Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-10-08
The Science of Wealth, No. z.

Who is a producer Amy man who Gre
ates value, and as value consists in service
alone, a product must be a service rendered.
The farmer, mechanic, miner, hunter and fish,
erman bring to market material commodi.
ties. Are these the products they exchange ?
We answer, no ; but the services which each
employs in changing the material and con-
veying it to the place of sale.
All. therefore, who render service for which
they have a right to demand something in
return, are producers and we must must
include in this class, the teacher, the clergy
man, the physician and the lawyer, as really
as the farmer and the mechanic.
Production is effort of whatever kind made
for our own good or the good of others.
And it becomes question Of much interest
to indolent men how these necessary
efforts can be diminished, and yet the same
results be realized. To this and the gra-
tuitous forces Of nature and the inventions
of genius are employed; force for muscle
and machinery for labor.
For example, let US examine one Of the
methods Of making salt on the sea shore.
The fresh water is evaporated from the salt
water, leaving the salt to crystalize into solid
form. This could be effected by boiling the
salt water in the manner of sap in the pro-
cess of sugar making. But how labOriOus
aud how limited the result Every paiful
must be dipped from the sea and carried by
hand to the kettle, heated by the fire, made by
hand and tended by constant care But
instead of this irksome and laborious task,
a more satisfactory way has been devised
Large open basins are constructed in way
to expose the largest surface to the open air.
Lotto these basins the salt water is pumped
by windmils and then exposed to the burn
ing sun, until the salt in large quantities, is
ready TO be conveyed to market.
Here human ingenuity has invented the
pump to save the wear and tear of human
muscle; science has employed the sun instead
of artificial heat to perform the work Of eVap-
grafton, and the wind to lift the water from
its briny bed, and in the result much more
is produced by much less human effort.
And SO in every department Of ind ustry
aud more and more as civilization advances
improved machinery, inventions and natures
forces are substituted for the labor of man
And soon these forces become tho common
property Of all And honorable competition
under free government, is sure to employ
these gratuitous helps to increase the facility
of production.
But how do improved facilities for pro
duction effect value They diminish human
effort; and do they diminish correspondingly
the value of production? Not at all
Value, o. We have seen, is the relation
between two services. and if two mel
employ tho elmentary and machinery in the
manufacture Of two different kinds Of prod
, ucts, the relative service rendered is equal
! as it would be if both should work with
} their own hands, without such assistance
If tho value Of service is less, it is still
I equal to that demanded in return, and henc'
: exchange goes on all the Rano. ia .othe
Q words, the purchasing power Of such service
I is the same in both cases. A less effort pro
=. duGes the same utility. For instance, A j
q | making a mir nf hoota for II and II "a