Principles of Political EconomyPerry, Arthur Latham
General
Principles of Political Economy
Perry, Arthur Latham
Economics
All this is well; and in countries where laborers have been under
traditional disabilities, it may be in some cases very promotive of
their self-respect, activity, frugality, and general welfare; but any
one can see that no new economic principle is involved in the plan. As
in all other production, so here, there must be (1) capital from some
source, (2) steady and skilful labor, and (3) superintendence or
management of the business. It is at the third point that schemes of
co-operation have mostly broken down. The faculty of good management
is rare; the organizing and executive ability needful to carry through
any scheme of co-operation will not come upon call; if any of the
co-operators chance to possess it, the scheme may succeed, although he
who is conscious of having it will prefer to use it for his own gain
in his own way, to say nothing of the practical impossibility of any
man's working with the same spirit when the gain or loss is to be
largely another's as when it is to be wholly his own; moreover, it has
been well said, "it is impossible _to hire_ commercial genius or the
instincts of a skilful trader"; so that, while there is no trouble
about the workmen uniting the character of capitalist and laborer in
their own persons, and no doubt that they will work harder and more
skilfully while sharing profits as well as receiving wages, it is
still true, that the difficulty of securing a real "captain of
industry," and thus a perfect organization and management of the
whole business, puts the scheme of co-operation out of the question
as a means of raising wages, or promoting the general welfare of
laborers.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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