wealbk01-第27节

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teaching　him　his　trade。　They　who　cannot　give　money　give　time；　or

become　bound　for　more　than　the　usual　number　of　years；　a

consideration　which；　though　it　is　not　always　advantageous　to　the

master；　on　account　of　the　usual　idleness　of　apprentices；　is

always　disadvantageous　to　the　apprentice。　In　country　labour；　on

the　contrary；　the　labourer；　while　he　is　employed　about　the

easier；　learns　the　more　difficult　parts　of　his　business；　and　his

own　labour　maintains　him　through　all　the　different　stages　of　his

employment。　It　is　reasonable；　therefore；　that　in　Europe　the　wages

of　mechanics；　artificers；　and　manufacturers；　should　be　somewhat

higher　than　those　of　common　labourers。　They　are　so　accordingly；

and　their　superior　gains　make　them　in　most　places　be　considered

as　a　superior　rank　of　people。　This　superiority；　however；　is

generally　very　small；　the　daily　or　weekly　earnings　of　journeymen

in　the　more　common　sorts　of　manufactures；　such　as　those　of　plain

linen　and　woollen　cloth；　computed　at　an　average；　are；　in　most

places；　very　little　more　than　the　day　wages　of　common　labourers。

Their　employment；　indeed；　is　more　steady　and　uniform；　and　the

superiority　of　their　earnings；　taking　the　whole　year　together；

may　be　somewhat　greater。　It　seems　evidently；　however；　to　be　no

greater　than　what　is　sufficient　to　compensate　the　superior

expense　of　their　education。

　　　　　Education　in　the　ingenious　arts　and　in　the　liberal

professions　is　still　more　tedious　and　expensive。　The　pecuniary

recompense；　therefore；　of　painters　and　sculptors；　of　lawyers　and

physicians；　ought　to　be　much　more　liberal；　and　it　is　so

accordingly。

　　　　　The　profits　of　stock　seem　to　be　very　little　affected　by　the

easiness　or　difficulty　of　learning　the　trade　in　which　it　is

employed。　All　the　different　ways　in　which　stock　is　commonly

employed　in　great　towns　seem；　in　reality；　to　be　almost　equally

easy　and　equally　difficult　to　learn。　One　branch　either　of　foreign

or　domestic　trade　cannot　well　be　a　much　more　intricate　business

than　another。

　　　　　Thirdly；　the　wages　of　labour　in　different　occupations　vary

with　the　constancy　or　inconstancy　of　employment。

　　　　　Employment　is　much　more　constant　in　some　trades　than　in

others。　In　the　greater　part　of　manufacturers；　a　journeyman　may　be

pretty　sure　of　employment　almost　every　day　in　the　year　that　he　is

able　to　work。　A　mason　or　bricklayer；　on　the　contrary；　can　work

neither　in　hard　frost　nor　in　foul　weather；　and　his　employment　at

all　other　times　depends　upon　the　occasional　calls　of　his

customers。　He　is　liable；　in　consequence；　to　be　frequently　without

any。　What　he　earns；　therefore；　while　he　is　employed；　must　not

only　maintain　him　while　he　is　idle；　but　make　him　some

compensation　for　those　anxious　and　desponding　moments　which　the

thought　of　so　precarious　a　situation　must　sometimes　occasion。

Where　the　computed　earnings　of　the　greater　part　of　manufacturers；

accordingly；　are　nearly　upon　a　level　with　the　day　wages　of　common

labourers；　those　of　masons　and　bricklayers　are　generally　from　one

half　more　to　double　those　wages。　Where　common　labourers　earn　four

and　five　shillings　a　week；　masons　and　bricklayers　frequently　earn

seven　and　eight；　where　the　former　earn　six；　the　latter　often　earn

nine　and　ten；　and　where　the　former　earn　nine　and　ten；　as　in

London；　the　latter　commonly　earn　fifteen　and　eighteen。　No　species

of　skilled　labour；　however；　seems　more　easy　to　learn　than　that　of

masons　and　bricklayers。　Chairmen　in　London；　during　the　summer

season；　are　said　sometimes　to　be　employed　as　bricklayers。　The

high　wages　of　those　workmen；　therefore；　are　not　so　much　the

recompense　of　their　skill；　as　the　compensation　for　the

inconstancy　of　their　employment。

　　　　　A　house　carpenter　seems　to　exercise　rather　a　nicer　and　more

ingenious　trade　than　a　mason。　In　most　places；　however；　for　it　is

not　universally　so；　his　day…wages　are　somewhat　lower。　His

employment；　though　it　depends　much；　does　not　depend　so　entirely

upon　the　occasional　calls　of　his　customers；　and　it　is　not　liable

to　be　interrupted　by　the　weather。

　　　　　When　the　trades　which　generally　afford　constant　employment

happen　in　a　particular　place　not　to　do　so；　the　wages　of　the

workmen　always　rise　a　good　deal　above　their　ordinary　proportion

to　those　of　common　labour。　In　London　almost　all　journeymen

artificers　are　liable　to　be　called　upon　and　dismissed　by　their

masters　from　day　to　day；　and　from　week　to　week；　in　the　same

