第3章
加入书架 A- A+
点击下载App,搜索"WorkWealth Work and Wealth",免费读到尾

  Sinceeffectiveaccesstolargemarketsimpliesafairlylargebusiness,theeconomyofriskbecomesoneoftheeconomiesofcapitalism,anditscalculationachiefbranchoftheemployer\'sskill。Thewatchingofthemarketsoastoreducethewasteofmisdirectedproductionisthemostdelicateoftheintellectualactivitiesofmostmanagers。Ittakeshimoutsidethescopeofhisownbusinessandthepresentprocessofproduction,toconsiderthewholeconditionofthetradeinthepresentandtheprobablefuture。Thesecalculationsandactsofjudgmentissuingfromthebrainofbusinessmanagersarethepsychicalaspectofthewholestructureofmarketsandofthetradeandtrafficarrangementswhichgivesuchunityandorderasarevisibleinwhatistermedtheindustrialsystem。

  Thus,notmerelyonthefinancialbutonthecommercialside,industryisperceivedtobeagreatfabricofbeliefsanddesires。Though,asweshallrecognise,indealingwithlabour,andwithsaving,risk-takingisbynomeansconfinedtoemployersandentrepreneurs,itswideroperationsbelongtothespeculativeskillwhichcomesunderthegeneralheadofabilityofmanagement。Inthepsychologicalinterpretationofindustrythisfunctionoftheentrepreneurisofquitecrucialsignificance,cooperatingeverywherewiththemoreabstractcalculationsoffinanciersindirectingtheamounts,kinds,anddirections,ofthevariouscurrentsofindustrialenergywhichmoveinthebusinessworld。Sinceitinvolvesaconstantuseoftheconstructiveimaginationintheinterpretationoftheplayofchangingmotivesinmanyminds,andtheforecastingoffutureconditionswhichcanneverbeamererepetitionofthepast,the\'creative\'facultyobtainshereitshighestexpression。Itisnotfornothingthatthegreatmodernmastereitheroffinanceorindustryisaccreditedwithsomequalityofimaginativepowerakintothatoftheartist。This,however,mustinnotafewinstancesimply,notmerelythegeniusoftheprophet,butthatoftheskilledmanipulatorofeconomicmaterialandopportunity,whohelpstosecuretheduefulfilmentofthepropheciesuponwhichhestakeshisfaith。

  CHAPTERV:THEHUMANCOSTSOF

  LABOUR

  §1。TheclassicalPoliticalEconomyofthiscountrygavetoLabouraroleofsupremeimportanceintheproductionofwealth。FromAdamSmith,Ricardo,andotherauthoritativeexponentsofthenew\'science\'manypassagescanbecitedtosupportthethesisthatlabourersaretheonlyproducers。

  NordoesitappearthatintheseutterancesLabourwasusuallyintendedtoincludetheservicesoforganisationandmanagementorotherintellectualactivities。WealthisbaldlyattributedtoLabourinthesensethatthemanuallabour,whichextractsrawmaterialsfromtheearth,shapesandcomposesthem,andcarriesthemfromoneplacetoanother,alonecountsasacostofproduction。ItisnaturalenoughthatthescientificsocialismofEuropeshouldhaveacceptedandenforcedthisdoctrine。Thoughthemoreintelligentsocialistsand\'labourmen\'admitthenecessaryworkofsuperintendenceandothermentalworkasusefulandproductive,thematerialismprevalentinthebusinessworldtendstorelegatetoaquitesecondaryplaceallthehigherformsofintellectualandmoralactivity。

  Itwasuponthewhole,indeed,asoundinstinctwhichthusledtheearlytheoriststouselanguagewhichattributedtomanuallabourtherealburdenofthe\'costs\'ofproduction。Forcloserinvestigationatteststheforceofthedistinctionbetweentheproductiveenergygivenoutbytheintellectual,thedirecting,andadministrativeclassesontheonehand,andbythelabouring-classesontheother。Moreover,thesocialaswellastheeconomiccleavageissodistinctiveafeatureofourlifethatitwouldbeinconvenienttoignoreit。Thecleavagewillbefoundtocorrespondprettyaccuratelytothedistinctionbetweenthecreativeandtheimitativefunctionswhichweprovisionallyadoptedforastartingpointinouranalysis。

  Formostoftheproductiveenergygivenoutbytheartistic,inventive,professional,official,andmanagerialclasses,whichhavepassedunderoursurvey,isseentobeinlargemeasurecreative,varied,interesting,andpleasurable。

  Nowinthelabourofthewage-earningclassesthesequalitiesaregenerallylacking。Alikeinmotivesandinmethods,thecontrastisclearlymarked。

  Themindoftheartistortheinventor,evenoftheprofessionalmanortheadministrator,isoccupiedwiththeworkinhand,asanobjectofinterestandofdesirableachievement。Thenatureoftheworkandtheconditionsofremunerationconducetofixhisimmediatethoughtsandfeelingsontheperformanceofhiswork。Withthelaboureritisdifferent。Theconditionsofmostlabouraresuchthatthelabourerfindslittlescopeforthoughtandemotionalinterestintheworkitself。Itsdueperformanceishardlyanendtohim,butonlyameanstoalivelihoodconsistingintheconsumablecommoditiesgotinpaymentforhislabour。

