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
If, in contrast with this, one’s efforts are given to managing a business,
devising the ends to be accomplished as well as planning for their
accomplishment, he is said to have entire responsibility for results and
to receive what he can make out of the business. His exertion is chiefly
speculative labor, and the returns for his _speculation_ or
foresight—often effort of the severest kind—are termed profits. Such
efforts have already been illustrated in Chapter III, page 35. No
generally accepted name has been given to the one who thus carries the
entire responsibility of the business, but the word manager conveys to
most people the general idea involved. While it is true that a manager may
sometimes work for a salary, in general the very inventive ability
required for success makes the stimulant of profits the most natural means
of securing higher effectiveness. Most managers, even of stock companies,
must from the nature of the case be at least sharers in the profits.
Farmers easily distinguish between those who work for stipulated wages,
often called farm hands, and the farmer himself, who gets the pay for all
his endless variety of labor, including his constant planning, in the
shape of profits.
_Wages defined._—Hence it is fair to define wages as a stipulated sum,
paid at stipulated times, for stipulated services, measured either by the
number of distinct services or by the time of service. A wage-earner must
therefore be one who sells his powers, whatever they may be, for the use
of another, bringing his own services rather than the products of those
services to the best market he can find. In general, he prefers the
definite promise of another to the indefinite chances that he may produce
what is to be wanted in the future market. Very often he considers the
bird in the hand worth any number in the bush, and is satisfied to take a
certain living from day to day rather than risk his ability by his own
contrivance to meet larger wants. Among the wage-earners we necessarily
find all individuals of undeveloped powers of body or mind, dependent upon
the rest of the community for both tools and task; also all who render
personal services, and most of the laborers of all sorts in every kind of
factory.
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