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which are within the reach of the canals more valuable。 If the
means of transport along a canal be destroyed; we may use the water
which has been hitherto employed for transport; for irrigating
meadows apparently; therefore; for increasing agricultural
capital and agricultural rents; &c。; but even supposing that by
such a process the value of these meadows rose to millions; this
alteration; apparently profitable to agriculture; will nevertheless
lower the total value of the landed property which is within reach
of the canal ten times more。
Considered from this point of view; from the circumstance that
the total manufacturing capital of a country is so small in
comparison with its total agricultural capital; conclusions must be
drawn of a totally different character from those which the present
and preceding school have drawn from it。 The maintenance and
augmentation of the manufacturing power seem now; even to the
agriculturist; the more valuable; the less capital as compared with
agriculture it requires to absorb in itself and to put into
circulation。 Yes; it must now become evident to the agriculturist;
and especially to the rent…owners and the landed proprietors of a
country; that it would be to their interest to maintain and develop
an internal manufacturing power; even had they to procure the
requisite capital without hope of direct recompense; just as it is
to their interest to construct canals; railways; and roads even if
these undertakings yield no real nett profit。 Let us apply the
foregoing considerations to those industries which lie nearest and
are most necessary to agriculture; e。g。 flour mills; and there will
be no room for doubt as to the correctness of our views。 Compare;
on the one hand; the value of landed property and rent in a
district where a mill is not within reach of the agriculturist;
with their value in those districts where this industry is carried
on in their very midst; and we shall find that already this single
industry has a considerable effect on the value of land and on
rent; that there; under similar conditions of natural fertility;
the total value of the land has not merely increased to double; but
to ten or twenty times more than the cost of erecting the mill
amounted to; and that the landed proprietors would have obtained
considerable advantage by the erection of the mill; even if they
had built it at their common expense and presented it to the
miller。 The latter circumstance; in fact; takes place every day in
the backwoods of North America; where; in cases when an individual
has not adequate capital to erect such works entirely at his own
expense; the landowner gladly helps him by contributing labour; by
team work; free gifts of timber; &c。 In fact; the same thing also
occurred; although in another form; in countries of earlier
civilisation; here must undoubtedly be sought the origin of many
ancient feudal 'common mill' rights。
As it is in the case of the corn mill; so is it in those of
saw; oil; and plaster mills; so is it in that of iron works;
everywhere it can be proved that the rent and the value of landed
property rise in proportion as the property lies nearer to these
industries; and especially according as they are in closer or less
close commercial relations with agriculture。
And why should this not be the case with woollen; flax; hemp;
paper; and cotton mills? Why not with all manufacturing industries?
We see; at least; everywhere that rent and value of landed property
rise in exactly the same proportion with the proximity of that
property to the town; and with the degree in which the town is
populous and industrious。 If in such comparatively small districts
we calculate the value of the landed property and the capital
expended thereon; and; on the other hand; the value of the capital
employed in various industries; and compare their total amount; we
shall find everywhere that the former is at least ten times larger
than the latter。 But it would be folly to conclude from this that
a nation obtains greater advantages by investing its material
capital in agriculture than in manufactures; and that the former is
in itself more favourable to the augmentation of capital than the
latter。 The increase of the material agricultural capital depends
for the most part on the increase of the material manufacturing
capital; and nations which do not recognise this truth; however
much they may be favoured by nature in agriculture; will not only
not progress; but will retrograde in wealth; population; culture;
and power。
We see; nevertheless; how the proprietors of rent and of landed
property not unfrequently regard those fiscal and political
regulations which aim at the establishment of a native
manufacturing power as privileges which serve merely to enrich the
manufacturers; the burden of which they (the landed interest) have
exclusively to bear。 They; who at the beginning of their
agricultural operations so clearly perceived what great advantages
they might obtain if a corn mill; a saw mill; or an iron work were
established in their neighbourhood; that they themselves submitted
to the greatest sacrifices in order to contribute towards the
erection of such works; can no longer; when their interests as
agriculturists have somewhat improved; comprehend what immense
advantages the total agricultural interest of the country would
derive from a perfectly developed national industry of its own; and
how its own advantage demands that it should submit to those
sacrifices without which this object cannot be attained。 It
therefore happens; that; only in a few and only in very
well…educated nations; the mind of each separate landed proprietor;
though it is generally keenly enough alive to those interests which
lie close at hand; is sagacious enough to appreciate those greater
ones which are manifest to a more extended view。
It must not; moreover; be forgotten that the popular theory has
materially contributed to confuse the opinions of landed
proprietors。 Smith and Say endeavoured everywhere to represent the
exertions of manufacturers to obtain measures of protection as
inspirations of mere self…interest; and to praise; on the contrary;
the generosity and disinterestedness of the landed proprietors; who
are far from claiming any such measures for themselves。 It appears;
however; that the landed proprietors have merely become mindful of
and been stimulated to the virtue of disinterestedness; which is so
highly attributed to them; in order to rid themselves of it。 For in
the greatest number of; and in the most important; manufacturing
states; these landowners have also recently demanded and obtained
measures of protection; although (as we have shown in another
place) it is to their own greatest injury。 If the landed
proprietors formerly made sacrifices to establish a national
manufacturing power of their own; they did what the agriculturist
in a country place does when he makes sacrifices in order that a
corn mill or an iron forge may be established in his vicinity。 If
the landed proprietors now require protection also for their
agriculture; they do what those former landed proprietors would
have done if; after the mill has been erected by their aid; they
required the miller to help in cultivating their fields。 Without
doubt that would be a foolish demand。 Agriculture can only
progress; the rent and value of land can only increase; in the
ratio in which manufactures and commerce flourish; and manufactures
cannot flourish if the importation of raw materials and provisions
is restricted。 This the manufacturers everywhere felt。 For the
fact; however; that the landed proprietors notwithstanding obtained
measures of protection in most large states; there is a double
reason。 Firstly; in states having representative government; the
landowner's influence is paramount in legislation; and the
manufacturers did not venture to oppose themselves perseveringly to
the foolish demand of the landowners; fearing lest they might
thereby incline the latter to favour the principles of free trade;
they preferred to agree with the landed proprietors。
It was then insinuated by the school to the landed proprietors
that it is just as foolish to establish manufactures by artificial
means as it would be to produce wine in cold climates in
greenhouses; that manufactures would originate in the natural
course of