An Inquiry into the Principles of Political Oeconomy (Vol. 1 of 2): Being an essay on the science of domestic policy in free nations. In which are particularly considered population, agriculture, trade, industry, money, coin, interest, circulation, banks, exchange, public credit, and taxesSteuart, James, Sir
History
An Inquiry into the Principles of Political Oeconomy (Vol. 1 of 2): Being an essay on the science of domestic policy in free nations. In which are particularly considered population, agriculture, trade, industry, money, coin, interest, circulation, banks, exchange, public credit, and taxes
Steuart, James, Sir
Economics
These three articles being known, the price of manufacture is
determined. It cannot be lower than the amount of all the three, that
is, than the real value; whatever it is higher, is the manufacturer’s
profit. This will ever be in proportion to demand, and therefore will
fluctuate according to circumstances.
Hence appears the necessity of a great demand, in order to promote
flourishing manufactures.
By the extensive dealings of merchants, and their constant application
to the study of the balance of work and demand, all the above
circumstances are known to them, and are made known to the industrious,
who regulate their living and expence according to their certain profit.
I call it certain, because under these circumstances they seldom
overvalue their work, and by not overvaluing it, they are sure of a
sale: a proof of this may be had from daily experience.
Employ a workman in a country where there is little trade or industry,
he proportions his price always to the urgency of your want, or your
capacity to pay; but seldom to his own labour. Employ another in a
country of trade, he will not impose upon you, unless perhaps you be a
stranger, which supposes your being ignorant of the value; but employ
the same workman in a work not usual in the country, consequently not
demanded, consequently not regulated as to the value, he will proportion
his price as in the first supposition.
We may therefore conclude from what has been said, that in a country
where trade is established, manufactures must flourish, from the ready
sale, the regulated price of work, and certain profit resulting from
industry. Let us next inquire into the consequences of such a situation.
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CHAP. V.
_How foreign Trade opens to an industrious People, and the consequences
of it to_ the Merchants _who set it on foot_.
The first consequence of the situation described in the preceding
chapter, is, that wants are easily supplied, for the adequate value of
the thing wanted.
The next consequence is, the opening of foreign trade under its two
denominations of passive and active. Strangers and people of distant
countries finding the difficulty of having their wants supplied at home,
and the ease of having them supplied from this country, immediately have
recourse to it. This is passive trade. The active is when merchants, who
have executed this plan at home with success, begin to transport the
labour of their countrymen into other regions, which either produce, or
are capable of producing such articles of consumption, proper to be
manufactured, as are most demanded at home; and consequently will meet
with the readiest sale, and fetch the largest profits.
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