wealbk01-第15章

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labourers；　therefore；　according　to　this　account；　must；　one　with

another；　attempt　to　rear　at　least　four　children；　in　order　that

two　may　have　an　equal　chance　of　living　to　that　age。　But　the

necessary　maintenance　of　four　children；　it　is　supposed；　may　be

nearly　equal　to　that　of　one　man。　The　labour　of　an　able…bodied

slave；　the　same　author　adds；　is　computed　to　be　worth　double　his

maintenance；　and　that　of　the　meanest　labourer；　he　thinks；　cannot

be　worth　less　than　that　of　an　ablebodied　slave。　Thus　far　at　least

seems　certain；　that；　in　order　to　bring　up　a　family；　the　labour　of

the　husband　and　wife　together　must；　even　in　the　lowest　species　of

common　labour；　be　able　to　earn　something　more　than　what　is

precisely　necessary　for　their　own　maintenance；　but　in　what

proportion；　whether　in　that　above　mentioned；　or　in　any　other；　I

shall　not　take　upon　me　to　determine。

　　　　　There　are　certain　circumstances；　however；　which　sometimes

give　the　labourers　an　advantage；　and　enable　them　to　raise　their

wages　considerably　above　this　rate；　evidently　the　lowest　which　is

consistent　with　common　humanity。

　　　　　When　in　any　country　the　demand　for　those　who　live　by　wages；

labourers；　journeymen；　servants　of　every　kind；　is　continually

increasing；　when　every　year　furnishes　employment　for　a　greater

number　than　had　been　employed　the　year　before；　the　workmen　have

no　occasion　to　combine　in　order　to　raise　their　wages。　The

scarcity　of　hands　occasions　a　competition　among　masters；　who　bid

against　one　another；　in　order　to　get　workmen；　and　thus

voluntarily　break　through　the　natural　combination　of　masters　not

to　raise　wages。

　　　　　The　demand　for　those　who　live　by　wages；　it　is　evident；

cannot　increase　but　in　proportion　to　the　increase　of　the　funds

which　are　destined　for　the　payment　of　wages。　These　funds　are　of

two　kinds；　first；　revenue　which　is　over　and　above　what　is

necessary　for　the　maintenance；　and；　secondly；　the　stock　which　is

over　and　above　what　is　necessary　for　the　employment　of　their

masters。

　　　　　When　the　landlord；　annuitant；　or　monied　man；　has　a　greater

revenue　than　what　he　judges　sufficient　to　maintain　his　own

family；　he　employs　either　the　whole　or　a　part　of　the　surplus　in

maintaining　one　or　more　menial　servants。　Increase　this　surplus；

and　he　will　naturally　increase　the　number　of　those　servants。

　　　　　When　an　independent　workman；　such　as　a　weaver　or　shoemaker；

has　got　more　stock　than　what　is　sufficient　to　purchase　the

materials　of　his　own　work；　and　to　maintain　himself　till　he　can

dispose　of　it；　he　naturally　employs　one　or　more　journeymen　with

the　surplus；　in　order　to　make　a　profit　by　their　work。　Increase

this　surplus；　and　he　will　naturally　increase　the　number　of　his

journeymen。

　　　　　The　demand　for　those　who　live　by　wages；　therefore；

necessarily　increases　with　the　increase　of　the　revenue　and　stock

of　every　country；　and　cannot　possibly　increase　without　it。　The

increase　of　revenue　and　stock　is　the　increase　of　national　wealth。

The　demand　for　those　who　live　by　wages；　therefore；　naturally

increases　with　the　increase　of　national　wealth；　and　cannot

possibly　increase　without　it。

　　　　　It　is　not　the　actual　greatness　of　national　wealth；　but　its

continual　increase；　which　occasions　a　rise　in　the　wages　of

labour。　It　is　not；　accordingly；　in　the　richest　countries；　but　in

the　most　thriving；　or　in　those　which　are　growing　rich　the

fastest；　that　the　wages　of　labour　are　highest。　England　is

certainly；　in　the　present　times；　a　much　richer　country　than　any

part　of　North　America。　The　wages　of　labour；　however；　are　much

higher　in　North　America　than　in　any　part　of　England。　In　the

