JB_017_232.xml

Title: [1 Sept. 1801 Polit. Economy]

Description: 1 Sept. 1801

Polit. Economy

A 5

Method D

Method

Features

I. Sponte Acta

Encrease Card[?]

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But this supposes that the number of hands thus rendered superfluous with

/unnecessary in/ regard to the production of the given/standing/ quantity of

work are employ'd with the same degree of efficiency, or at any rate employ'd.

If not employ'd at all no encrease at all in the quantity of wealth will be

brought about by the encrease in the efficiency of the mass of labour which

continues to be employ'd: if employ'd but employ'd with a less degree of

efficiency, then the fresh quantity of wealth thus produced by the expelled

hands will fail of being equal to the quantity produced by the hands retained

hands, in a degree proportioned to what the degree of efficiency in the one case

wants of being equal to the degree of efficiency in the other.

If by means of the introduction of machinery, or improvement in the machinery in

use, a manufacturer of cloth (suppose) performs with one thousand hands employ'd

in the fabrication of the cloth in its several stages commencing at the raw

material a mass of work in the same[?] quantity and quality as that which before

the improvement required two thousand hands it might seem at first sight from

this statement that the natural effect of the

JB_017_234.xml

Title: [1 Sept. 1801 Polit. Economy]

Description: 1 Sept. 1801

Polit. Economy

A6

Method D

Features

I. Sponte Acta

Encrease Card[?]

4

{4}

29

{employ'd in the manufacture: twice the amount may be no exaggerated difference.

If then {to supersede /produce with/ the thousand hands out of the two thousand

employ'd in the manufacture} to produce by one thousand manufacturing hands the

quantity of work that before employ'd two thousand such hands is required the

constant employment of a hundred hands employ'd /engaged in different ways/ in

the production of the materials and workmanship of the machinery and these

hundred handicraft hands have double the wages of the manufacturing hands the

quantity of pecuniary capital employ'd not being encreased, the consequence is

that two hundred manufacturing hands must be put out of employ, and but one

hundred fresh hands brought into employ in the shape /capacity/ of handicraft

/mechanical/ hands.}

If the hands employ'd on the Machinery should be paid at a higher rate than the

hands employed in the Maffacture[?], his capital being the same after the

improvement as before the number of manufacturing hands would be still further

decreased on this account.

Conclusion /Hence it follows/ Encrease of wealth by saving of labour is not quite

so great as do by encrease of quantity of labour.

Opposition to machinery is well grounded, if no care be taken to produce

immediate employment for the discharged hands.

At first the temporary distress will outweigh the temporary enjoyment. But so

far as depends on encrease of wealth the encrease of enjoyment is perpetual.

JB_017_233.xml

Title: [1 Sept. 1801 Polit. Economy]

Description: 1 Sept. 1801

Polit. Economy

A6

Method

Features

I. Sponte Acta

Encrease Card[?]

3

{3}

28

improvement would be the retaining the same quantity of hands employ'd in that

branch of manufacture, and thence doubling the quantity of cloth manufactured in

the time. But without an addition to the mass of his pecuniary capital which is

a circumstance accidental and not belonging to the case the retaining of the

same number of hands so employ'd would in no instance be possible: For the

production and keeping up of the machinery or other auxiliary means would always

require a considerable quantity of labour, the payment of which would be

attended with a proportionable mass of expence, by which a proportionable part

of his capital would be absorbed.

{ If the hands employ'd in the machinery were paid at the same rate /a rate no

higher/ as the hands employ'd in the manufacture, including those employ'd in

the importation of the[?] wood[?] if it be imported, as well as in the putting

together the wood and other materials to form the machinery the number of hands

employ'd by the given capital would be the same after the improvement as before:

so many hands less as were employ'd in the manufacture, so many more would be

employ'd in the machinery. But this supposition is in fact scarce ever realized:

not only millwrights, but even ordinary carpenters and joiners will require

greater wages than are given to spinners, weavers, and other hands}