  Butthevitaldistinctionisinthenatureandmethodoftheworkdone。

  Whereastheartisticorinventive,oreventheprofessionalman,isconstantlydoingsomethingnew,thelabourercontinuallyrepeatsthesameactorsetofacts,inordertoproduceanumberofsimilarproducts。Thesuccessofmostlabourconsistsintheexactitudeandpacewithwhichthisrepetitioncanbecarriedon。Themachine-tenderisthetypicalinstance。Tofeedthesamemachinerywiththesamequantityofthesamematerialatthesamepace,soastoturnoutanendlessnumberofpreciselysimilararticles,istheabsoluteantithesisofart。Itisoftensaidthatthemanwhofeedssuchamachinetendstobecomeasautomaticasthemachineitself。This,however,isbutahalf-truth。Ifthetendercouldbecomeasautomaticasthemachinehetended,ifhecouldcompletelymechanisealittlesectionofhisfaculties,itmightgoeasierwithhim。Butthemaintrendoflifeinthemanfightsagainstthemechanisingtendencyofhiswork,andthisstruggleentailsaheavycost。Forhismachineimposesarepetitionofthesamemuscularandnervousactionuponabeingwhosemusclesandnervousresourcesarecontinuallychanging。Themachine,fedconstantlywiththesamesupplyoffuel,geareduptoasingleconstantpaceofmovement,forcedbyunchangingstructuretotheperformanceofthesameoperation,frictionanderrorreducedtoanalmostnegligibleminimum,worksthroughthelongestdaywithauniformexpenditureofpower。Themachine-tenderisanorganism,fedatsomewhatirregularintervalswithdifferentamountsandsortsoffood,theassimilationofwhichisalsodiscontinuous,andincapableofmaintainingintactandconstantinitsquantitythemuscularandnervoustissueandtheaccompanyingcontractionswhichconstitutethephysicalsupplyof\'work\'。Thisorganismhasalsomanyotherstructuresandfunctions,physicalandmental,whoseactivitiesandneedsgetinthewayoftheautomaticactivityofmachine-tending。Thustheworkercannotsucceedinbecomingaltogetheramachine-tendingautomaton。Hewillnotalwaysexactlyrepeathimself,andhisattempttodosoinvolvestwosetsoforganiccostsorwastes,duetothefactthat,thoughhislabourtriestomakehimaspecialisedmechanism,heremainsageneralisedorganism。

  Sofaraslabourconsistsinspecialisedroutine,absorbingthemaincurrentofproductiveenergy,itistheenemyoforganichealth。Itishostileintwoways,first,indenyingtomanopportunityfortheexerciseofhisotherproductivefaculties,secondly,inovertaxinganddegradingbyservilerepetitionthesinglefacultythatisemployed。

  Astheartistpresentsthesupremeexampleofcreativework,withaminimumofhumancostsandamaximumofhumanutility,sothemachine-tenderpresentsthesupremeexampleofimitativework,withamaximumofhumancostsandaminimumofhumanutility。

  §2。Someparticularconsiderationofthesecostsofmachine-tendingwillbethebestapproachtoamoregeneralsurveyofthehumancostsoflabour。

  TheindictmentofthedominionofmachinerybyRuskin,Morris,andotherhumanistreformers,wasprimarilybaseduponthedegradationoftheworker\'smanhoodbydenyinghimtheconditionsofgoodwork。\'Itisasadaccount,\'saidRuskin,\'foramantogiveofhimselfthathehasspenthislifeinopeningavalve,andnevermadeanythingbuttheeighteenthpartofapin。\'But,importantasisthischargeofdegradedandjoylesswork,wemustbeginouranalysisofthecostsofmechanicalorfactorylabouratalowerlevel。

  Fromthegreatbodyofthefactorylabourwhichgoestotheprovisionofournationalincome,thefirstgreathumancostthatemergesistheburdenofinjuriousfatiguewhichresultsfrommuscularornervousoverstrain,andfromtheotherphysicalandmoralinjurieswhicharethenaturalaccompanimentsofthisoverstrain。

  Modernphysiologyandpathologyhavedonemuchtogiveplainmeaningstothesecosts。Physicalfatigueisnotofnecessityaninjurytothebody,norisallfeelingoffatigueapain。Theideallycorrectconductoftheorganismmay,indeed,appeartopreserveanexactandacontinuousbalancebetweentheanabolicandthecatabolic,thenutritionofcelllifeandtheexpenditureinfunction。SirMichaelFostergivesthefollowingclassicaldescriptionofthisprocess。1

  \'Didwepossesssomeopticaidwhichshouldovercomethegrossnessofourvision,sothatwemightwatchthedanceofatomsinthisdoubleprocessofmakingandunmakinginthehumanbody,weshouldseethecommonplacelivingthingswhicharebroughtbytheblood,andwhichwecallthefood,caughtupintoandmadepartofthemolecularwhorlsofthelivingmuscle,linkedtogetherforawhileintheintricatefiguresofthedanceoflife;

  andthenweshouldseehow,loosinghands,theyslippedbackintotheblood,asdead,inert,used-upmatter。Ineverytinyblockofmusclethereisapartwhichisreallyalive,therearepartswhicharebecomingalive,therearepartswhichhavebeenalivebutarenowdyingordead;thereisanupwardrushfromthelifelesstotheliving,adownwardrushfromthelivingtothedead。Thisisalwaysgoingon,whetherthemusclebequietandatrest,orwhetheritbeactiveandmoving。Someofthecapitaloflivingmaterialisalwaysbeingspent,changedintodeadwaste,someofthenewfoodisalwaysbeingraisedintolivingcapital。

