The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1878-05-22
CAPITAL ANDLABOR.

Capital is intimately related to la
Dor, and each is dependent upon the
other for every advantage TO be
gained. Separated, they are fruit
less; united, they produce profits,
the reward sought both by capitalists
and laborers. There can, therefore,
be no antagonism between these two
classes, if each understand their own
interests. The more capital there is
in any community the greater is the
demand for labor, and as the demand
Tor labor increases, wages increase.
Hence the success Of capital is the
success of labor. Both labor and
capital offer a mutual service which
us honorable to all concerned. The
capitalist is as dependent as the la
borer. Indeed, who dare say that
the lords of creation are not the very
operatives who live upon taeir daily
earnings, smoke their pipes, and some
times strike for higher wages They
have the power, at discretion, to stop
every water wheel, spindle, and loom
in the factory; to cut off every source
OF income, and to render powerless
their employers. And yet, as / have
observed, such conduct on the part
Of employees is always suicidal. If
they fail to bring their employers to
terms, they are thrown out Of employ
ment, and suffer much more loss than
they could gain by an increase Of
wages. If they succeed in forcing
-exorbitant wages, in the same pro-
portion they diminish the value Of
capital, which is the only source Of
their own prosperity. There should
be no jealousy or contention between
the laborer and capitalist. Their in
terests are mutual, and they are en-
tirely dependent upon each other
Large profits enable the capitalists
to employ more men and pay higher
wages. On the other hand, better
pay enables the workmen to become
more intelligent, industrious, frugal,
and inventive; hence their labor is
much more valuable.
The richer asconptsy becomes the
lower the rates per cent Oh profits on
capital. The legal rate of interest in
England has declined wlthin Three
centuries from ten to four. per cent,
and in some other countries still more.
How is this to be accounted for
answer, the reduction of percentage
is the result of increased capital. -
But the capitalist does notsuffer from
this change. There is less profit on
each hundred dollars, but enough
more hundreds to make the gross In
come vastly more than less capital
and higher interest. And this change
is equally favorable to the laborer as
the capitalist; for the prosperity of
labor lies along the same line as that
of capital. Capital assumes two
forms, viz: circulating and fixed
Circulating capital is capable of but
a single use in its present form. For
instance, all raw material, all money
laid aside for wages, all products on
hand, whose value is intended for
further production, and all loans and
rented property. Fixed capital means
all forms which are capable of re-
peated use in the work Of reproduc-
, tion. All tools and machinery, man
ufactories, railroads, canals, and ships,
with their necessary fixtures, are ex-
amples of this kind. Fixed capital
tends to increase with the advance
ment of civilization. In the different
countries circulating capital, in com
parison with fixed, varies from one
eighth to three-ffths. Circulating
capital is destroyed by use, but re-
produced in the resulting products.
Fixed capital remains unchanged by
nse, except the wear and tear, and
yet circulating capital is more favor
able to the interest of labor. FL
az Home and Farm.