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Graham A. (Graham Allan) Laing.

An introduction to economics

. (page 30 of 30)

connected. A man is closely related with his fellow
workers in the trade by which he earns his living. He
is associated with his fellow church members, club
members, benefit society members, athletic association
members, and so on. It is, however, with the members
of his particular industry that he is most closely
related. This means that the association is not partic-
ularly with the craft which he exercises. A man may
be a carpenter and be more closely related to the brick-
layers who are employed in the same business unit than
with carpenters belonging to a different unit. The
unit is rather the industry than the trade. It is
becoming more and more recognized that the actual
workers in an industry must have a greater say in the
conduct of that industry than has hitherto been the
case.

A satisfactory trade organization will include among
its management not only the organizers but also
those who are engaged in carrying out the organization,
or their representatives. Some of the foremost of the
French political thinkers believe that society is tending
to become more and more organized into trade groups,
each group organizing and controlling its own trade
the railway men controlling the railways, the spinners,
weavers, and dyers controlling the textile trades, and



PROPOSALS FOR SOCIAL RECONSTRUCTION 443

so forth. Already we find the professional classes
organized in this manner ; the lawyers actually control
the legal profession; the doctors lay down the rules
under which the medical profession is conducted.
Now there is only a difference in degree between control
and actual ownership. If all those engaged in the
building trades, that is, the bricklayers, carpenters,
plumbers, with their executive heads, actually control
the industry so that they can lay down the prices to be
charged for their product, and the wages to be paid
to the members, this amounts to practical ownership
of the industry.

The guild socialists of England have had experience
of government control and do not wish to add to that
experience. They demand the nationalization of the
principal industries of the country, but they object
to government management. They ask that the
industry be controlled by those employed in the
industry the railway workers (using the term workers
in its broad sense) controlling the railways, and mine
workers the mines, the transport workers managing
the transport industries in each of the main groups of
those industries.

In America we see the development of this idea in
the suggestion of the railway brotherhoods in regard to
the future control of the American railways. They
desire a strong representation on the management
board for the railway unions, the whole system being
worked so that a good living wage can be paid to all
employees and the profits of the system used to reduce
rates to shippers.

It is outside our province at present either to praise



444 AN INTRODUCTION TO ECONOMICS

or criticize these schemes. It might be suggested,
however, that too much stress is laid by guild socialists
on the importance of the producers in connection with
the industries of a country. After all, the industry does
not exist for the sake of the workers, but for the sake
of the consumers, and it would hardly seem right to
place the consumers at the entire mercy of the pro-
ducers. Even the suggestion, true as it is, that the
producers themselves are the consumers, does not
affect the argument. If there is to be such an arrange-
ment as will remove the profit stimulus, there should
be representatives on the management who will see
that the interests of the consumers are cared for.

Conclusion In an introductory book it is quite im-
possible to give adequate consideration to the infinite
variety of suggestions for the improvement of economic
society. We have attempted to describe society as it is,
and to point out the laws under which it works. We
have admitted that the results are far from being all that
could be desired, and the realization of this fact should
in itself be a stimulus to the search for a better organ-
ization. There only remains to be said the fact that,
whatever be our present suggestions for improvement,
they are bound to change as conditions change and as
experience shows them to be unsatisfactory. It is
just as bad, however, to denounce all new schemes
as to accept blindly one panacea or another. Names,
whether they be the names of socialism, anarch-
ism, bolshevism, or individualism mean, in them-
selves, simply nothing. No one is prepared with
a satisfactory definition which really covers the whole
content of the terms. What we must seek is the



PROPOSALS FOR SOCIAL RECONSTRUCTION 445

reality behind the label, using careful scientific judg-
ment and not blind passion.

Tub thumping at street corners will lead us no
further than ignorant rhetoric in newspapers. In
order to amend our society we must first understand
it. Our study of economics should serve as a basis
upon which to build a real knowledge of the economic
structure of the present civilization. It rests with the
student to fill in the many and deep gaps which have
been left and to apply his knowledge to the task of
so reconstructing society that the evils of which we
are conscious shall be things of the past.



BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. GENERAL WORKS

MARSHALL, ALFRED. Principles of Economics. Seventh

edition. New York.
SEAGER, HENRY. Principles of Economics. Second edition.

New York, 1917.
SELIGMAN, E. R. A. Principles of Economics. Seventh

edition. New York, 1916.
TAUSSIG, F. W. Principles of Economics. Second edition.

New York, 1915.
ELY, R. T. Outlines of Economics. Third edition. New

York, 1916.
GIDE, C., AND RIST, C. History of Economic Doctrines.

New York, 1915.
MARSHALL, WRIGHT, AND FIELD. Materials for the Study of

Elementary Economics. Chicago, 1916.

2. ECONOMIC HISTORY

BOGART, E. L. Economic History of the United States. New

York, 1914.
COMAN, KATHERINE. The Industrial History of the United

States. New York, 1910.
HOBSON, A. The Evolution of Modern Capitalism. New

York, 1916.
CUNNINGHAM, W. The Growth of English Industry and

Commerce. Cambridge, England, 1912.
INNES, A. D. England's Industrial Development. London,

1916.

447



448 AN INTRODUCTION TO ECONOMICS

OGG, F. A. The Economic Development of Modern Europe.
New York, 1916.

3. MONEY AND BANKING

JEVONS, W. S. Money and the Mechanism of Exchange.
New York.

WITHERS, HARTLEY. The Meaning of Money. New York,
1916.

HOLDSWORTH, J. T. Money and Banking. New York, 1917.

WILLIS, H. PARKER. American Banking. Chicago, 1916.
The Federal Reserve System. New York, 1915.

CONWAY AND PATTERSON. The New Bank Act. Philadel-
phia, 1914.

4. INTERNATIONAL TRADE

BASTABLE, C. F. The Theory of International Trade. New

York, 1903.
HOUGH, B. OLNEY. Ocean Traffic and Trade. Chicago,

1916.

Practical Exporting. New York, 1918.
HOBSON, J. A. International Trade. New York, 1904.
TAUSSIG, F. W. Tariff History of the United States. New

York, 1896.

Some Aspects of the Tariff Problem. Harvard

University Press, 1915.
ESCHER, FRANKLIN. Elements of Foreign Exchange. New

York, 1918.
PATTERSON, E. L. S. Domestic and Foreign Exchange.

New York, 1917.
WITHERS, HARTLEY. Money Changing. London, 1913.

5. BUSINESS AND INDUSTRIAL ORGANIZATION

VEBLEN, THORSTEIN B. The Theory of Business Enterprise.
New York, 1904.



BIBLIOGRAPHY 449

DIEMER, HUGO. Industrial Organization and Management.

Chicago, 1915.
HIRST, F. W. Monopolies, Trusts, and Cartells. London

1905.

ELY, R. T. Monopolies and Trusts. New York, 1912.
CLARK, J. B. The Problem of Monopoly. New York, 1904.

6. LABOR PROBLEMS

ADAMS, T. S., AND SUMNER, H. Labor Problems. New

York, 1917.
WEBB, SIDNEY AND BEATRICE. History of Trade Unionism.

New York, 1911.

Industrial Democracy. New York, 1902.
COMMONS, J. R. History of Labor in the United States.

New York, 1918.
HOXIE, R. F. Trade Unionism in the United States. New

York, 1917.
COLE, G. D. H. Self-Government in Industry. New York,

1918.

7. DISTRIBUTION AND SOCIAL REFORM

VEBLEN, THORSTEIN B. The Theory of the Leisure Class.

New York, 1809.

HOBSON, J. A. Work and Wealth. New York, 1914.
GEORGE, HENRY. Progress and Poverty. New York, 1911.
KIRKUP, THOMAS. The History of Socialism. New York,

1909.