  \'Thusnutritivematerialsarecarriedbythebloodtothetissues,andthedeadmaterialsofused-upandbroken-uptissuesarecarriedawayfordestructionorejection。Undernormalconditionsofhealthyactivitythismetabolicbalanceispreservedbythealternationofworkandrepose,thetissueandenergybuiltupoutoffoodduringperiodsofrestformingafundforexpenditureduringperiodsofwork,whilethesameperiodsofrestenablethedestructiveandevacuativeprocessestogetridofanyaccumulationofdeadtissueduetothepreviousperiodofwork。Abnormallyintenseorundulyprolongedactivityofanyportionofthebodyusesuptissuesofastthatitsdeadmaterialcannotbegotridofattheproperpace。Itaccumulatesinthebloodorinthekidneys,liverorlungs,andoperatesasapoisonthroughoutthewholesystem。Over-fatiguethusmeanspoisoningtheorganism。

  \'Thepoisonsaremoreandmoreheaped-up,poisoningthemuscles,poisoningthebrain,poisoningtheheart,poisoningatlasttheblooditself,startingintheintricatemachineryofthebodynewpoisonsinadditiontothemselves。

  Thehuntedhare,runtodeath,diesnotbecauseheischokedforwantofbreath,norbecausehisheartstandsstill,itsstoreofenergyhavinggivenout,butbecauseapoisonedbloodpoisonshisbrain,poisonshiswholebody。\'2

  TheItalianbiologistMossohasdemonstratedthatthedepressingeffectoffatigueisnotconfinedtothelocalcentrewhereitisproduced,butiscarriedtoallpartsofthebody。Whenthebloodofadogfatiguedbycontinuedrunningisinjectedintothevesselsofasounddog,thelatterexhibitsallthesignsoffatigue。Theinabilityofthesystemtodisposeoftheused-uptissue,whichthusaccumulatesandpoisonsthesystem,isoneinjuriousfactorinfatigue。Anotheristheunduedepletionofthestoresofglycogenandoxygen,whichtheorganismprovidesfortheoutputofmuscularactivity。Glycogenisacompoundofcarbon,hydrogen,andoxygenmadebymuscletissueoutofthesugarordextrinesuppliedtoitbytheblood。\'Thestoredglycogenofthemuscleskeepsunitingchemicallywiththeoxygenoftheblood。Theglycogenisbrokendownintoasimplerchemicalform,givingoffthegascarbondioxideandotheracidwastes,andreleasingheatandmechanicalenergyintheprocess。Withthereleasedenergycontractionofthemusclestakesplaceandhenceultimatelytheindustriallabourwhichisourspecialtheme。\'3

  \'Glycogenis,asitwere,storedforuse。Itisalwaysbeingreplenished,alwaysbeingdepleted……Butwhenthemuscleisactiveandcontractsenergetically,thereisarunuponourglycogen。Itisusedupfasterthanitisbuiltinmuscle。Theglycogenisspentsorapidlythatthereisnottimefortheblood-streamtobringbacktothetissuethepotentialmaterialforitsrepair。\'4Thoughtheliverfurnishesanextrastoreofglycogen,thistoomaybedepletedbyunduemuscularactivity。

  \'Thuswehavereachedtheotherfundamentalfactorinfatigue——theconsumptionoftheenergy-yieldingsubstanceitself。Notonlydoestissuemanufacturepoisonforitselfintheveryactofliving,castingoffchemicalwastesintothecirclingbloodstream;notonlyarethesewastespouredintothebloodfasterwithincreasedexertion,cloggingthemusclemoreandmorewithitsownnoxiousproducts;but,finally,thereisadepletionoftheverymaterialfromwhichenergyisobtained。Thecatabolicprocessisinexcessoftheanabolic。Inexhaustion,theorganismisforcedliterallyto\"useitselfup。\"\'5

  §3。Somuchforthephysiologicalmeaningofmuscularfatigue。

  Closelyassociatedwithmuscularfatigueisnervousfatigue。Foreveryvoluntarymuscularactionreceivesitsstimulusfromanervouscentre。

  Thoughthenatureofthisnervousenergy,accumulatedinthecentralnervoussystemanddistributedinstimuli,isnotwellunderstood,itseconomyisgravelydisturbedbyconductinvolvingheavymuscularfatigue,aswellasbyworkofamentalkindinvolvingheavydrainsonitsresources。A

  processofbuildingup,storage,anddissipationofnervetissueandenergy-yieldingmaterial,correspondingtothatwhichwehavetracedformuscletissue,mustbeacceptedastakingplace。Fatigueofthenervoussystemwillthusbeattendedbyasimilaraccumulationofpoisonouswasteproducts,andanexcessiveconsumptionofsubstancesneededforthemaintenanceofnervousactivity。

  Thoughphysiologistsarenotagreedastohowandwhenfatigueactsonthenervouscells,thereisnoquestionoftherealityandoftheimportanceofthisinjuryofexcessiveworkto\'theadministrativeinstrumentoftheindividual\'which\'directs\'controlsandharmonisestheworkofthepartsoftheorganicmachineandgivesunitytothewhole。\'

  Stillconfiningourattentiontopurelyphysicalconditions,welearnthatworkdoneinastateofmuscularfatigueinvolvesanincreaseofnervouseffort。

  \'Mossoshowedthatamuchstrongerelectricstimulusisrequiredtomakeaweariedmusclecontractthanonewhichisrested。Hedevisedanapparatus,theponometer,whichrecordsthecurveofnervouseffortrequiredtoaccomplishmuscularactionasfatigueincreases。Heshowedthatthenervecentresarecompelledtosupplyaneverstrongerstimulustofatiguedmuscles。\'6