province　of　New　York；　common　labourers　earn　three　shillings　and

sixpence　currency；　equal　to　two　shillings　sterling；　a　day；　ship

carpenters；　ten　shillings　and　sixpence　currency；　with　a　pint　of

rum　worth　sixpence　sterling；　equal　in　all　to　six　shillings　and

sixpence　sterling；　house　carpenters　and　bricklayers；　eight

shillings　currency；　equal　to　four　shillings　and　sixpence

sterling；　journeymen　tailors；　five　shillings　currency；　equal　to

about　two　shillings　and　tenpence　sterling。　These　prices　are　all

above　the　London　price；　and　wages　are　said　to　be　as　high　in　the

other　colonies　as　in　New　York。　The　price　of　provisions　is

everywhere　in　North　America　much　lower　than　in　England。　A　dearth

has　never　been　known　there。　In　the　worst　seasons　they　have　always

had　a　sufficiency　for　themselves；　though　less　for　exportation。　If

the　money　price　of　labour；　therefore；　be　higher　than　it　is

anywhere　in　the　mother　country；　its　real　price；　the　real　command

of　the　necessaries　and　conveniencies　of　life　which　it　conveys　to

the　labourer　must　be　higher　in　a　still　greater　proportion。

　　　　　But　though　North　America　is　not　yet　so　rich　as　England；　it

is　much　more　thriving；　and　advancing　with　much　greater　rapidity

to　the　further　acquisition　of　riches。　The　most　decisive　mark　of

the　prosperity　of　any　country　is　the　increase　of　the　number　of

its　inhabitants。　In　Great　Britain；　and　most　other　European

countries；　they　are　not　supposed　to　double　in　less　than　five

hundred　years。　In　the　British　colonies　in　North　America；　it　has

been　found　that　they　double　in　twenty　or　five…and…twenty　years。

Nor　in　the　present　times　is　this　increase　principally　owing　to

the　continual　importation　of　new　inhabitants；　but　to　the　great

multiplication　of　the　species。　Those　who　live　to　old　age；　it　is

said；　frequently　see　there　from　fifty　to　a　hundred；　and　sometimes

many　more；　descendants　from　their　own　body。　Labour　is　there　so

well　rewarded　that　a　numerous　family　of　children；　instead　of

being　a　burthen；　is　a　source　of　opulence　and　prosperity　to　the

parents。　The　labour　of　each　child；　before　it　can　leave　their

house；　is　computed　to　be　worth　a　hundred　pounds　clear　gain　to

them。　A　young　widow　with　four　or　five　young　children；　who；　among

the　middling　or　inferior　ranks　of　people　in　Europe；　would　have　so

little　chance　for　a　second　husband；　is　there　frequently　courted

as　a　sort　of　fortune。　The　value　of　children　is　the　greatest　of

all　encouragements　to　marriage。　We　cannot；　therefore；　wonder　that

the　people　in　North　America　should　generally　marry　very　young。

Notwithstanding　the　great　increase　occasioned　by　such　early

marriages；　there　is　a　continual　complaint　of　the　scarcity　of

hands　in　North　America。　The　demand　for　labourers；　the　funds

destined　for　maintaining　them；　increase；　it　seems；　still　faster

than　they　can　find　labourers　to　employ。

　　　　　Though　the　wealth　of　a　country　should　be　very　great；　yet　if

it　has　been　long　stationary；　we　must　not　expect　to　find　the　wages

of　labour　very　high　in　it。　The　funds　destined　for　the　payment　of

wages；　the　revenue　and　stock　of　its　inhabitants；　may　be　of　the

greatest　extent；　but　if　they　have　continued　for　several　centuries

of　the　same；　or　very　nearly　of　the　same　extent；　the　number　of

labourers　employed　every　year　could　easily　supply；　and　even　more

than　supply；　the　number　wanted　the　following　year。　There　could

seldom　be　any　scarcity　of　hands；　nor　could　the　masters　be　obliged

to　bid　against　one　another　in　order　to　get　them。　The　hands；　on

the　contrary；　would；　in　this　case；　naturally　multiply　beyond

their　employment。　There　would　be　a　constant　scarcity　of

employment；　and　the　labourers　would　be　obliged　to　bid　against　one