ENSOR, R. K. Modern Socialism. New York, 1907.
MARX, KARL. Capital (trans.). London, 1906.
MACDONALD, J. R. The Socialist Movement. New York,

1911.

SNOWDEN, PHILIP. Socialism and Syndicalism. London.
ELTZBACHER, PAUL. Anarchism (trans.). New York,

1908.



450 AN INTRODUCTION TO ECONOMICS

8. PUBLIC FINANCE

ADAMS, H. C. The Science of Finance. New York, 1899.
BASTABLE, C. F. Public Finance. Third edition. New

York, 1903.
PLEHN, C: C. Introduction to Public Finance. New York,

1916.
DEWEY, D. R. Financial History of the United States.

New York, 1915.
SELIGMAN, E. R. A. Essays in Taxation. New York, 1913.



INDEX



Acceptance, 280


Collective bargaining, 379


Accommodation loan, 202


Commercial bills, 283


Advertising, 434


Commercial loans, 203


Agents of production, 55, et seq.


Communal tillage, 92


Agricultural stage, 18


Communism, 425


Agriculture, 51


Competition, 106


American, 94


idea of, 32


primitive, 91


latent, 157


American Federation of Labor, 376


meaning of, 33


Arbitrage, 286


Competitive system, 34-38


Arbitration, 386


Conciliation, 386




Conditions of labor, 381


Balance of trade, 265, 301


Consular invoice, 278


Bank, 191, et seq.


Consumer's surplus, 139


debtor and creditor, 200


Consumption, 44-46


loans, 201


Co-operation, 395


notes, 193


Co-operative production, 398


Barter, 161


Copyrights, 151


Bills of lading, 279


Corporations, 85, 88, 106


Bimetallism, 178


Craft union, 374


Bonds, 86, 87


Creative instinct, 352


Bonus systems, 367


Credit instruments, 191


Boycott, 387


Crises and panics, 229


Business, 77


Currency, elastic, 186


future element in, 310


fluctuations in demand for, 185




inflation of, 187


Call loan system, 217


payments, 270


Canadian banking system, 243


United States, 180


Capital, 51, 61, 95, 98


Custom, 40


flow of, 147, 306




loans, 202


Deductive method, 8


Cattle as money, 162


Demand, curve of, 137


Chartered companies, 81


elasticity of, 129, 158


Check payments, 269


latent, 130


Clearing house, 197


law of, 133, et seq.


Coinage, 171, 172


Department stores, 89


debasement of, 172


Dependent period, 16


depreciated, 173


Deposit reserves, 195


subsidiary, 177


system, 192, 194



451



452



INDEX



Development, 20-21
Diminishing utility, 122
Discount, 203-204

rate, 221, 230
Distribution, 320
Division of labor, 19, 61-63
Documented draft, 280
Domestic exchange, 269, et seq.
Dominating instinct, 353
Dose of capital and labor, 69
Draft payments, 271
Dumping, 303

Duties, protective and revenue, 288
Dynamic civilization, 22

Economic freedom, 27, 37
Economic functions of government,

407, et seq.
Economic history, 15
Economic laws, 0-7
Economic problem stated, 25
Economic unit, 19
Economics, defined, 2, et seq.
Effective demand, 126
Efficiency, 339
Elasticity of currency, 235
Elasticity of demand, 129
Equality of sacrifice, 402
Equation of indebtedness, 265
Excess profits, tax, 405
Exchange, factors of, 133-136

mechanism of, 249

rate of, 284

Factory organization, 103

system, 98

Federal Reserve Act, 224, et seq.
Federal Reserve bank notes, 237
Federal Reserve notes, 231
Fiat money, 187
Finance bills, 284
Foreign exchange, 273, et seq.
Foreign payments, method of, 276