  ProfessorTrevesatTurinthrowsfurtherlightupontherelationsbetweenthemuscularandthenervouseconomy。Itiswellknownthatinmuscularactivitythereisanopeningperiodduringwhichefficiency,orpracticalresponsetonervousstimulus,increases。Beforefatiguebeginstosetin,themuscleappearstogainstrength,itsworkingpowerbeingactuallyaugmented。

  Thisperiodofmaximumefficiencycontinuesforanappreciabletime,thenfatigueadvancesmoreandmoreuntilmuscularcontractionrefusesanylongertorespondtoevenaheightenednervousstimulus。This,ofcourse,isalsoanepitomeofthecourseoforganiclifeitself,itsrisetowardsmaturity,itslevelofmaximumpoweranditsdecline。

  Nowtrainingorpracticecannotoriouslyaffectthisnaturaleconomy。

  Themuscularsystem,orsomepartofit,canbypracticeaccommodateitselftoincreasingquantitiesoffatigue-poisons,andcandrawfromthegeneralorganicfundalargerquantityofmaterialforrepairoflocalmusculartissueandenergy。Butithaslongbeenrecognisedthatsomerealdangersattachtothisexcessivespecialisationofmuscularactivities。Thepathologicalnatureofover-traininginathleticshasitsplaincounterpartinindustry。

  This,accordingtoProfessorTreves,liesinthefailureofthesupplyofnervousenergytoriseinproportiontotherequirementsforthishigherpressureuponthemusculartissues。

  \'Accordingtomyexperience,ithasnotbeenfoundthattraininghasasfavourableaneffectupon[nervous]energyasuponmuscularstrength……

  Thisfactexplainswhymusculartrainingcannotgobeyondcertainlimitsandwhyathletesareoftenbrokendownbytheconsequencesofover-exertion。

  Andthisfactteachesalsothepracticalnecessityofpreventingwomen,children,andevenadultmenfrombecomingsubjectedtolabour,which,indeed,agradualmusculartrainingmaymakepossible,butatthepriceofanexcessivelossofnervousenergywhichisnotbetrayedbyanyobviousorimmediatesymptoms,eitherobjectiveorsubjective。\'7

  Aseriesofexperimentshasbeendirectedtothemoredetailedstudyoftherelationsbetweenactivityandrepose。Theirgeneralresultistoprovethatmuscularwork,doneafterfatiguehassetin,notonlycostsmorenervouseffortbutaccomplisheslesswork。Theergograph,aninstrumentformeasuringwork,yieldsampletestimonytotherecuperativeeffectofresttakenbeforeexhaustionisreached,ontheonehand,andtherapidrateofdeclineinachievementwhenactivityiscontinuedafterthefatiguepointhasbeenreached。

  §4。Tothisaccountofthephysicalcostsofexcessiveworkinmuscularandnervouswastemustbeaddedthegreaterliabilitytoaccidentsandthegreatersusceptibilitytoindustrialandnon-industrialdiseaseswhichfatigueentails。

  Thestatisticsofindustryinvariouscountriesprovethatfatigueisaveryimportantfactorinindustrialaccidents。Thoughfatigueisnotalwaysproportionatetodurationofwork,thenumberofhoursworkedwithoutintermissionisusuallyavalidindexoffatigue。Afteralongstuntofworktheattentionoftheworkerandhismuscularcontrolarebothweakened。

  Wefind,therefore,amarkedsimilarityinthecurvesrelatingaccidentstohoursoflabour,accidentsincreasingprogressivelyuptotheendofthemorning\'swork,andagaininthelateafternoonastheday\'sworkdrawstoitsclose。RecentGermanstatisticsshowthatthehighestrateofaccidentsisduringthefourthandfifthhoursofmorningwork。

  Thatover-fatigueconnectedwithindustryisresponsibleforlargenumbersofnervousdisordersis,ofcourse,generallyadmitted。Thegrowingprevalenceofcardiacneurosisandofneurastheniaingeneralamongworking-peopleisattestedbymanymedicalauthorities,especiallyinoccupationswherelongstrainsofattentionareinvolved。Butthegeneralenfeeblementandlossofresistancepowertodiseasegermsofallkindsareevenmoreinjuriousconsequencesofover-exertion。Manyexperimentsattestthefactthatfatiguereducesthepowerofthebloodtoresistbacteriaandtheirtoxicproducts。

  §5。SofarIhavedweltexclusivelyuponthephysiologicalnatureandeffectsoffatigueascostsoflabour。Butdueaccountmustalsobetakenofthepsychicalorconsciouscosts。Muchworkinitsinitialstagecontainselementsofpleasurableexerciseofsomehumanorganorfaculty,andevenwhenthispleasurehaswornoffaconsiderableperiodofindifferencemayensue。Thoughboredommaysetinbeforeanystrainoffatigue,theearlierperiodofennuimaynotentailaheavycost。But,whenfatigueadvances,theirksomenessbringsagrowingfeelingofpainfuleffort,andalongboutoffatigueproducesasitsconcomitantaperiodofgraveconsciousirritationofnerveswithasubsequentperiodofpainfulcollapse。Wheretheconditionsofworkaresuchastoinvolveadailyrepetitionofthispain,itsaccumulativeeffectconstitutesoneoftheheaviestofhumancosts,aloweringofmentalityandofmoralresistancecloselycorrespondingtothedeclineofphysicalresistance。Drinkandothersensationalexcessesarethenormalreactionsofthisloweredmorale。Thusfatigueranksasamaindeterminantofthe\'character\'oftheworking-classesandhasasocialsignificanceinitsbearinguponorderandprogressnotlessimportantthanitsinfluenceupontheindividualorganism。

