The Forgotten Man, and Other EssaysSumner, William Graham
Science
The Forgotten Man, and Other Essays
Sumner, William Graham
Economics; Social sciences
35. _What is an industry?_ Some people will answer: It is an enterprise
which gives employment. Protectionists seem to hold this view,
and they claim that they “give work” to laborers when they make an
industry. On that notion we live to work; we do not work to live. But
we do not want work. We have too much work. We want a living; and work
is the inevitable but disagreeable price we must pay. Hence we want
as much living at as little price as possible. We shall see that the
protectionist does “make work” in the sense of lessening the living
and increasing the price. But if we want a living we want capital.
If an industry is to pay wages, it must be backed up by capital.
Therefore protective taxes, if they were to increase the means of
living, would need to increase capital. How can taxes increase capital?
Protective taxes only take from A to give to B. Therefore, if B by
this arrangement can extend his industry and “give more employment,”
A’s power to do the same is diminished in at least an equal degree.
Therefore, even on that erroneous definition of an industry, there is
no hope for the protectionist.
36. _An industry is an organization of labor and capital for satisfying
some need of the community._ It is not an end in itself. It is not a
good thing to have in itself. It is not a toy or an ornament. If we
could satisfy our needs without it we should be better off, not worse
off. How, then, can we create industries?
37. If any one will find, in the soil of a district, some new power to
supply human needs, he can endow that district with a new industry. If
he will invent a mode of treating some natural deposit, ore or clay,
for instance, so as to provide a tool or utensil which is cheaper and
more convenient than what is in use, he can create an industry. If he
will find out some new and better way to raise cattle or vegetables,
which is, perhaps, favored by the climate, he can do the same. If he
invents some new treatment of wool, or cotton, or silk, or leather, or
makes a new combination which produces a more convenient or attractive
fabric, he may do the same. The telephone is a new industry. What
measures the gain of it? Is it the “employment” of certain persons in
and about telephone offices? The gain is in the satisfaction of the
need of communication between people at less cost of time and labor. It
is useless to multiply instances. It can be seen what it is to “create
an industry.” It takes brains and energy to do it. How can taxes do it?
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