Gild socialism, 441
Gild system, 27, 96



Gold, 181, 182

movements, 266

causes of, 286

payments, 270

points, 275

shipments, cost of, 274
Government ownership, 412, et seq.,

438
Gresham's Law, 175

Holding company, 113-116
Hours of labor, '382

Idleness, 351
Index numbers, 188
Inductive method, 10
Industry, 77

government regulation of, 27-28,
37,409

location of, 61
Industrial stage, 13
Industrial Union, 373
Interest, 326

rate, 285
International, definition of, 254

price, 263

trade, 256-258

value, 260
Inventions, 22
Investment, 307
Iron law, 359
I. W. W., 378

Joint-stock companies, 84
Kartels, 109

Labor, 56

as a commodity, 34, 357

definition of, 355

division of, 19, 61-63

market, 357

organizations, 370, 374
Land, 55

Law of comparative cost, 256
Law of demand, 136



INDEX



453



Law of diminishing returns, 73

Law of increasing returns, 71-72

Law of supply, 137

Leisure, 434

Letter of credit, 278

Lockout, 385

Low wages, a cause of poverty, 345

Luxuries, 42

Manufacture, 96
Margin of cultivation, 324
Marginal utility, 123
Market, definition of, 143

price, 141
Mercantilism, 301
Metallic money, 169-170
Mint par, 273
Money, 162, et seq.

and price, 181

as a measure of value, 167
Monopoly, 80, 111, 116-118, 146,

151-156, 340, 410
Monopoly price, 157-159

Nation, definition of, 254
National banking act, 207, et seq.
National bank notes, 210-213
National system, 298
Necessities, physical and conven-
tional, 23, 24, 40
Normal price, 144

Opportunity, 338
Organizing instinct, 353

Panics, 229
Partnerships, 79, 82
Pastoral period, 17
Patents, 151
Payment by tale, 174
Perverse elasticity, 212
Piece wages, 365
Pools, 110

Poverty, causes of, 341
Price agreements, 107
Price, definition of, 127



Price, equation of, 184-185

fluctuations, 144

international, 263

market, 141

measurement of, 188

monopoly, 157-159

normal, 145

par and investment, CC9

stability, 149, 317
Producer's surplus, 140
Production, 28, 49 et seq., 66, 101,

156

Profits, 66, 329
Profit sharing, 369, 391
Progress, definition of, 24
Progressive taxation, 405
Proportional taxation, 405
Protection of young industries, 292
Protection and cheap labor, 302
Protective taxation, 287
Psychology, 3

Quasi-rent, 326

Rack-renting, 29
Real wages, 362
Rediscount, 223

market, 228

Regulated companies, 80
Rent, 322, 325
Reserves, control of, 220

cost of, 240

under National banking act, 213-

219

Revenue taxation, 287
Revolutionary Socialism, 436
Right to organize, 372
Right to work, 351
Rochdale pioneers, 395

Satisfaction, present and future, 124
Scientific management, 64, 104
Seigniorage, 175
Selling bureaus, 110
Shop steward, 378
Silver dollars, 179



454



INDEX



Socialism, 426, et seq.

objections to, 440
Society dynamic, not static, 424
Speculation, 311

control of, 318
Standard of living, 361
Standard wage, 380
State Socialism, 438
Statistics, 304

Stock exchange speculation, 314
Stocks and shares, 312
Strikes, 384
Supply curve, 140
Supply, demand and price, 129

law of, 137, et seq.

Taxation, equality of, 401

revenue and protective, 287
Thriftlessness, a cause of poverty,

347

Time wages, 364
Token money, 177
Trade acceptance, 250
Trade, early, 78

marks, 153

nature of, 247

union methods, 384

unions, 374



Transport, cost of, 264
Trusts, 112

Unemployment, 345

Union label, 387

United States Shipping Board.

419

Utilities, 44, 52, 53
Utility, diminishing, 122

marginal, 123
Utopians, 424

Value, definition of, 120

intrinsic, 125

in use, 163
Velocity of circulation, 183-184

Wages, iron law of, 358

and labor cost, 302

method of payment, J5G4

real, 362

War, lessons of, 415
Waste, 101, 432
Wealth, causes of, 335

consumer's, 60

definition of, 42

incentives to, 348
W T ork, incentives to, 351



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