  §6。Ihavedweltinsomedetailuponthesephenomenaoffatigue,becausetheyexhibitmostclearlythedefectsoftheworkinglifewhichcarryheaviesthumancosts。Thesedefectsareexcessivedurationoflabour,excessivespecialisation,excessiverepetition,excessivestrainandexcessivespeed。Thoughseparateforpurposesofanalysis,thesefactorscloselyinteract。Meredurationoflabourdoesnotnecessarilyinvolvefatigue,provideditcarriestheelementsofinterest,variety,andachievement。

  Thedegreeofspecialisationorsubdivisionoflabourcountsonthewholemoreheavily。Butevenahighdegreeofspecialisationisalleviated,whereitcontainsmanylittlechangesofactionorposition,andaffordsscopeforthesatisfactionattendingexpertskill。Itistheconstantrepetitionofanidenticalactionataprescribedpacethatbringstheheaviestburdenofmonotony。

  Itisuponthiscombinationofconditionsthatthefirstcountagainstthedominionofmachineryisbased。Thebriefphysiologicalconsiderationwehavebroughttobearupontheproblemoffatiguegivesclearersignificancetomonotonyasa\'cost\'。Itimplies,notmerelyadullanddistastefuloccupation,butonewhich,taxingcontinuallythesamemusclesandthesamenerve-centres,increasesthepoisonoffatigue。Handlabourofanarroworder,ormachine-tendinghoweverlight,entailsthisheavycost,ifmaintainedoveralongperiodoftime。

  Butwheremonotonousrepetitioniscloselydirectedbytheactionofamachine,asregardsitsmanneranditspace,thereisaspecialnervouscost。Forahand-worker,howeverdullorheavyisthework,retainssomeslightpowerofvaryingthepaceandperhapsofchanginghispositionormodeofwork。Aworkerwhoeitherfeedsamachineoradjustshismovementsinobediencetothoseofamachine,asforinstanceacutterintheclothingtradeorinshoemaking,hasnosuchliberty。Thespecialcosthereentailedisthatoftryingtomakeanorganismconforminitsmovementstoamechanism。

  Nowahumanbeing,oranyotherorganism,hascertainnaturalrhythmsofmovementforwork,relatedtotherhythmsofheartandlungsandotherorganicprocesses,andtherearenaturallimitsalsotothepaceatwhichheCanefficiently,orevenpossibly,continueworking。Amachinealsohasrhythmsandamaximumefficiencypace。Buttherhythmsofamachinearedeterminedbyitsmechanicalconstructionandtheapparatuswhichfurnishesitspower:theyarecontinuouslyuniform,andarecapableofbeingspeededupbeyondthecapacityofthehumantender。

  Ahumanrhythmisreallylabour-saving,inasmuchasiteasesthestraintoworkinaccordancewithanaturalswing。Tosetamantofollowtherhythmofamachinenotonlylosesthiseconomy,butentailsanextraeffortofconformity。Thetendencytospeedupamachine,soastogetthemostoutofit,isliabletotakeoutofthemachine-tenderevenmorethanheiscapableofrecognisinginthewayofnervousstrain。Whereconsiderablemuscularactivityisalsorequiredinfollowingahighpacesetbyamachine,anappallingburdenofhumancostsmaybeaccumulatedinafactoryday。

  Whentosuchdirecthumancostsoflabourareaddedtherisksofindustrialaccidentorofindustrialdiseases,thephysicalinjuriesinvolvedinbadatmosphere,heat,noiseandotherincidentalpainsandinconvenienceswhichbesetmanybranchesofindustry,webegintorealisewithmoredistinctnessthemeaningof\'costsoflabour\'inthehumanasdistinguishedfromtheeconomicsense。

  Lateronweshallturntoconsiderhowfartheeconomicormonetary\'costs\'correspondwiththesehumancosts。

  Ourpresenttask,however,istoconductabriefsurveyofgeneralindustryinordertoformsomeideaofthemagnitudeofthesehumancostsintheleadingbranchesofproduction,andtoconsiderhowfartheyareoffsetorqualifiedbyfactorsofhumaninterestorutility,suchaswefoundwidelyprevalentintheworkoftheartistic,official,andadministrativeclasses。

  §1。Ifitweretruethatallthelabourofthewage-earningclasseswhichwenttoproducetherealnationalincomewere,ortendedtobecome,monotonousandhighlyspecialisedmachinetending,theworkersconstantlyengagedincloserepetitionofsomesinglenarrowautomaticprocess,contributingtosomefinalcompositeproductwhoseformandutilityhadnorealmeaningforthem,thetaleofhumancostswouldbeappalling。

  Fortunatelythisisnotthewholetruthaboutlabour。Eventhechargeagainstmachineryofmechanisingtheworkerisfrequentlyoverstated。Theonlyproductiveworkthatisentirelyautomaticisdonebymachines。Forthemaintrendofthedevelopmentofindustrialmachineryhasbeentosetnon-humantoolsandpowertoundertakeworkwhichmancouldnotexecutewiththerequiredregularity,exactitude,orpace,byreasonofcertainorganicdeficiencies。While,then,thesub-dividedlabourinmoststapleindustriesismostlyofanarrowlyprescribedandroutinecharacter,itishardlyeversocompletelyuniformandrepetitiveasthatdonebyamachine。

