the vested interests and the common man-第17节

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and　with　every　successive　move　the　control　exercised　by　the　
business　men　in　charge　grows　wider；　more　arbitrary；　and　more　
incompatible　with　the　common　good。　
　　　　Business　affairs；　in　the　narrow　sense　of　the　expression；　have　
in　time　necessarily　come　in　for　an　increasing　share　of　the　
attention　of　those　who　exercise　the　control。　The　businesslike　
manager's　attention　is　continually　more　taken　up　with　〃the　
financial　end〃　of　the　concern's　interests；　so　that　by　enforced　
neglect　he　is　necessarily　leaving　more　of　the　details　of　shop　
management　and　supervision　of　the　works　to　subordinates；　largely　
to　subordinates　who　are　presumed　to　have　some　knowledge　of　
technological　matters　and　no　immediate　interest　in　the　run　of　the　
market。　They　are　in　fact　persons　who　are　presumed　to　have　this　
knowledge　by　the　business　men　who　have　none　of　it。　But　the　larger　
and　final　discretion；　which　affects　the　working　of　the　industrial　
system　as　a　whole；　or　the　orderly　management　of　any　considerable　
group　of　industries　within　the　general　system；…　all　that　is　still　
under　the　immediate　control　of　the　businesslike　managers；　each　of　
whom　works　for　his　own　concern's　gain　without　much　afterthought。　
The　final　discretion　still　rests　with　the　businesslike　
directorate　of　each　concern　　the　owner　or　the　board　　even　in　
all　questions　of　physical　organisation　and　technical　management；　
although　this　businesslike　control　of　the　details　of　production　
necessarily　comes　to　little　else　than　acceptance；　rejection；　or　
revision　of　measures　proposed　by　the　men　immediately　in　charge　of　
the　works；　together　with　a　constant　check　on　the　rate　and　volume　
of　output；　with　a　view　to　the　market。　
　　　　In　very　great　part　the　directorate's　control　of　the　industry　
has　practically　taken　the　shape　of　a　veto　on　such　measures　of　
production　as　are　not　approved　by　the　directorate　for　
businesslike　reasons；　that　is　to　say　for　purposes　of　private　
gain。　Business　is　a　pursuit　of　profits；　and　profits　are　to　be　had　
from　profitable　sales；　and　profitable　sales　can　be　made　only　if　
prices　are　maintained　at　a　profitable　level；　and　prices　can　be　
maintained　only　if　the　volume　of　marketable　output　is　kept　within　
reasonable　limits；　so　that　the　paramount　consideration　in　such　
business　as　has　to　do　with　the　staple　industries　is　a　reasonable　
limitation　of　the　output。　〃Reasonable〃　means　〃what　the　traffic　
will　bear〃；　that　is　to　say；　〃what　will　yield　the　largest　net　
return。〃　
　　　　Hence　in　the　larger　mechanical　industries；　which　set　the　pace　
for　the　rest　and　which　are　organised　on　a　standardised　and　more　
or　less　automatic　plan；　the　current　oversight　of　production　by　
their　businesslike　directorate　does　not　effectually　extend　much　
beyond　the　regulation　of　the　output　with　a　view　to　what　the　
traffic　will　bear；　and　in　this　connection　there　is　very　little　
that　the　business　men　in　charge　can　do　except　to　keep　the　output　
short　of　productive　capacity　by　so　much　as　the　state　of　the　
market　seems　to　require；　it　does　not　lie　within　their　competence　
to　increase　the　output　beyond　that　point；　or　to　increase　the　
productive　capacity　of　their　works；　except　by　way　of　giving　the　
technical　men　permission　to　go　ahead　and　do　it。　
　　　　The　business　man's　place　in　the　economy　of　nature　is　to　〃make　
money；〃　not　to　produce　goods。　The　production　of　goods　is　a　
mechanical　process；　incidental　to　the　making　of　money；　whereas　
the　making　of　money　is　a　pecuniary　operation；　carried　on　by　
bargain　and　sale；　not　by　mechanical　appliances　and　powers。　The　
business　men　make　use　of　the　mechanical　appliances　and　powers　of　
the　industrial　system；　but　they　make　a　pecuniary　use　of　them。　And　
in　point　of　fact　the　less　use　a　business　man　can　make　of　the　
mechanical　appliances　and　powers　under　his　charge；　and　the　
smaller　a　product　he　can　contrive　to　turn　out　for　a　given　return　
in　terms　of　price；　the　better　it　suits　his　purpose。　The　highest　
achievement　in　business　is　the　nearest　approach　to　getting　
something　for　nothing。　What　any　given　business　concern　gains　must　
come　out　of　the　total　output　of　productive　industry；　of　course；　
and　to　that　extent　any　given　business　concern　has　an　interest　in　
the　continued　production　of　goods。　But　the　less　any　given　
business　concern　can　contrive　to　give　for　what　it　gets；　the　more　
profitable　its　own　traffic　will　be。　Business　success　means　
〃getting　the　best　of　the　bargain。〃　
　　　　The　common　good；　so　far　as　it　is　a　question　of　material　
welfare；　is　evidently　best　served　by　an　unhampered　working　of　the　