manner　as　day…labourers　in　other　places。　The　lowest　order　of

artificers；　journeymen　tailors；　accordingly；　earn　there　half　a

crown　a…day；　though　eighteenpence　may　be　reckoned　the　wages　of

common　labour。　In　small　towns　and　country　villages；　the　wages　of

journeymen　tailors　frequently　scarce　equal　those　of　common

labour；　but　in　London　they　are　often　many　weeks　without

employment；　particularly　during　the　summer。

　　　　　When　the　inconstancy　of　employment　is　combined　with　the

hardship；　disagreeableness　and　dirtiness　of　the　work；　it

sometimes　raises　the　wages　of　the　most　common　labour　above　those

of　the　most　skilful　artificers。　A　collier　working　by　the　piece　is

supposed；　at　Newcastle；　to　earn　commonly　about　double；　and　in

many　parts　of　Scotland　about　three　times　the　wages　of　common

labour。　His　high　wages　arise　altogether　from　the　hardship；

disagreeableness；　and　dirtiness　of　his　work。　His　employment　may；

upon　most　occasions；　be　as　constant　as　he　pleases。　The

coal…heavers　in　London　exercise　a　trade　which　in　hardship；

dirtiness；　and　disagreeableness；　almost　equals　that　of　colliers；

and　from　the　unavoidable　irregularity　in　the　arrivals　of

coal…ships；　the　employment　of　the　greater　part　of　them　is

necessarily　very　inconstant。　If　colliers；　therefore；　commonly

earn　double　and　triple　the　wages　of　common　labour；　it　ought　not

to　seem　unreasonable　that　coal…heavers　should　sometimes　earn　four

and　five　times　those　wages。　In　the　inquiry　made　into　their

condition　a　few　years　ago；　it　was　found　that　at　the　rate　at　which

they　were　then　paid；　they　could　earn　from　six　to　ten　shillings　a

day。　Six　shillings　are　about　four　times　the　wages　of　common

labour　in　London；　and　in　every　particular　trade　the　lowest　common

earnings　may　always　be　considered　as　those　of　the　far　greater

number。　How　extravagant　soever　those　earnings　may　appear；　if　they

were　more　than　sufficient　to　compensate　all　the　disagreeable

circumstances　of　the　business；　there　would　soon　be　so　great　a

number　of　competitors　as；　in　a　trade　which　has　no　exclusive

privilege；　would　quickly　reduce　them　to　a　lower　rate。

　　　　　The　constancy　or　inconstancy　of　employment　cannot　affect　the

ordinary　profits　of　stock　in　any　particular　trade。　Whether　the

stock　is　or　is　not　constantly　employed　depends。　not　upon　the

trade；　but　the　trader。

　　　　　Fourthly；　the　wages　of　labour　vary　accordingly　to　the　small

or　great　trust　which　must　be　reposed　in　the　workmen。

　　　　　The　wages　of　goldsmiths　and　jewellers　are　everywhere

superior　to　those　of　many　other　workmen；　not　only　of　equal；　but

of　much　superior　ingenuity；　on　account　of　the　precious　materials

with　which　they　are　intrusted。

　　　　　We　trust　our　health　to　the　physician：　our　fortune　and

sometimes　our　life　and　reputation　to　the　lawyer　and　attorney。

Such　confidence　could　not　safely　be　reposed　in　people　of　a　very

mean　or　low　condition。　Their　reward　must　be　such；　therefore；　as

may　give　them　that　rank　in　the　society　which　so　important　a　trust

requires。　The　long　time　and　the　great　expense　which　must　be　laid

out　in　their　education；　when　combined　with　this　circumstance；

necessarily　enhance　still　further　the　price　of　their　labour。

　　　　　When　a　person　employs　only　his　own　stock　in　trade；　there　is

no　trust；　and　the　credit　which　he　may　get　from　other　people

depends；　not　upon　the　nature　of　his　trade；　but　upon　their　opinion

of　his　fortune；　probity；　and　prudence。　The　different　rates　of

profit；　therefore；　in　the　different　branches　of　trade；　cannot

arise　from　the　different　degrees　of　trust　reposed　in　the　traders。

　　　　　Fifthly；　the　wages　of　labour　in　different。　employments　vary

according　to　the　probability　or　improbability　of　success　in　them。

　　　　　The　probability　that　any　particular　person　shall　ever　be

qualified　for　the　employment　to　which　he　is　educated　is　very

different　in　different　occupations。　In　the　greater　part　of

mechanic　trades；　success　is　almost　certain；　but　very　uncertain　in

the　liberal　professions。　Put　your　son　apprentice　to　a　shoemaker；

there　is　little　doubt　of　his　learning　to　make　a　pair　of　shoes；

but　send　him　to　study　the　law；　it　is　at　least　twenty　to　one　if

ever　he　makes　such　proficiency　as　will　enable　him　to　live　by　the

business。　In　a　perfectly　fair　lottery；　those　who　draw　the　prizes

ought　to　gain　all　that　is　lost　by　those　who　draw　the　blanks。　In　a

profession　where　twenty　fail　for　one　that　succeeds；　that　one

ought　to　gain　all　that　should　have　been　gained　by　the

unsuccessful　twenty。　The　counsellor…at…law　who；　perhaps；　at　near

forty　years　of　age；　begins　to　make　something　by　h