  Purelyroutinework,demandingnohumanskillorjudgmentisnearlyalwaysundertakenbymachinery,exceptwherehumanlabourcanbeboughtsocheapthatitdoesnotpaytoinventandapplymachinerysoastosecuresomeslightlyincreasedregularityorpaceofoutput。Where,then,asinmostmodernfactories,humanlabourcooperateswith,tendsandfeedsmachinery,thishumanlabourisofalesspurelyrepetitivecharacterthantheworkdonebythemachines。Someportionsofthelabour,atanyrate,containelementsofskillorjudgment,andarenotentirelyuniform。

  Wecaninfactdistinguishmanykindsandgradesofhumancooperationwithmachinery。Insomeofthemmanisthehabitualservant,inothersthehabitualmasterofthemachine;inothers,again,therelationismoreindirectorincidental。Thoughanincreasingnumberoftheprocessesinthemakingandmovingofmostformsofmaterialgoodsinvolvestheuseofmachineryandpower,theydonotinvolve,asissometimessupposed,theemploymentofagrowingproportionoftheworkersinthemerelyroutinelabouroftendingthemachines。Suchasupposition,indeed,isinconsistentwiththeprimaryeconomyofmachinery,theso-calledlabour-savingproperty。

  Itmight,indeed,bethecasethatthemachineeconomywasaccompaniedbysovastanincreaseofdemandformachine-madegoods,thatthequantityoflabourrequiredfortendingthemachineswasgreaterthanthatformerlyrequiredformakingbyhandthesmallerquantity。Insometradesthisisnodoubtso,asforinstanceintheprintingtrade,andinsomebranchesoftextileindustrywherethehomemarketislargelysupplementedbyexporttrade。Butthedisplacementofmachine-tendersbyautomaticmachinesisadvancinginmanyofthehighly-developedmachineindustries。Themodernflourorpapermill,forinstance,performsnearlyallitsfeedingprocessesbymechanicalmeanswhileinthetextiletradeautomaticspindlesandloomshavereducedthenumberandchangedthecharacteroftheworkofminders。

  Moreandmoreofthisworkmeansbringinghumanelementsofskillandjudgmentandresponsibilitytobearinadjustingorcorrectingtheirregularitiesorerrorsintheoperationsofmachinery。Machinesareliabletorundown,becomeclogged,break,orotherwise\'gowrong\'。Theseerrorstheycanoftenbemadetoannouncebyautomaticsignals,buthumancareisneededfortheircorrection。Thiswork,howevermonotonousandfatiguingtomusclesornerves,isnotandcannotbeentirelyrepetitive。

  Inmanyotherprocesseswherethemachineissaidtodothework,humanskillandpracticearerequiredtosetandtoregulatetheoperationsofthemachine。Theuseofautomaticlathesisaninstanceofcooperationinwhichsomescopeforhumanjudgmentremains。Themetalandengineeringtradesarefullofsuchinstances。Thoughmachineryisanexceedinglyimportantandinmanyprocessesagoverningfactor,itcannotbesaidtoreducethelabourthatworkswithittoitsownautomaticlevel。Onthecontrary,itmaybetakenasgenerallytruethat,intheprocesseswheremachineryhasreacheditsmostcomplexdevelopment,anincreasedshareofthelabouremployedincloseconnectionwiththemachineryisthatoftheskilledengineerorfitterratherthanofthemeretender。Theheaviestandthemostcostlylabourinthesetradesisusuallyfoundintheprocesseswhereithasnotbeenfoundpracticableoreconomicaltoapplymachinery。Indeed,thegeneraltendency,especiallynoticedinAmerica,inthemetaltrades,hasbeentosubstituteforalargeemploymentofskilledhandlabourofanarrowlyspecialisedorder,asmallemploymentofmoreskilledandresponsiblesupervisorsofmachineryandalargeemploymentoflow-skilledmanuallabourinthelessmechanicaldepartments,suchasfurnaceworkandotheroperationspreparatorytothemachineprocesses。

  §2。Thoughaccuratestatisticsarenotavailable,itappearsthatinthiscountrytheproportionoftheworkingpopulationemployedinmanufacturesisnotincreasing,anditismorethanprobablethatanexactanalysisofthenatureoftheworkofourfactoriesandworkshopswouldshowthattheproportionengagedindirectattendanceonmachinerywassteadilyfalling。

  Foreveninmanufacture,thedepartmentofindustrywheremachineprocesseshavemademostadvance,therearemanyprocesseswherehandlabourisstillrequired,insortingandpreparingmaterialsformachinery,inperformingminorprocessesoftrimmingordecoration,inputtingtogetherpartsorinpacking,etc。Wherefemalelabourisemployed,averylargeproportionofitwillbefoundtobeengagedinsuchprocessesoutsidethedirectdominionofmachinery。Thoughmostofthedistinctivelyhuman\'costs\'ofmachineprocesses,thelonghours,highpace,monotonyofmusclesandnervestrain,areusuallypresentinsuchwork,itisnotabsolutelymechanical,someslightelementsofskillandvolitionaldirectionbeingpresent。

  Thereareotherrestrictionsuponthepurelyrepetitiveorroutinecharacterofmanufacture。Thereismuchworkwhichnomachinecanbeinventedtodobecauseofcertaininherentelementsofirregularity。Mostofthesearerelatedtotheorganicnatureofsomeofthematerialsused。Whereexpensiveanimalorvegetableproductsrequiretreatment,theirnaturalinequalitiesoftenrenderapurelymechanicaloperationimpossibleorwasteful。

