The Acquisitive SocietyTawney, R. H. (Richard Henry)
Philosophy
The Acquisitive Society
Tawney, R. H. (Richard Henry)
Economics; Industries; Social problems
The manner in which "business" may find that the methods which pay
itself best are those which a truly {173} scientific "management" would
condemn may be illustrated by three examples. In the first place, the
whole mass of profits which are obtained by the adroit capitalization
of a new business, or the reconstruction of one which already exists,
have hardly any connection with production at all. When, for instance,
a Lancashire cotton mill capitalized at L100,000 is bought by a London
syndicate which re-floats it with a capital of L500,000--not at all an
extravagant case--what exactly has happened? In many cases the
equipment of the mill for production remains, after the process, what
it was before it. It is, however, valued at a different figure,
because it is anticipated that the product of the mill will sell at a
price which will pay a reasonable profit not only upon the lower, but
upon the higher, capitalization. If the apparent state of the market
and prospects of the industry are such that the public can be induced
to believe this, the promoters of the reconstruction find it worth
while to recapitalize the mill on the new basis. They make their
profit not as manufacturers, but as financiers. They do not in any way
add to the productive efficiency of the firm, but they acquire shares
which will entitle them to an increased return. Normally, if the
market is favorable, they part with the greater number of them as soon
as they are acquired. But, whether they do so or not, what has
occurred is a process by which the business element in industry obtains
the right to a larger share of the product, without in any way
increasing the efficiency of the service which is offered to the
consumer.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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