the vested interests and the common man-第18节

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view　to　profitable　traffic　for　themselves；　and　to　creating　an　
advantage　for　themselves　in　the　market。　It　is　a　poor…spirited　
concern　that　does　not　constantly　aim　to　create　for　itself　such　a　
position　of　advantage　as　will　give　it　something　of　a　vested　
interest　in　the　traffic。　Such　a　concern　is　scarcely　fit　to　
survive；　nor　is　it　likely　to。　
　　　　It　is　not　that　business　enterprise　is　wholly　taken　up　with　
such　like　manoeuvres　of　restraint；　obstruction　and　competitive　
selling。　This　is　only　part　of　the　business　men's　everyday　work；　
although　it　is　not　a　minor　part。　In　any　competitive　business　
community　this　line　of　duties　will　take　up　a　large　share　of　the　
business　men's　attention　and　will　engage　their　best　and　most　
businesslike　abilities。　More　particularly　in　the　management　of　
the　greater　industrial　enterprises　of　the　present　day；　the　larger　
as　well　as　the　more　lucrative　part　of　the　duties　of　those　who　
direct　affairs　appears　commonly　to　be　of　this　nature。　That　such　
should　be　the　case　lies　in　the　nature　of　things　under　the　
circumstances　which　now　prevail。　It　would　not　be　far　out　of　the　
way　to　say　that　any　occupations　in　which　this　rule　does　not　apply　
are　occupations　which　have　not；　or　have　not　yet；　come　into　line　
as　members　in　good　standing　in　that　new　order　of　business　
enterprise　which　is　based　on　the　machine　industry　governed　by　the　
liberal　principles　of　the　eighteenth　century。　
　　　　〃Our　people；　moreover；　do　not　wait　to　be　coached　and　led。　
They　know　their　own　business；　are　quick　and　resourceful　at　every　
readjustment；　definite　in　purpose；　and　self…reliant　in　action。。。　
The　American　business　man　is　of　quick　initiative。　The　ordinary　
and　normal　processes　of　private　initiative　will　not；　however；　
provide　immediate　employment　for　all　of　the　men　of　our　returning　
armies；〃　Such　is　the　esteem　in　which　American　business　men　are　
held　by　American　popular　opinion　and　such　is　also　the　view　which　
American　business　men　are　inclined　to　take　of　their　own　place　and　
value　in　the　community。　There　need　be　no　quarrel　with　it。　But　it　
will　be　in　place　to　call　attention　to　the　statement　that　〃The　
ordinary　and　normal　processes　of　private　initiative　will　not；　
however；　provide　immediate　employment　for　all　the　men。〃　It　should　
be　added；　as　is　plain　to　all　men；　that　these　ordinary　and　normal　
processes　of　private　initiative　never　do　provide　employment　for　
all　the　men　available。　In　fact；　unemployment　is　an　ordinary　and　
normal　phenomenon。　So　that　even　in　the　present　emergency；　when　
the　peoples　of　Christendom　are　suffering　privation　together　for　
want　of　goods　needed　for　immediate　use；　the　ordinary　and　normal　
processes　of　private　initiative　are　not　to　be　depended　on　to　
employ　all　the　available　man　power　for　productive　industry。　The　
reason　is　well　known　to　all　men；　so　well　known　as　to　be　uniformly　
taken　for　granted　as　a　circumstance　which　is　beyond　human　remedy。　
It　is　the　simple　and　obvious　fact　that　the　ordinary　and　normal　
processes　of　private　initiative　are　the　same　thing　as　〃business　
as　usual；〃　which　controls　industry　with　a　view　to　private　gain　in　
terms　of　price；　and　the　largest　private；　gain　in　terms　of　price　
can　not　be　had　by　employing　all　the　available　man　power　and　
speeding　up　the　industries　to　their　highest　productivity；　even　
when　all　the　peoples　of　Christendom　are　suffering　privation　
together　for　want　of　the　ordinary　necessaries　of　life。　Private　
initiative　means　business　enterprise；　not　industry。　
　　　　But　all　the　same；　the　profits　of　business　come　out　of　the　
product　of　industry；　and　industry　is　controlled；　accelerated　and　
slowed　down　with　a　view　to　business　profits；　and　one　outcome　of　
this　arrangement　so　far；　in　America；　has　been　the　complacent　
estimate　of　this　business　enterprise　formulated　in　the　passage　
quoted　above。　The　result　of　a　businesslike　management　of　industry　
for　private　gain　in　America　has　on　the　whole　been　a　fairly　high　
level　of　prosperity。　For　this　there　are　two　main　reasons：　（a）　the　
exceptionally　great　natural　resources　of　the　country；　and　（b）　the　
continued　growth　and　spread　of　population；　（a）　Business　
enterprise；　that　is　to　say　private　ownership；　has　taken　over　
these　resources；　by　a　process　of　legalised　seizure；　and　has　used　
them　up　as　rapidly　as　may　be；　with　a　view　to　private　gain；　all　of　
which　has　gone　to　make　private　business　profitable　to　that　
extent；　although　it　has　impoverished　the　underlying　community　by　
using　up　its　natural　resources；　（b）　The　continued　growth　and　
spread　of　population；　by　natural　increase　and　by　immigration；　has　
