labour defended against the claims of capital-第3部分

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undertake；　but；　beyond　this；　no　capitalist　possesses　ready
prepared　the　commodities　which　his　labourers　require。　He
possesses　money；　he　possesses　credit　with　other　capitalists；　he
possesses；　under　the　sanction　of　the　law；　a　power　over　the　labour
of　the　slave…descended　labourer；　but　he　does　not　possess　food　or
clothing。　He　pays　the　labourer　his　money　wages；　and　the
expectation　which　other　labourers　have　of　receiving　part　of　these
wages　or　other　wages；　induces　them　in　the　meantime　to　prepare　the
clothing　and　food　the　labourer　constantly　requires。　Not　to　deal；
however；　in　general　terms　and　abstractions；　doing　which　seems　to
have　led　other　writers　astray；　let　us　descend　to　particulars。
　　　　　A　great　cotton　manufacturer；　we　suppose；　for　example；　a　Sir
Robert　Peel；　or　any　other　of　those　leviathans　who　are　so　anxious
to　retain　their　power　over　us；　and　who；　as　legislators；　either　in
their　own　persons　or　in　the　persons　of　their　sons；　make　the　laws
which　both　calumniate　and　oppress　us；　employs　a　thousand　persons；
whom　he　pays　weekly：　does　he　possess　the　food　and　clothing　ready
prepared　which　these　persons　purchase　and　consume　daily？　Does　he
even　know　whether　the　food　and　clothing　they　receive　are　prepared
and　created？　In　fact；　are　the　food　and　clothing　which　his
labourers　will　consume　prepared　beforehand；　or　are　other
labourers　busily　employed　in　preparing　food　and　clothing　while
his　labourers　are　making　cotton　yarn？　Do　all　the　capitalists　of
Europe　possess　at　this　moment　one　week's　food　and　clothing　for
all　the　labourers　they　employ？
　　　　　Let　us　first　examine　the　question　as　to　food。　One　portion　of
the　food　of　the　people　is　BREAD；　which　is　never　prepared　till
within　a　few　hours　of　the　time　when　it　is　eaten。　The　corn　of
which　the　bread　is　made　must；　of　course；　have　been　grown；　or　one
part　of　the　whole　operation；　and　that　the　longest　part　　that
between　saving　the　seed　and　harvesting　the　ripe　grain；　which　is
necessary　to　the　complete　preparation　of　the　food；　has　been
performed；　but　the　corn　has　afterward　to　be　thrashed；　ground；
sifted；　brought　to　market　and　made　into　bread。　For　the
cotton…spinner　to　be　able　to　attend　only　to　his　peculiar　species
of　industry；　it　is　indispensable　that　other　men　should　be
constantly　engaged　in　completing　this　complicated　process；　every
part　of　it　being　as　necessary　as　the　part　performed　by　the
agriculturist。　The　produce　of　several　of　the　labourers
particularly　of　the　baker；　cannot　be　stored　up。　In　no　case　can
the　material　of　bread；　whether　it　exist　as　corn　or　flour；　be
preserved　without　continual　labour。　The　employer　of　the　working
cotton…spinner　can　have　no　bread　stored　up；　for　there　is　none
prepared；　the　labouring　cotton…spinner　himself　knows　nothing　of
any　stock　of　corn　being　in　existence　from　which　his　bread　can　be
made；　he　knows　that　he　has　always　been　able　to　get　bread　when　he
had　wherewithal　to　buy　it；　and　further　he　does　not　require　to
know。　But　even　if　he　did　know　of　such　a　stock；　he　would　probably
give　up　cotton…spinning　and　take　to　preparing　food；　if　he　did　not
also　know　that　while　he　is　making　cotton　other　labourers　will
till　the　ground；　and　prepare　him　food；　which　he　will　be　able　to
procure　by　making　cotton。　His　conviction　that　he　will　obtain
bread　when　he　requires　it；　and　his　master's　conviction　that　the
