The essence of an enterprise or undertaking, in the politico-economical sense of the word, consists in this, that the undertaking party engages in production for the purpose of commerce, at his own risk. In the earlier stages of a nation's economy, the production of consumers is, naturally enough, limited chiefly by their own personal wants. Somewhat later, when the division of labor has been further developed, the workman produces at first, enough to meet occasional determinate "orders;" and still later to meet them regularly and as a business. Later yet, and in stages of civilization yet higher, especially when the freedom of labor constantly grows, as it is wont to, here, and the freedom of capital and trade becomes more extensive, enterprise plays a part which grows more important as time rolls on, and is usually carried on more at one's own risk.[195-1] This transition is a great advance, inasmuch as the advantages of the coöperation of labor and of _use_ may be utilized in a much higher degree by undertakers (_Unternehmer_) than by producers who labor only to satisfy their own household wants, or to meet "orders" already made. The awakening of latent wants, a matter of the utmost importance to a people who would advance in civilization, is something which can enter into the mind only of a man endowed with the spirit of enterprise (an undertaker).[195-2] While most English political economists have confounded the personal gain of the undertaker with the interest on the capital used by him,[195-3] many German writers have called the "undertaker's earnings" or profit a special, and fourth, branch of the national income, coördinate with rent, wages, and the interest on capital.[195-4] Yet, the net income of every undertaker is either the fruit of his own land used for purposes of production and of his capital, in which case it is subject to the usual laws of development of rent and interest; or, it must be considered as wages paid for his labor.[195-5] These wages he earns, as a rule, by organizing and inspecting the work, calculating the chances of the whole enterprise; frequently by, at the same time, keeping the books and acting as cashier; and, in the case of small undertakings, as a common fellow-workman. (Tradesman, peasant). In every case, however, even when he puts an agent paid by himself in his place, he earns these wages from the fact that his name keeps the whole enterprise together; and for the reason that, in the last instance,[195-6] he has to bear the care and responsibility attending it.[195-7] When a business goes wrong, the salaried director or foreman may permit himself to be called on to engage in another; but the weary, watchful nights belong to the undertaker or man of enterprise, alone; and "how productive such nights frequently are!"[195-8]