditions。　It　is　a　comprehensive　system　of　
interdependent　working　parts；　organised　on　a　large　scale　and　with　
an　exacting　articulation　of　parts；　　works；　mills；　railways；　
shipping；　groups　and　lines　of　industrial　establishments；　all　
working　together　on　a　somewhat　delicately　balanced　plan　of　mutual　
give　and　take。　No　one　member　or　section　of　this　system　is　a　
self…sufficient　industrial　enterprise；　even　if　it　is　true　that　no　
one　member　is　strictly　dependent　on　any　other　one。　Indeed；　no　one　
member　or　section；　group　or　line　of　industrial　establishments；　in　
this　industrial　universe　of　the　new　order；　is　a　productive　factor　
at　all；　except　as　it　fits　into　and　duly　gives　and　takes　its　share　
in　the　work　of　the　system　as　a　whole。　Such　exceptions　to　this　
rule　of　interlocking　processes　as　may　appear　on　first　
examination；　are　likely　to　prove　exceptions　in　appearance　only。　
They　are　chiefly　the　backward　trades　and　occupations　which　have　
not　had　the　benefit　of　the　Industrial　Revolution　and　do　not　
belong　under　the　new；　mechanistic　order　of　industry；　or　they　are　
trades；　occupations　and　works　devoted　to　the　consumption　of　goods　
or　to　the　maintenance　of　the　rules　governing　the　distribution　and　
consumption　of　wealth；　as；　for　instance；　banking；　menial　service；　
police　service　and　the　apparatus　of　the　law；　the　learned　
professions　and　the　fine　arts。　
　　　　It　is　also　of　the　essence　of　this　industrial　system　and　its　
technology　that　it　necessarily　involves　the　industrial　community　
as　a　whole；　its　working　population　and　its　material　resources；　
and　the　measure　of　its　successful　operation　is　determined　by　the　
effectual　team…work　of　its　constituent　parts。　And　the　industrial　
system　of　the　new　order　is　drawn　on　a　large　scale　and　rests　on　a　
comprehensive　specialisation　of　processes　and　standardisation　of　
output；　so　that　the　〃community〃　which　is　required　for　the　
necessary　team…work　is　necessarily　a　large　community；　larger　than　
the　total　population　and　resources　that　would　have　served　the　
like　purpose　under　any　earlier　state　of　the　industrial　arts；　at　
the　same　time　that　the　needed　coordination　of　processes　is　also　
wider　and　more　delicately　balanced　than　ever　before。　Indeed；　the　
〃industrial　community〃　of　the　new　order　is　always　and　necessarily　
larger　than　any　existing　national　unit。　The　ramification　of　give　
and　take　under　the　new　industrial　system　invariably　overlaps　the　
national　frontiers；　among　all　those　peoples　who　occupy　what　would　
be　called　an　〃advanced〃　place　in　industry。　The　system；　and　
therefore　the　industrial　community　engaged　in　team…work　under　
this　system；　is　drawn　on　cosmopolitan　or　international　lines；　
both　in　respect　of　the　body　of　technological　knowledge　which　is　
turned　to　account　and　in　respect　of　the　range　and　volume　of　
materials　necessary　to　be　used　according　to　this　new　order　in　
productive　industry。　
　　　　Evidently　the　total　output　of　product　turned　out　under　this　
industrial　system；　the　〃annual　production；〃　to　use　Adam　Smith's　
phrase；　or　the　〃annual　dividend；〃　to　use　a　phrase　taken　from　
later　usage；　　this　total　output　is　the　output　of　the　total　
community　working　together　as　a　balanced　organisation　of　
industrial　forces　engaged　in　a　moving　equilibrium　of　production。　
No　part　or　fraction　of　the　community　is　a　productive　factor　in　
its　own　right　and　taken　by　itself；　since　no　work　can　be　done　by　
any　segment　of　the　community　in　isolation　from　the　rest；　no　one　
plant　or　works　would　be　a　producer　in　the　absence　of　all　the　
rest。　The　total　product　is　the　product　of　the　total　community's　
work；　or　rather　it　is　the　product　of　the　work　of　that　fraction　of　
the　people　who　are　employed　in　productive　work；　which　is　not　
quite　the　same　thing；　since　there　is　much　work　spent　on　the　
consumption　of　goods；　and　on　ways　and　means　for　such　consumption；　
as　well　as　on　their　production。　
　　　　Indeed；　it　is　by　no　means　certain　that　there　is　not　more　
time；　strain　and　ingenuity　spent　on　the　consumption　of　goods　than　
on　their　production。　Apart　from　sports；　menial　service；　
fashionable　dress　and　equipage；　pet　animals　and　mandatory　social　
amenities；　there　would　also　have　to　be　included　under　the　ways　
and　means　of　consumption　virtually　all　that　goes　into　
salesmanship　and　advertising。　Virtually　all　of　these　things　have　
to　do　with　the　organised　consumption　of　goods；　and　virtually　all　
are　therefore　to　be　written　off　as　waste　motion；　so　far　as　
regards　their　effect　on　the　net　productive　efficiency　of　the　
industrial　community；　or　of　the　industrial　system　whose　tissues　
are　consumed　in　enterprise　of　that　kind。　The　amount　which　is　to　
be　written　off　as　consumptive　waste　in　this　way　is　approximately　
the　same　as　the　net　margin　of　product　over　cost；　and　according　to　
the　enlightened　principles　of　self…help　and　equal　opportunity；　as　
these　principles　work　out　under　the　new　order　of　industry；　it　is　
for　the　investors　to　take　care　of　this　consumptive　waste　and　to　
see　that　no　unconsumed　residue　is　left　over　to　cumber　the　market　
and　produce　a　glut。　
　　　　Evidently；　too；　the　amount　of　the　annual　production　depends　
on　the　state　of　the　industrial　arts　which　the　working　population　
has　the　use　of　for　the　time　being；　which　is　in　the　main　a　matter　
of　technological　knowledge　and　popular　education。　So　that　the　
question　of　productivity　and　net　productivity　may　be　stated　in　
general　terms　to　the　following　effect：　The　possible　or　potential　
productive　capacity　of　any　given　community；　having　the　disposal　
of　a　given　complement　of　man　power　and　material　resources；　is　a　
matter　of　the　state　of　the　industrial　arts；　the　technological　
knowledge；　which　the　community　has　the　use　of。　This　sets　the　
limit；　determines　the　〃maximum〃　productio