登陆注册
19554800000126

第126章

Colonial products, so far as they do not consist of rawmaterials for manufacturing purposes, evidently act more asstimulants than necessary means of subsistence.No one will denythat barley coffee without sugar is as nutritious as mocha coffeewith sugar; and admitting also that these products contain somenutritious matter, their value in this respect is nevertheless sounimportant that they can scarcely be considered as substitutes fornative provisions.With regard to spices and tobacco, they arecertainly mere stimulants, i.e.they chiefly produce a usefuleffect on society only so far as they augment the enjoyments of themasses, and incite them to mental and bodily labour.

In many countries very erroneous notions prevail among thosewho live by salaries or rents, respecting what they are accustomedto call the luxurious habits of the lower classes; such persons areshocked to observe that labourers drink coffee with sugar, andregret the times when they were satisfied with gruel; they deplorethat the peasant has exchanged his poor clothing of coarse homespunfor woollen cloth; they express fears that the maid-servant willsoon not be distinguishable from the lady of the house; they praisethe legal restrictions on dress of previous centuries.But if wecompare the result of the labour of the workman in countries wherehe is clad and nourished like the well-to-do man with the result ofhis labour where he has to be satisfied with the coarsest food andclothing, we shall find that the increase of his comfort in theformer case has been attained not at the expense of the generalwelfare, but to the advantage of the productive powers of thecommunity.The day's work of the workman is double or three timesgreater in the former case than in the latter.Attempts to regulatedress and restrictions on luxury have destroyed wholesome emulationin the large masses of society, and have merely tended to theincrease of mental and bodily idleness.

In any case products must be created before they can beconsumed, and thus production must necessarily generally precedeconsumption.In popular and national practice, however, consumptionfrequently precedes production.Manufacturing nations, supported bylarge capital and less restricted in their production than mereagricultural nations, make, as a rule, advances to the latter onthe yield of future crops; the latter thus consume before theyproduce -- they produce later on because they have previouslyconsumed.The same thing manifests itself in a much greater degreein the relation between town and country: the closer themanufacturer is to the agriculturist, the more will the formeroffer to the latter both an inducement to consume and means forconsumption, the more also will the latter feel himself stimulatedto greater production.

Among the most potent stimulants are those afforded by thecivil and political institutions of the country.Where it is notpossible to raise oneself by honest exertions and by prosperityfrom one class of society to another, from the lowest to thehighest; where the possessor necessarily hesitates to show hisproperty publicly or to enjoy the fruits of it because it wouldexpose his property to risk, or lest he should be accused ofarrogance or impropriety; where persons engaged in trade areexcluded from public honour, from taking part in administration,legislation, and juries; where distinguished achievements inagriculture, industry, and commerce do not lead also to publicesteem and to social and civil distinction, there the mostimportant motives for consumption as well as for production arewanting.

Every law, every public regulation, has a strengthening orweakening effect on production or on consumption or on theproductive forces.

The granting of patent privileges offers a prize to inventiveminds.The hope of obtaining the prize arouses the mental powers,and gives them a direction towards industrial improvements.Itbrings honour to the inventive mind in society, and roots out theprejudice for old customs and modes of operation so injurious amonguneducated nations.It provides the man who merely possesses mentalfaculties for new inventions with the material means which herequires, inasmuch as capitalists are thus incited to support theinventor, by being assured of participation in the anticipatedprofits.

Protective duties act as stimulants on all those branches ofinternal industry the produce of which foreign countries canprovide better than the home country but of the production of whichthe home country is capable.They guarantee a reward to the man ofenterprise and to the workman for acquiring new knowledge andskill, and offer to the inland and foreign capitalist means forinvesting his capital for a definite and certain time in aspecially remunerative manner.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 鲸鱼女孩 池塘男孩

    鲸鱼女孩 池塘男孩

    这一刻她的眼神,对我而言就是永恒。一个是聪明大方、总是有莫名预感的大眼美女;一个是体贴诚实、偶尔讲冷笑话的腼腆男孩;二人在一次校园十大美女选拔赛中结识。他们的约会,没有一般世俗的追求手段:留电话,夸大的恭维之词,轻挑的行事挑逗或激烈的情节发展;但有的是互相之间莫名的默契,不经意的会心一笑,还有暖暖的甜蜜在二人之间暧昧流动……她的眼神闪亮如同星星。往后的时间,我和她这两条线的轨迹将会是如何呢?这没有说出口的爱情,这动人、让人留恋的爱情,最后会是喜剧还是悲剧收场?
  • 绝色爹爹夺个宝