  Thekilling,cutting,andcanningprocessesinthemeattrade,thepicking,preparationandpackingoffruit,manyprocessesinthetanningandleathertrade。thefinersortsofcabinetmaking,areexamplesofthisunadaptabilityoforganicmaterialstopurelymechanicaltreatment。Whereveryvaluableinorganicmaterialsareusedinmakinghigh-gradeproducts,similarlimitationsinthemachineeconomyexist。Thefinestjewelleryandwatch-makingstillrequiretheskillandjudgmentofthepractisedhumanhandandeye。Someoftheirregularitiesinsuchprocessesare,indeed,sosmallandsouninterestingastoaffordlittle,ifany,abatementofhumancosts;buttheyremovethelabourfromthedirectcontrolofamachine。

  Amoreimportantirregularitywhichrestrictsmachineryinmanufactureexistswherethepersonalneedsortasteoftheconsumerhelptodeterminethenatureoftheprocessandtheproduct。Hereagainweareconfrontedbytheantagonismofmechanismandorganism。Forthetruedemandofconsumersisthehighestexpressionoftheuniquenesswhichdistinguishestheorganic。

  Asnotwoconsumersareexactlyidenticalinsize,shape,physicalormentalcapacities,tastesandneeds,thegoodsrequiredfortheirconsumptionshouldexhibitsimilardifferences。Machineeconomycannotproperlymeetthisrequirement。Itcanonlydealwithconsumerssofarastheirhumannatureiscommon:itcannotsupplytheneedsoftheirindividuality。Sofarastheyarewillingtosinktheirdifferences,consentingtoconsumelargequantitiesofgoodsofidenticalshapes,sizesandqualities,themachinecansupplythem。Butsincenotwoconsumersarereallyidenticalinneedsandtastes,orremainquiteconstantintheirneedsandtastes,thefundamentalassumptionofroutine-economyisopposedtothehumanfacts。

  Consumerswhorefusetosinktheirindividualityandare\'particular\'

  inthesortofclothestheywear,thesortofhousesandfurnitureandothergoodstheywillconsenttobuy,exerciseapowerantagonistictoroutinelabour。Theydemandthatproducersshallputoutthetechnicalskill,thecare,tasteandjudgmentrequiredtosatisfytheirfeelingsasconsumers。Thatistosay,theydemandthelabournotoftheroutine-workerbutofthecraftsman,workwhich,thoughnotcreativeinthefullfreeartisticsense,containsdistinctelementsofhumaninterestandinitiative。

  §3。Thepresenceandthepossibilitiesofthisindividualityoflabour,flowingfromtheeducatedindividualityofconsumers,areamostimportantinfluenceinthelighteningofthehumancostsoflabour。Atpresentnodoubtaverysmallproportionofthematerialgoodsturnedoutbytheindustrialsystemcontainsanyappreciableelementofthisindividualityofworkmanship。Itmay,indeed,wellappearthatourrecentcourseduringthedevelopmentofthemachineeconomyhasbeenaretrogradeone。Inthebeginningsofindustryitappearedasifthereweremorescopefortheproducer\'sself-expression,morejoyofwork,moreinterestintheproduct,eventhoughdestinedforthecommonestuses。TheguildsintheMiddleAgespreservednotalittleofthishappierspiritofcraftsmanship。Tothosewhobrooduponthesevisionsofthepast,ourmodernindustrialdevelopmenthasoftenseemedacrudesubstitutionofquantityofgoodsforquality,thecharacteroflabourdeterioratingintheprocess。Withtheelementoftruthinsuchajudgmentismingledmuchfalsehood。Therehasneverbeenanageoracountrywherethegreatbulkoflabourwasnottoilsome,painful,monotonous,anduninteresting,oftendegradinginitsconditions。

  Badasthingsare,whenregardedfromthestandpointofahumanideal,theyarebetterforthemajorityoftheworkersinthisandinotheradvancedindustrialcountriesthaneverinthepast,sofaraswecanreconstructandunderstandthatpast。Machineryhasrenderedagreathumanservicebytakingoverlargemassesofheavy,dull,anddegradingwork。Whenfullydevelopedandharnessedtothesocialserviceofman,itshouldprovetobethegreatliberatorofhisfreeproductivetastesandfaculties,performingforhimtheroutineprocessesofindustrysothathemayhavetimeandenergytodevotehimselftoactivitiesmoreinterestingandvaried。

  Theuniquenessoftheindividualconsumerhasonlybeguntomakeitsimpressionuponindustry。Foritneedslibertyandeducationforamantorecognisethispropertyoforganicuniquenessandtoinsistonrealisingit。Thefirstmovementsofconscioustastesinanationoraclassarelargelyimitative,takingshapeinfashionssufficientlywide-spreadanduniformtolendthemselvestoroutinemechanicalproduction。Theself-assertionoftheindividualisaslowerfruitofculture。But,asitgrows,itwillofferacontinuallystrongeroppositiontothedominionofmechanicalproduction。

  Itwilldothisintwoways。Inthefirstplace,itwillcausealargerproportionofdemandtobedirectedtotheclassesofproducts,suchasintellectual,aesthetic,andpersonalservices,whicharebytheirnaturelesssusceptibleofmechanicalproduction。Inthesecondplace,weakeningthetraditionalandtheimitativefactorsintasteanddemand,itwillcauseconsumption,evenofthehigherformsofmaterialcommodities,tobeamoreaccurateexpressionofthechangingneedsandtastesoftheindividual,stampingupontheprocessesofproductionthesameimpressofindividuality。

  Butthoughthedirectcontrolofmachineryoverhumanlabourisobstructedintheearlierextractiveprocessesbytherefractoryunevennatureofmaterials,andinthefinalprocessesbythenatureandparticularrequirementsofconsumers,itsinfluenceextendsfarbeyondthemiddleprocessesofmanufacturewhereitsprominenceisgreatest。