money　he　pays　will　enable　him　to　obtain　it；　arise　simply　from　the
fact　that　the　bread　has　always　been　obtained　when　required。
　　　　　Another　article　of　the　labourer's　food　is　milk；　and　milk　is
manufactured；　not　to　speak　irreverently　of　the　operations　of
nature；　twice　a　day。　If　it　be　said　that　the　cattle　to　supply　it
are　already　there　　why；　the　answer　is；　they　require　constant
attention　and　constant　labour；　and　their　food；　through　the
greater　part　of　the　year；　is　of　daily　growth。　The　fields　in　which
they　pasture　require　the　hand　of　man；　and；　though　some　herds　be
drilled　into　the　habits　of　obedience　more　perfect　and　certainly
more　pleasing　to　see　than　the　obedience　of　soldiers；　yet　even
they　require　perpetual　attention；　and　their　milk　must　be　drawn
from　them　twice　a　day。　The　meat；　also；　which　the　labourer　eats　is
not　ready；　even　for　cooking；　till　it　is　on　the　shambles；　and　it
cannot　be　stored　up；　for　it　begins　instantly　to　deteriorate　after
it　is　brought　to　market。　The　cattle　which　are　to　be　slaughtered
require　the　same　sort　of　care　and　attention　as　cows；　and　not　one
particle　of　meat　could　the　cotton…spinner　ever　procure　were　not
the　farmer；　the　grazier　and　the　drover　continually　at　work；
preparing　meat　while　he　is　preparing　cotton。　But　after　the　meat
is　brought　to　market；　it　is　not　even　then　ready　for　consumption。
We　are　not　cannibals；　and　either　our　wives；　or　some　labourer　who
makes　this　his　business；　completes　the　preparation　of　the　meat
only　a　few　hours；　or　even　minutes；　before　it　is　eaten。　Of　the
drink　of　the　labourer；　that　which　is　supplied　by　nature　never
ceases　to　flow。　His　beer　is　prepared　only　so　long　before　it　is
drunk　as　is　necessary　to　have　it　good；　and；　while　the　existing
stock　is　disposing　of；　the　brewer　is　busy　creating　a　fresh
supply。　There　may　probably　be　as　much　tea　imported　at　one　time　as
serves　for　a　few　months；　and；　while　this　stock　is　consuming；
ships　are　continually　arriving　with　more。
　　　　　Now　as　to　clothing。　Some　labourers　buy　ready…made　clothes；
others　order　them　to　be　made　for　them。　There　is；　it　may　be
admitted；　a　small　stock　of　clothing　on　hand；　but　considering　what
enemies　moths　are　to　the　materials　of　which　it　is　made；　only　a
very　small　stock　is　ever　prepared。　The　materials　for　women's
garments　may　be　prepared　a　few　weeks　before　they　are　made　up；　but
the　garments　are　rarely　formed　till　they　are　actually　put　on。
　　　　　　Other　examples　might　be　brought　from　every　branch　of
industry；　if　it　were　necessary　to　examine　each　on　in　detail；　for
in　this　respect　every　labourer　is　similarly　situated。　The　farmer
knows　he　will　be　able　to　get　clothes　when　he　requires　them；　and
the　tailor　knows　he　will　be　able　to　get　food；　but　the　former
knows　nothing　of　any　stored…up　stock　of　clothes；　and　the　latter
nothing　of　any　stored…up　stock　of　provisions。　The　labourer　knows
that　when　he　is　able　to　pay　for　bread；　for　meat　and　for　drink　he
can　procure　them；　but　he　knows　nothing　further；　and　I　have　shown
that　these　are　not　prepared　till　he　needs　them。　As　far　as　food；
drink　and　clothing　are　concerned；　it　is　quite　plain；　then；　that
no　species　of　labourer　depends　on　any　previously　prepared　stock；
for　in　fact　no　such　stock　exists；　but　every　species　of　labourer
does　constantly；　and　at　all　times；　depend　for　his　supplies　on　the
co…existing　labour　of　some　other　labourers。
　　　　　　To　enable　either　the　master　manufacturer　or　the　labourer　to
devote　himself　to　any　particular　occupation；　it　is　only　necessary
