Rural Wealth and Welfare: Economic Principles Illustrated and Applied in Farm LifeFairchild, Geo. T. (George Thompson)
Science
Rural Wealth and Welfare: Economic Principles Illustrated and Applied in Farm Life
Fairchild, Geo. T. (George Thompson)
Agriculture -- Economic aspects; Economics
The machinery and motive power are used to their utmost capacity
constantly, and the economy of larger engines and machines is well known.
Possibly one-fifth of the power required to move all the machines used by
ten men working as independent tradesmen would provide better motion, more
constant and cheaper, for the ten working together under division of
labor. The waste in starting and stopping of machinery is almost entirely
avoided, and the condition of the machine for doing its work well is kept
up to the best. A most important saving is in diminution of waste. The
shortened apprenticeship and the superior dexterity make waste from
blunders almost nothing. Still more noticeable is the saving from any
waste of superior abilities, either strength or judgment, upon actions
requiring little ability.
Under minute division of labor a strong man is kept where he is needed and
the child may serve where his powers are sufficient. The efficiency of
women is recognized wherever applicable, and all the workers have their
full abilities made constantly useful. Moreover, the circulating capital
represented in the raw materials is kept in use much less time than under
the less effective system. Since any article of manufacture passes through
all the operations upon it in very much less time, the interest upon
capital employed in holding the material and in supporting the labor
during its changes is indefinitely less. The quicker returns from this
more rapid manufacture are everywhere recognized.
_Limits of division._—With all its advantages, division of labor is
limited by circumstances. It can never be applied where, because of poor
roads or peculiarities of temper or habit of life, the workers are
naturally separated. The necessary isolation of the farmers for the sake
of space makes any combination for the sake of economy in dividing their
tasks almost impracticable. Even where farms are small, few advantages
from division of labor by different kinds of work can be adopted. The
farmers are too far apart to work directly into each other’s hands. It is
limited, too, by the natural demand for the products of labor. If the
labor of one man can supply all need of iron work in his community, there
is no possibility of employing ten, even with a hundred times the
effectiveness. This is well illustrated in the country store, which sells
everything over the same counter. Not even the grocery department can be
separated until the demand is sufficient to support two store-keepers in
two stores.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account