unto this last-第2章

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for　each　other；　and　that　if　the　master；　instead　of　endeavouring



to　get　as　much　work　as　possible　from　the　servant；　seeks　rather　to



render　his　appointed　and　necessary　work　beneficial　to　him；　and　to



forward　his　interests　in　all　just　and　wholesome　ways；　the　real



amount　of　work　ultimately　done；　or　of　good　rendered；　by　the



person　so　cared　for；　will　indeed　be　the　greatest　possible。



　　　　Observe；　I　say；　〃of　good　rendered；〃　for　a　servant's　work　is



not　necessarily　or　always　the　best　thing　he　can　give　his　master。



But　good　of　all　kinds；　whether　in　material　service；　in　protective



watchfulness　of　his　master's　interest　and　credit；　or　in　joyful



readiness　to　seize　unexpected　and　irregular　occasions　of　help。



　　　　Nor　is　this　one　whit　less　generally　true　because　indulgence



will　be　frequently　abused；　and　kindness　met　with　ingratitude。　For



the　servant　who；　gently　treated；　is　ungrateful；　treated　ungently；



will　be　revengeful；　and　the　man　who　is　dishonest　to　a　liberal



master　will　be　injurious　to　an　unjust　one。



　　　　In　any　case；　and　with　any　person；　this　unselfish　treatment



will　produce　the　most　effective　return。　Observe；　I　am　here



considering　the　affections　wholly　as　a　motive　power；　not　at　all



as　things　in　themselves　desirable　or　noble；　or　in　any　other　way



abstractedly　good。　I　look　at　them　simply　as　an　anomalous　force；



rendering　every　one　of　the　ordinary　political　economist's



calculations　nugatory；　while；　even　if　he　desired　to　introduce



this　new　element　into　his　estimates；　he　has　no　power　of　dealing



with　it；　for　the　affections　only　become　a　true　motive　power　when



they　ignore　every　other　motive　and　condition　of　political



economy。　Treat　the　servant　kindly；　with　the　idea　of　turning　his



gratitude　to　account；　and　you　will　get；　as　you　deserve；　no



gratitude；　nor　any　value　for　your　kindness；　but　treat　him　kindly



without　any　economical　purpose；　and　all　economical　purposes　will



be　answered；　in　this；　as　in　all　other　matters；　whosoever　will



save　his　life　shall　lose　it；　whoso　loses　it　shall　find　it。（1*）



　　　　The　next　clearest　and　simplest　example　of　relation　between



master　and　operative　is　that　which　exists　between　the　commander



of　a　regiment　and　his　men。



　　　　Supposing　the　officer　only　desires　to　apply　the　rules　of



discipline　so　as；　with　least　trouble　to　himself；　to　make　the



regiment　most　effective；　he　will　not　be　able；　by　any　rules　or



administration　of　rules；　on　this　selfish　principle；　to　develop



the　full　strength　of　his　subordinates。　If　a　man　of　sense　and



firmness；　he　may；　as　in　the　former　instance；　produce　a　better



result　than　would　be　obtained　by　the　irregular　kindness　of　a　weak



officer；　but　let　the　sense　and　firmness　be　the　same　in　both



cases；　and　assuredly　the　officer　who　has　the　most　direct　personal



relations　with　his　men；　the　most　care　for　their　interests；　and



the　most　value　for　their　lives；　will　develop　their　effective



strength；　through　their　affection　for　his　own　person；　and　trust



in　his　character；　to　a　degree　wholly　unattainable　by　other　means。



This　law　applies　still　more　stringently　as　the　numbers　concerned



are　larger：　a　charge　may　often　be　successful；　though　the　men



dislike　their　officers；　a　battle　has　rarely　been　won；　unless　they



loved　their　general。



　　　　Passing　from　these　simple　examples　to　the　more　complicated



relations　existing　between　a　manufacturer　and　his　workmen；　we　are



met　first　by　certain　curious　difficulties；　resulting；　apparently；



from　a　harder　and　colder　state　of　moral　elements。　It　is　easy　to



imagine　an　enthusiastic　affection　existing　among　soldiers　for　the



colonel。　Not　so　easy　to　imagine　an　enthusiastic　affection　among



cotton…spinners　for　the　proprietor　of　the　mill。　A　body　of　men



associated　for　purposes　of　robbery　（as　a　Highland　clan　in　ancient



times）　shall　be　animated　by　perfect　affection；　and　every　member



of　it　be　ready　to　lay　down　his　life　for　the　life　of　his　chief。



But　a　band　of　men　associated　for　purposes　of　legal　production　and



accumulation　is　usually　animated；　it　appears；　by　no　such



emotions；　and　none　of　them　are　in　any　wise　willing　to　give　his



life　for　the　life　of　his　chief。　Not　only　are　we　met　by　this



apparent　anomaly；　in　moral　matters；　but　by　others　connected　with



it；　in　administration　of　system。　For　a　servant　or　a　soldier　is



engaged　at　a　definite　rate　of　wages；　for　a　definite　period；　but　a



workman　at　a　rate　of　wages　variable　according　to　the　demand　for



labour；　and　with　the　risk　of　being　at　any　time　thrown　out　of　his



situation　by　chances　of　trade。　Now；　as；　under　these



contingencies；　no　action　of　the　affections　can　take　place；　but



only　an　explosive　action　of　disaffections；　two　points　offer



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