The tribune. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1875-06-23
THE MONEY.YALUE OF A MAN.
Whnt IL Is, as Social Science Makes the
FiRures--An Interesting Question.

| What II Is, Social Science Makes the
| FiEures--An Interesting Question.
A curious economical question, often
discussed, has arisen incidentally in the
recent American Social Science Con-
gress, as to the money-value of each in
dIvidual to society. Mr.. Wells states,
as the English experience, that the cost
of bringing up child in n public insti-
tuition, allowing nothing for education
or amusement, will amount, without in
terest, when he is fifteen years old, to
$500; and at eighteen, allowing for in
terest and all expenditures, he repre-
sents q capital value to the community
of 81 800
This is the value of person brought
uPin public institution in England.
In this country it must be considerably
greater. But what is the value of pro-
ductive laborer DR.. Engel estimates
the cost of supporting laborer in Ger
many at forty thalers year for the first
five years of his life, Mt fifty thalers for
the next five years, and at sixty from the
eleventh to the sixteenth year, or say
seven hundred and fifty thalers for the
whole. 1t would be reasonable to esti-
mate the expense of bringing up an
American farmer or laborer for the first
fifteen years of his life at one hundred
thaers per year, or total of 1,5OO
thaers-say about 81 , 100 currency. An
other statistician of eminence estimates
the average money value of the foreign
! lalOrer as $780,
Yhe statisticians, however, the New
York Times says, make one frequent
mistake III estimating the pecunfary value
ofea human being. Value does not de-
pend alone on the cost of production,
brt also on supply and demand. The
cost Of producing the best breeds of
horses might be no greater than that of
ralslng poor breeds, and yet the demand
might be 80 great that the value would
be proportionately increased. There
night also be, for instance, an ovorpro-
duction of sewing machines, or they
might be of poor quality, 80 that the de-
mand would foil, and their money value
to the community sink below the cost of
production. The same is true of ali ar
ticles which belong to the capital of
country. This principle applies also to
human beings. An idiot may cost as
much to bring up as an intelligent boy,
but his money-value to the community
viii depend on the demand for his labor.
30 with the wages or salary of men in
the professions; these are measured not
|
by the demand for their services in the
market. The capital value, then, of q
human being is always determined by
two elements: cost of production and
demand. But the services of male
laborer are nearly always in demand in
the United States, SO that his value, like
that of gold and silver, will depend
mainly upon the cost of production,
which is undoubtedly near the estimate
made above of one thousand OF one
| Thousand one hundred dollars.
If this be compared with the money
value of male slave in former years in
this country, it will be found to be little
less, inasmuch as the pecuniary value of
slaves was somewhat speculative, based
on the expectation of profit from the
best cotton lands.
There is still another way of estimating
the money-value of each laborer to the
country. This must be the profits from
his labor after deducting the cost of his
support. Now the average cost of each
laborer to his employer, including wages
and board, is about four hundred dollars
per annum. The ordinary profit on
common farm labor is probably from
fifteen to eighteen and three -fourths
per cent; this would leave the gain to
the country from sixty to seventy-fve
dollars annually from each laborer.
This, at six or seven per cent. interest,
would represent just about the value es-
timated above for n male laborer, or
about one thousand or eleven hundred
dollars.
DIR. Hill, in his paper on immigration.
has touched upon the interesting con-
clusion we may derive from this estimate
rs to the money value of immigration.
Thus, estimating that one-half of the
immigration OF last year was of produc-
tive laborers, it would make an addition
to our capital In 1874 of one hundred
millions, sum which appears in no
statistical records Of importations. Mr..
Wells in his paper makes q still more
impressive use of this valuation. If O
poor boy has reached the age of fourteen,
neglected by the community, he repre-
sents capital of nearly one thousand
dollars which is unproductive; and if he
lives out the term of life for which he
has probable char CO in the life insur-
ance tables-forty years-as pauper or
criminal, he entails loss upon his State
of five thousand dollars. On the other
hand, every youthful criminal made into
an honest boy by our preventive institu-
tions of charity and reform is a clear
saving of five thousand dollars to the
community. 1t may be somewhat un-
pleasant to regard the human being
simply as money capital, but the as
pect has its peculiar and impressive les
sons.
EXTRACT FROM A Young LADY's DIARY.
What are these thoughts that surge
across my heart and wildly palpitate in
every crevice of my brain2 What is
this strange longing after the unattain-