another　in　order　to　get　it。　If　in　such　a　country　the　wages　of

labour　had　ever　been　more　than　sufficient　to　maintain　the

labourer；　and　to　enable　him　to　bring　up　a　family；　the　competition

of　the　labourers　and　the　interest　of　the　masters　would　soon

reduce　them　to　this　lowest　rate　which　is　consistent　with　common

humanity。　China　has　been　long　one　of　the　richest；　that　is；　one　of

the　most　fertile；　best　cultivated；　most　industrious；　and　most

populous　countries　in　world。　It　seems；　however；　to　have　been　long

stationary。　Marco　Polo；　who　visited　it　more　than　five　hundred

years　ago；　describes　its　cultivation；　industry；　and　populousness；

almost　in　the　same　terms　in　which　they　are　described　by

travellers　in　the　present　times。　It　had　perhaps；　even　long　before

his　time；　acquired　that　full　complement　of　riches　which　the

nature　of　its　laws　and　institutions　permits　it　to　acquire。　The

accounts　of　all　travellers；　inconsistent　in　many　other　respects；

agree　in　the　low　wages　of　labour；　and　in　the　difficulty　which　a

labourer　finds　in　bringing　up　a　family　in　China。　If　by　digging

the　ground　a　whole　day　he　can　get　what　will　purchase　a　small

quantity　of　rice　in　the　evening；　he　is　contented。　The　condition

of　artificers　is；　if　possible；　still　worse。　Instead　of　waiting

indolently　in　their　workhouses；　for　the　calls　of　their　customers；

as　in　Europe；　they　are　continually　running　about　the　streets　with

the　tools　of　their　respective　trades；　offering　their　service；　and

as　it　were　begging　employment。　The　poverty　of　the　lower　ranks　of

people　in　China　far　surpasses　that　of　the　most　beggarly　nations

in　Europe。　In　the　neighbourhood　of　Canton　many　hundred；　it　is

commonly　said；　many　thousand　families　have　no　habitation　on　the

land；　but　live　constantly　in　little　fishing　boats　upon　the　rivers

and　canals。　The　subsistence　which　they　find　there　is　so　scanty

that　they　are　eager　to　fish　up　the　nastiest　garbage　thrown

overboard　from　any　European　ship。　Any　carrion；　the　carcase　of　a

dead　dog　or　cat；　for　example；　though　half　putrid　and　stinking；　is

as　welcome　to　them　as　the　most　wholesome　food　to　the　people　of

other　countries。　Marriage　is　encouraged　in　China；　not　by　the

profitableness　of　children；　but　by　the　liberty　of　destroying

them。　In　all　great　towns　several　are　every　night　exposed　in　the

street；　or　drowned　like　puppies　in　the　water。　The　performance　of

this　horrid　office　is　even　said　to　be　the　avowed　business　by

which　some　people　earn　their　subsistence。

　　　　　China；　however；　though　it　may　perhaps　stand　still；　does　not

seem　to　go　backwards。　Its　towns　are　nowhere　deserted　by　their

inhabitants。　The　lands　which　had　once　been　cultivated　are　nowhere

neglected。　The　same　or　very　nearly　the　same　annual　labour　must

therefore　continue　to　be　performed；　and　the　funds　destined　for

maintaining　it　must　not；　consequently；　be　sensibly　diminished。

The　lowest　class　of　labourers；　therefore；　notwithstanding　their

scanty　subsistence；　must　some　way　or　another　make　shift　to

continue　their　race　so　far　as　to　keep　up　their　usual　numbers。

　　　　　But　it　would　be　otherwise　in　a　country　where　the　funds

destined　for　the　maintenance　of　labour　were　sensibly　decaying。

Every　year　the　demand　for　servants　and　labourers　would；　in　all

the　different　classes　of　employments；　be　less　than　it　had　been

the　year　before。　Many　who　had　been　bred　in　the　superior　classes；

not　being　able　to　find　employment　in　their　own　business；　would　be

glad　to　seek　it　in　the　lowest。　The　lowest　class　being　not　only

overstocked　with　its　own　workmen；　but　with　the　overflowings　of

all　the　other　classes；　the　competition　for　employment　would　be　so

great　in　it；　as　to　reduce　the　wages　of　labour　to