The basic facts of economics : $b A common-sense primer for advanced studentsPost, Louis F. (Louis Freeland)
General
The basic facts of economics : $b A common-sense primer for advanced students
Post, Louis F. (Louis Freeland)
Economics
All such terms as “salaries,” “commissions,” “labor costs,” and the
like in private or business accounts, are in the Wages category of
Economics. “Profits” and “dividends” are mixed, very much as with
reference to the Productive Process in private and business accounts
Wealth and Land are mixed. “Profits” may be and they usually are made
up of a mixture of Wages for human service (Labor) and of Rent for
natural resources (Land). Convenient as such confused classifications
may be for account-keeping in private business affairs, or for other
manifestations of mere custom, they have no legitimate place in the
orderly categories of social Economics. However useful in business
accountings, which concern only the private interests of business
proprietors, they are intolerable in the science of Economics, which
concerns not only a proprietor, nor every proprietor, but all mankind.
Even for private accounting purposes there seems to be a wise tendency
among accountants toward more accurate assignments to normal Economic
categories. One business classification holds high Economic rank
deservedly. This is that subcategory of Wages known as Interest.
Interest may be rightly regarded as the Wages of Capital. This is
no play upon words, nor any confusion of Economic terms. It is a
necessary inference from manifest facts. Since Labor produces all
Wealth, and Capital is a distinct form of Wealth--Wealth devoted to
the production of further Wealth,--Labor is the producer of Capital;
and inasmuch as the use productively of Capital increases Wealth, a
share of that increase is properly assignable in Distribution to the
Distributive category called Wages, though for discriminative purposes
to a Wages subdivision. That subdivision is distinguished as Interest.
It is a subdivision in Distribution in perfect correspondence with that
subdivision of Wealth used in Production which is distinguished as
Capital. As subdivisions or secondary classifications, therefore, the
productive factor known as Capital and the corresponding Distributive
element known as Interest are legitimate Economic categories, provided
their Economic characteristic as products of Labor be not ignored nor
they be confused with Land and Rent. This proviso is often ignored,
however, as when Capital is classified with Land instead of Labor, and
Interest with Rent instead of Wages.
In connection with the subject of Wages, Taxation for the support of
Government demands passing consideration. If it be true, as indicated
in our Lesson on the Productive Process, that the legitimate activities
of Government belong in the Wealth production category as a Labor
factor, then the Economically legitimate income of Government, whether
through Taxation or otherwise, would seem to belong to the Distributive
category of Wages.
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