industrial　system　at　its　full　capacity；　without　interruption　or　
dislocation。　But　it　is　equally　evident　that　the　owner　or　manager　
of　any　given　concern　or　section　of　this　industrial　system　may　be　
in　a　position　to　gain　something　for　himself　at　the　cost　of　the　
rest　by　obstructing；　retarding　or　dislocating　this　working　system　
at　some　critical　point　in　such　a　way　as　will　enable　him　to　get　
the　best　of　the　bargain　in　his　dealings　with　the　rest。　This　
appears　constantly　in　the　altogether　usual；　and　altogether　
legitimate；　practice　of　holding　out　for　a　better　price。　So　also　
in　the　scarcely　less　usual；　and　no　less　legitimate；　practice　of　
withholding　needed　ground　or　right　of　way；　or　needed　materials　or　
information；　from　a　business　rival。　Indeed　it　has　been　rumored　
that　one　of　the　usual　incentives　which　drew　the　patriotic　
one…dollar…a…year　men　from　their　usual　occupations　to　the　service　
of　their　country　was　the　chance　of　controlling　information　by　
means　of　which　to　〃put　it　over〃　their　business　rivals。　All　these　
things　are　usual　and　a　matter　of　course；　because　business　
management　under　the　conditions　created　by　the　new　order　of　
industry　is　in　great　part　made　up　of　these　things。　Sabotage　of　
this　kind　is　indispensable　to　any　large　success　in　industrial　
business。　
　　　　But　it　is　also　evident　that　the　private　gain　which　the　
business　concerns　come　in　for　by　this　management　entails　a　loss　
on　the　rest　of　the　community；　and　that　the　loss　suffered　by　the　
rest　of　the　community　is　necessarily　larger　than　the　total　gains　
which　these　manoeuvres　bring　to　the　business　concerns；　inasmuch　
as　the　friction；　obstruction　and　retardation　of　the　moving　
equilibrium　of　production　involved　in　this　business…like　sabotage　
necessarily　entails　a　disproportionate　curtailment　of　output。　
　　　　However；　it　is　well　to　call　to　mind　that　the　community　will　
still　be　able　to　get　along；　perhaps　even　to　get　along　very　
tolerably；　in　spite　of　a　very　appreciable　volume　of　sabotage　of　
this　kind；　even　though　it　does　reduce　the　net　productive　capacity　
to　a　fraction　of　what　it　would　be　in　the　absence　of　all　this　
interference　and　retardation；　for　the　current　state　of　the　
industrial　arts　is　highly　productive。　So　much　so　that　in　spite　of　
all　this　deliberate　waste　and　confusion　that　is　set　afoot　in　this　
way　for　private　gain；　there　still　is　left　over　an　absolutely　
large　residue　of　net　production　over　cost。　The　community　still　
has　something　to　go　on。　The　available　margin　of　free　income　　
that　is　to　say；　the　margin　of　production　over　cost　　is　still　
wide；　so　that　it　allows　a　large　latitude　for　playing　fast　and　
loose　with　the　community's　livelihood。　
　　　　Now；　these　businesslike　manoeuvres　of　deviation　and　delay　are　
by　no　means　to　be　denounced　as　being　iniquitous　or　unfair；　
although　they　may　have　an　unfortunate　effect　on　the　conditions　of　
life　for　the　common　man。　That　is　his　misfortune；　which　law　and　
custom　count　on　his　bearing　with　becoming　fortitude。　These　are　
the　ordinary　and　approved　means　of　carrying　on　business　according　
to　the　liberal　principles　of　free　bargain　and　self…help　as　
established　in　the　eighteenth　century；　and　they　are　in　the　main　
still　looked　on　as　a　meritorious　exercise　of　thrift　and　sagacity　
　duly　so　looked　on；　it　is　to　be　presumed。　At　least　such　is　the　
prevailing　view　among　the　substantial　citizens；　who　are　in　a　
position　to　speak　from　first…hand　knowledge。　It　is　only　that　the　
exercise　of　these　homely　virtues　on　the　large　scale　on　which　
business　is　now　conducted；　and　when　dealing　with　the　
wide…reaching　articulations　of　the　industrial　system　under　the　
new　order　of　technology；　　under　these　uncalled…for　
circumstances　the　unguarded　exercise　of　these　virtues　entails　
business　disturbances　which　are　necessarily　large；　and　which　
bring　on　mischievous　consequences　in　industry　which　are　
disproportionately　larger　still。　
　　　　It　is　also　true；　the　businesslike　managers　of　industrial　
enterprise　have　also　other　things　to　do；　besides　holding　the　
marketable　supply　of　goods　and　services　down　to　such　an　amount　as　
is　expected　to　bring　the　most　profitable　prices；　or　diverting　
credulous　customers　from　one　seller　to　another　by　competitive　
advertising。　But　it　should　also　be　noted　that　there　is　next　to　no　
business　enterprise；　if　any；　whose　chief　end　is　not　profitable　
sales；　or　profitable　bargains　which　mean　the　same　thing　as　
profitable　sales。　They　are　therefore　engaged　unremittingly　in　one　
or　another　of　the　approved　lines　of　competitive　management　with　a　
view　to　profitable　traffic　for　themselves；　and　to　creating　an　
advantage　for　themselves　in　the　market。　It　is　a　poor…spirited