Page:Manual of Political Economy.djvu/140

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On the Increase of Capital.
91

which possess an abundant supply of unoccupied fertile land, a larger production of wealth chiefly depends upon an increase of labour and capital. It will be readily perceived that, contrasting England and India, the increased production of wealth will take place under very different conditions in the two countries. In England capital is readily supplied to assist an increased production of wealth. The labourers' wages will probably rise when the industry of the country is active. There may, however, be one drawback to the benefit which they thus derive. As the area of new soil which England can bring under cultivation is so limited, the price of many articles of food will rise, in consequence of the larger consumption of a more numerous and better paid labouring class. India, in her present condition, has a most abundant supply of labour, and the productiveness of her land might be greatly increased if more capital were applied to its cultivation; but at the present time there seems little chance of this increased application of capital taking place unless more capital is obtained from other countries.

Thus England wants cheap food, and India capital.It is, evident, from the previous remarks, that in England the great requisite for the increased production of wealth is a large supply of cheap food. This cheap food may be obtained either by importation, by agricultural improvements, or by extending the area of land cultivated in England. Industry cannot be for any length of time impeded in this country by any want of labour and capital, but in India an increase of capital, both fixed and circulating, is most essential to a larger production of wealth. Ages of anarchy have produced a wide-spread feeling of insecurity throughout India. Individuals have been afraid to exhibit their wealth, because it would tempt the rapacity of those who had the power to pillage their weaker neighbours. A great part of the wealth saved was hoarded, and it consequently performed none of the functions of capital. The owners of property felt that it was only secure when it could be concealed. If they employed labourers, they could not feel certain that they would be able to retain the results of the labourers' industry. Hence we can reasonably anticipate one most beneficent result from England's