furnished　the　business　men　of　this　country　a　continually　
expanding　market　for　goods；　both　for　goods　to　be　used　in　
production　and　transportation　and　for　finished　articles　of　
consumption。　Hence　the　American　business　men　have　been　in　the　
fortunate　position　of　not　having　to　curtail　the　output　of　
industry　harshly　and　persistently　at　all　points。　It　is；　in　
effect；　for　this　continued　growth　of　their　market；　caused　by　the　
growth　of　population；　that　the　business　men　claim　credit　when　
they　〃point　with　pride〃　to　the　resourcefulness　and　quick　
initiative　with　which　they　have　〃developed　the　country；〃　To　their　
credit　be　it　said；　they　have　on　the　whole　not　hindered　the　
country's　prosperity　beyond　what　the　traffic　would　bear；　and　the　
peculiar　situation　of　this　country　hitherto　has　been　such　that　
the　traffic　of　business　would　bear　a　nearly　uninterrupted　
expansion　of　industry　at　perhaps　something　like　one…half　of　its　
possible　rate　of　expansion。　To　their　own　gain；　and　to　the　relief　
of　the　underlying　community；　they　have　been　enabled　profitably　to　
let　the　country's　industry　run　on　a　moderately　high　level　of　
efficiency；with　more　or　less；　but　always　a　very　appreciable　
amount；　of　unemployment；　idle　plant；　and　waste　of　resources。　
　　　　All　that　industry　which　comes　in　under　the　dominant　machine　
technology　　that　is　to　say　all　that　fairly　belongs　in　the　new　
order　of　industry　　is　now　governed　by　business　men　for　business　
ends；　in　what　is　to　be　done　and　what　is　to　be　left　undone。　And　
wherever　business　enterprise　has　taken　over　the　direction　of　
things　the　management　is　directed　in　part　to　the　production　of　a　
marketable　supply；　and　in　part　to　arranging　for　a　profitable　sale　
of　the　supply；　and　the　strategy　available　for　this　latter；　and　
indispensable；　work　lies　almost　wholly　within　the　lines　of　
competitive　management　already　spoken　of。　In　case　these　
manoeuvres　of　businesslike　deviation　and　defeat　are　successful　
and　fall　into　an　orderly　system　whose　operation　may　be　continued　
at　will；　or　in　so　far　as　this　management　creates　an　assured　
strategic　advantage　for　any　given　business　concern；　the　result　is　
a　vested　interest。　This　may　then　eventually　be　capitalised　in　due　
form；　as　a　body　of　intangible　assets。　As　such　it　goes　to　augment　
the　business　community's　accumulated　wealth。　And　the　country　is　
statistically　richer　per　capita。　
　　　　A　vested　interest　is　a　marketable　right　to　get　something　for　
nothing。　This　does　not　mean　that　the　vested　interests　cost　
nothing。　They　may　even　come　high。　Particularly　may　their　cost　
seem　high　if　the　cost　to　the　community　is　taken　into　account；　as　
well　as　the　expenditure　incurred　by　their　owners　for　their　
production　and　up…keep。　Vested　interests　are　immaterial　wealth；　
intangible　assets。　As　regards　their　nature　and　origin；　they　are　
the　outgrowth　of　three　main　lines　of　businesslike　management：　（a）　
Limitation　of　supply；　with　a　view　to　profitable　sales；　（b）　
Obstruction　of　traffic；　with　a　view　to　profitable　sales；　and　（c）　
Meretricious　publicity；　with　a　view　to　profitable　sales。　It　will　
be　remarked　that　these　are　matters　of　business；　in　the　strict　
sense。　They　are　devices　of　salesmanship；　not　of　workmanship；　they　
are　ways　and　means　of　driving　a　bargain；　not　ways　and　means　of　
producing　goods　or　services。　The　residue　which　stands　over　as　a　
product　of　these　endeavors　is　in　the　nature　of　an　intangible　
asset；　an　article　of　immaterial　wealth；　not　an　increase　of　the　
tangible　equipment　or　the　material　resources　in　hand。　The　
enterprising　owners　of　the　concern　may　be　richer　by　that　much；　
and　so　perhaps　may　the　business　community　as　a　whole　　though　
that　is　a　precariously　dubious　point　　but　the　community　at　
large　is　no　better　off　in　any　material　respect。　
　　　　This　account；　of　course；　assumes　that　all　this　business　is　
conducted　strictly　within　the　lines　of　commercial　honesty。　It　
would　only　be　tedious　and　misleading　to　follow　up　and　take　
account　of　that　scattering　recourse　to　force　or　fraud　that　will　
never　wholly　be　got　rid　of　in　the　pursuit　of　gain；　whether　by　way　
of　business　traffic　or　by　more　direct　methods。　Still；　it　may　well　
be　in　place　to　recall　that　the　code　of　commercial　honesty　applies　
only　between　the　parties　to　a　bargain；　and　takes　no　account　of　
the　interests　of　any　third　party；　except　by　express　injunction　of　
the；　law；　still　less　does　it　imply　any　degree　of　regard　for　the　
common　good。　Commercial　honesty；　of　course；　is　the　honesty　of　
self…help；　or　caveat　emptor；　which　is　Latin　for　the　same　thing。　
　　　　In　the　ordinary　course　of　management　some　considerable　amount　
of　means　an