that　he　should　possess　　not；　as　political　economists　say；　a
stock　of　commodities；　or　circulating　capital；　but　a　conviction
that　while　he　is　labouring　at　his　particular　occupation　the
things　which　he　does　not　produce　himself　will　be　provided　for
him；　and　that　he　will　be　able　to　procure　them　and　pay　for　them　by
the　produce　of　his　own　labour。　This　conviction　arises；　in　the
first　instance；　without　any　reflection　from　habit。　As　we　expect
that　the　sun　will　rise　tomorrow；　so　we　also　expect　that　men　in
all　time　to　come　will　be　actuated　by　the　same　motives　as　they
have　been　in　times　past。　If　we　push　our　inquiries　still　further；
all　that　we　can　learn　is；　that　there　are　other　men　in　existence
who　are　preparing　those　things　we　need；　while　we　are　preparing
those　which　they　need。　The　conviction　may；　perhaps；　ultimately　be
traced　them　to　our　knowledge　that　other　men　exist　and　labour；　but
never　to　any　conviction　or　knowledge　that　there　is　a　stored…up
stock　of　commodities。　It　is　labour　which　produces　all　things　as
they　are　wanted；　and　the　only　thing　which　can　be　said　to　be
stored　up　or　previously　prepared　is　the　skill　of　the　labourer。　If
the　skill　of　the　baker；　butcher；　grazier；　tailor；　weaver；　etc。；
was　not　previously　created　and　stored　up；　the　commodities　which
each　of　them　purchases　could　not　be　obtained；　but　where　that
skill　exists；　these　commodities　may　always　be　procured　when
wanted。
　　　　　We　may　suppose　that　the　operation　of　cotton…spinning　is
completed；　and　the　produce　brought　to　market；　so　as　to　be
exchanged　or　sold　within　a　year；　but　there　are　many　operations
which　are　not　completed　within　this　period；　and　if　it　be　true；　as
I　have　endeavoured　to　show；　that　there　is　not　stock　of　food　and
clothing　prepared；　even　for　those　labourers　whose　operations　are
completed　within　the　period　of　two　successive　harvests；　how　much
more　evident　must　this　truth　be　of　those　operations　which　are　not
completed　within　a　year？　All　the　labourers　engaged　in　them　have
to　rely　on　the　baker；　miller；　butcher；　etc。；　completing　their
part　of　the　social　task；　and　they　must　rely　on　the　farmer；　and
that　he　will　till　his　ground；　and　sow　it；　and　reap　the　harvest　of
the　following　year。　Mr　Mill　says　and　says　justly；　〃what　is
annually　produced　is　annually　consumed。〃　So　that；　in　fact；　to
enable　men　to　carry　on　all　those　operations　which　extend　beyond　a
year　there　cannot　be　any　stock　of　commodities　stored　up。　Those
who　undertake　them　must　rely；　therefore；　not　on　any　commodities
already　created；　but　that　other　men　will　labour　and　produce　what
they　are　to　subsist　on　till　their　own　products　are　completed。
Thus　should　the　labourer　admit　that　some　accumulation　of
circulating　capital　is　necessary　for　operations　terminated　within
the　year　　and　I　have　show　how　very　limited　that　admission　ought
to　be；　if　made　at　all　　it　is　plain　that　in　all　operations　which
extend　beyond　a　year　the　labourer　does　not；　and　he　cannot；　rely
on　accumulated　capital。
　　　　　The　operations　not　terminated　within　the　year　are　neither
few　nor　unimportant。　The　time　necessary　to　acquire　a　knowledge　of
any　species　of　skilled　labour；　so　as　to　practise　it　to　advantage；
which　includes　almost　every　art；　whether　it　create　wealth　or
merely　contribute　to　amusement　　the　time　necessary　to　perform
all　distant　voyages；　and　construct　most　of　the　canals；　roads；
harbours；　docks；　large　steam…engines　and　ships；　all　of　which　are
afterward　to　be　such　powerful　instruments　in