  Power-drivenmachineryplaysalargerpartinagricultureeveryyear:miningisthefirstofmachineindustriesinthesensethatitemploysthelargestamountofhorsepowerperman;thetransporttradebyseaandlandismechanisedeveninitsminorlocalbranches;thegreatpublicservices,supplyinglight,water,andothercommonwants,areamongthelargestusersofpower-drivenmachinery;

  thegreatestofourmaterialindustrieswhichstilldependsmainlyuponhandlabour,thebuildingandroad-makinggroup,isconstantlyincreasingitsdependenceonmachineryforitsheaviercarryingworkandforthepreparationofthemetal,stoneandwoodworkitemploys。Whenweaddthegrowthofnewlargemanufactures,suchaschemicalsandelectricalapparatus,theenormousexpansionofthepaperandprintingtradesunderthenewmechanicalconditions,therecenttransferenceoftheprocessesofthepreparationoffoodsanddrinksandlaundryworkfromtheprivatehousetothefactory,weshallrecognisethatthenetinfluenceofmachinery,asdeterminingthecharacterofhumanlabour,isstilladvancingwithconsiderablerapidity。

  §4。Itisnoteasytoanswerthetworelatedquestions,\'Howfarismachinerythemaster,howfartheservant,oftheworkerswhocooperatewithit?\'\'Howfardoesmachineryaggravate,howfarlightenthehumancostsoflabour?\'Evenwhenwecomparetheworkoftheclassesmostsubservienttomachinery,thefeedersandtendersinourfactories,withthedomesticorearlierfactoryprocessesunderhandlabour,itisbynomeansself-evidentthatthenetburdenofthehumancostshasbeenenhanced。For,thoughthespinningandweavingworkbeforetheindustrialrevolutionhadcertainslightelementsoffreedomandvarietynowabsent,manyofthehygienicconditionswerefarworse,thehoursoflabourwereusuallylonger,andthelargeemploymentofoldfolkandtenderchildren,inworknearlyasunvariedasthatenjoinedbymodernmachinery,enslavedtheentirelifeofthehomeandfamilytothenarrowandprecariousconditionsofasmalllocaltrade。Thereallibertyoftheworker,asregardshiswork,oritsdisposalinthemarket,washardlygreaterthaninthemodernfactory。

  Inmostofthegreatbranchesofproduction,machineryisratheranadjuncttolabourthanadirector。

  Thelabourerinchargeofthemachinetendsmoretothetypeoftheengineerthantothatofthefeederormereminder。Thoughthemining,metal,chemical,paper,foodanddrinkmanufacturescontainlargequantitiesofmachinery,alargeproportionofthosewhohavetodealwiththemachinesareskilledmanuallabourers。Sointhetransporttrade,thoughthedisplacementoftheold-timesailorbytheengineerandstoker,ofthehorse-driverbytheengine-driverandthemotor-man,sometimesappearstoinvolveadegradationoflabour,theissueisadoubtfulone,ifalltheprosandconsaretakenintodueaccount。Asregardstheemploymentofmachineryinthebuildingandcontractingtrades,asinthemining,itsfirstandobviouseffecthasbeentorelievehumanlabourfrommuchoftheheaviestmusculartoil。Thoughmostofsuchlabourinvolvestooslightelementsofinterestorskillgreatlytoalleviatethephysicalfatigue,itcannotbesaidthatmachineryhasincreasedtheburden。CHAPTERVII:THEDISTRIBUTIONOF

  HUMANCOSTS

  §1。Inendeavouringtoestimatethehumancostsoflabourintermsofphysicalwearandtearandtheconsciouspainsandpenaltiesentailedbytheconditionsunderwhichmanyindustrialprocessesarecarriedon,wehavehithertoconsideredthesecostsasbornebyworkers,irrespectiveofage,sex,orotherdiscriminations。Butitisself-evidentthatagivenstrainuponmusclesornervesoveraperiodoftimewillvarygreatly,bothintheorganiccostandintheconsciouspainwhichitentails,accordingtothestrengthandendurance,nervousstructure,physicalandmoralsensitiveness,ofthedifferentsortsofworkers。Indeed,agivenoutputofproductiveenergywillevidentlyentailadifferenthumancostineverypersoncalledupontogiveitout:foreverydifferenceofstrength,skill,capacityandcharactermusttosomeextentaffecttheorganicburdenofthetask。

  Inendeavouring,therefore,torelatethehumantotheeconomiccostsofproductionofanyquantityofmaterialwealthorservices,itwouldbenecessarytoconsiderhowfartheconditionsofemploymenttendtoeconomisehumancostsbydistributingtheburdenproportionatelytothepowertobearit。Thehumanwastesorexcessivecosts,entailedbyconditionsofemploymentwhichimposeunequalburdensuponworkerswithequalcapacitytobearthem,orwhichdistributetheburdenunequallyintimeoverthesamesetofworkers,alternatingslackperiodswithperiodsofexcessiveover-time,areobvious。Unfortunatelytheoperationofourindustrialsystemhasnothithertotakentheseintosufficientaccount。

  Thoughthephysical,moralandsocialinjuries,duetoalternatingperiodsofoverandunderwork,aregenerallyadmitted,thefullcostsofsuchirregularity,humanandeveneconomic,arefarfrombeingadequatelyrealised。Whilesomeattemptsat\'decasualisation\'arebeingmade,thelargerandmorewastefulirregularitiesofseasonalandcyclicalfluctuationsarestillregardedasirremediable。

点击下载App,搜索"WorkWealth Work and Wealth",免费读到尾