    绝色爹爹夺个宝

    敏儿当年向他借了点“东西”,生下一个宝宝,自己的命运也改变了。以为今生不再见,却又再遇见,看着宝宝老盯着他看,还好宝宝不知道那男人就是他的便宜爹爹!璇看着那小孩觉得莫名熟悉,那女人怎么感觉那么像当年的人呢?不过那个女人不是死了吗?(本文纯属虚构,请勿模仿。)
  • 我爱你,最好只到这里

    我爱你,最好只到这里

    30岁,杜律以为什么都不可能再失去的时候。他却又重新出现在她的生命里。“我也是人。也有我自己的生活。求求你放过我好不好,沈司?”“放你和王润之结婚?哼。”沈司冷冷道。她的人生,浑浑噩噩的过。可是,她还有自己,还有他的在乎。在男人眼里,爱情和事业,永远没有可比性。生活永远都是残酷的。如果当你懂了这个道理,恭喜你,长大了。
  • 阴阳鬼生

    阴阳鬼生

    我叫公孙策,并不是跟随在包大人身旁协助办案的那个偏偏美公子,我,是一个和尚,也是一名道士。我本应该死去,但我却以一种特殊的方式活在这个世上,我是人,同时,我也是鬼。都说人鬼殊途,我却能够在人鬼之间随意的转换,在阴阳两界自由穿梭,我能为活人办事,也能替死人某差,在阳间,我是道士,在阴间,我是阴差!
  • 冷心王爷,我是你老婆

    冷心王爷,我是你老婆

    黑白两道闻风丧胆的美女杀手,一次任务,沦落一世心,陷了两世心,刻骨三生石。生来皇后命,却在立后大典前被休,其妹取而代之。她死,她生。扶他坐上帝王之位,是唯一解脱的方法!重获自由,万里花丛,任她翩舞,云开雾散,痛却依旧在心间蔓延,那个人,到底是谁?
  • 英雄联盟之易师魔行

    英雄联盟之易师魔行

    迷乱的烽火下,英雄崛起,冲锋的号角中,战火点燃。在战斗中成长,涅槃重生……
  • 纵横界域

    纵横界域

    一位少年为了变的更强,历经坎坷,踏上了修炼的道路,只为了他的哥哥!
  • 皇后你站住

    皇后你站住

    穿越到未知王朝,现代千金小姐从容应对。那无赖的幼稚皇帝你到底是肿么回事,说好的不爱呢?说好的不肖想呢?只见那幼稚皇帝灿烂一笑“亲爱的皇后娘娘,朕只说过你不能肖想,又没有说朕不能肖想。”“……”
  • 每天学点管理学(全集)

    每天学点管理学(全集)

    管理是一门高深的艺术,任何经营成果的取得,都是在管理中应运I而生的。为此,掌握管理的妙法,必将对企业的良好运作和稳步发展起到决定的作用。《每天学点管理学全集》结合真实、生动的案例,将管理的妙招展示给您。如何让自己成为榜样?如何让下属心服口服?如何让能人站出来?如何跟员工无阻碍沟通?如何凝聚团队的力量?如何以待遇吸引人,以感情凝聚人?如何以细节取胜?如何解决狂风暴雨的突然袭击?阅读《每天学点管理学全集》,您将从中获得想要的答案!
  • 城市贫困家庭治理政策研究

    城市贫困家庭治理政策研究

    《城市贫困家庭治理政策研究》以美籍经济学家阿玛蒂亚?森的理论为基础,以“权利贫困”概念中的核心要素——机会、参与和机会的失而复得为分析工具,通过个案研究的方法,深入探讨如下议题:第一,不同形态的贫困家庭“社会权利贫困”状态以及动态演化过程;第二,现有社会体系对贫困家庭的“社会权利”机制性排斥的表现和状态;第三,现有的扶贫政策进一步完善的空间或方向;第四,贫困家庭和社会的连接及社会扶贫机会的增加。全书动态地分析城市贫困家庭的不同贫困状态,亦即贫困、致贫、脱贫和返贫以及其演变过程,最后着眼于已有的城市贫困家庭的相关政策,如低保、医疗、就业、教育等政策的完善和再建构。