The Manufacturing Population of England, Its Moral, Social and Physical Conditions

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1833 edition. Excerpt: ... chapter xi. combinations--influence of machinery on labour. Labour the poor Man's Capital--Considerations on this--Its fluctuating Value--Its Rate of Exchange--Peculiar Nature of this Capital--Not Feudalism--Combination Laws--Want of Confidence between Master and Men--Combination Evils of the first--Effects--Consequences to the Men, and to particular Districts--Extent of Combinations--Their Tyranny--Their Universality--Delegates--Their Character--Seeds of disunion existing in Combination described--Effects of Turn-outs--Evil to the Men--Master less injured--Stationary Nature of their Property--Its Advantages--Union of Regulations--Consideration as to the Fate of Cotton Manufacture if entirely dependent on human Labour--Moral Influence of Combinations--Vitriol throwing--Murder, &c. &c.--Conduct towards the Masters--Combinations of Masters, &c.--Conduct of Delegates--Conduct of Masters--Importance of Confidence--Consequences of Existing State of Things--Gluts--New Hands, &c--Benefit of mutual Regulations--Steam Engine--Application and Extent of its Powers--Proper Conduct of Masters and Men--Influence of Machinery upon Labour--Increased Production--Diminution of Wages for Quantity--Statement of this--Change of Employment--Rapid Improvement in Machinery--Superabundance of Labourers--Foreign Competition--Displacement of human Power, &c. &c, --Crisis of the Conflict of Machinery and Labour--Manufacture--Agriculture. It has been argued by those who are favourable to combinations amongst workmen, that their labour is their capital; the fund upon which they live, and that they have the siame right to turn it to the utmost advantage as any monied capitalist has to turn that to the best account. Viewed abstractedly this is truC--a man's labour' is..