Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1890-03-22
THE FIREBRAND.
A SOClALISTlC HUMOROUS COMEDY
IN ONE ACT,
ADAPTED FROM THE GERMAN.
(COnclu

H-YOu have in nowise answered the
question before us. Instead of inform.
ing us how the additional val.e in ques-
ton arose, ydn told us the pretext upon
which Mr.. Van Rensselaer, appropria es
it. | ask you how night-cap or gown
is produced and who produced them,
and you tell me upon what pretext some
one seizes the already existing night.
cap or gown. Is that an answer The
$40, 900 which MIR. Van Rensselaer, yearly
takes in is only the money expression
for the newly arisen value which he
obtains through the sale of the products
of his factory. shall grant for the sake
of argument that he may appropriate
this newly arisen value as the wages of
his abstinence. But | wish you would
kindly also tell me who it is that pro
duced that newly arisen value.
S.-The Professor is right. My dear
Hall, your questions are too silly.
Pr0f.-Too stupid
HI would like to hear an answer to
my question.
S,-Wont you listen to reason ev n
when a man of science tells you you are
talking nonsense?
PrOf.-Surely, Mr.. Van Rensselaer,,
you will no longer keep in your factory
such an illintentioned, stiff necked fell
low His object is to confuse all reason
ing. Instead of admitting that he owes
his daily bread to you and TO keep quiet,
he tries to bewilder you with quibbIes
H-Please answer me, Professor,
who has produced that new, that add.
tional value?
Prof-How can you insist in that way
upon such a question? Every value
arises from the combined efforts of CAPT
tai and labor. Accordingly that add,
tional or new value has been produced
partly by labor and partly by capital.
S-Excellent.
H-Partly by capital?
Hrof-Yes
H.-Let us look into that a little
closer.
Prof-What for? The matter is any
how quite clear.
S.-Clear as day You, who furnish
the labor, receive your pay in wages;
|, who furnish the capital, receive mine
| in profits.
H-Excuse me, Professor. That
| the raw material, out of which the
manufactures are made, the night caps,
for instance, do not produce any new
values, | reckon you will admit. When
out of wool night-caps are manufac-
tured, new value arises by reason of
the labor that has been expended on the
wool in order to transform that into
caps. The original material, however,
the wool, in this instance, produces no
new value. 1t is the value winch lay
concealed in labor that now appears in
the completed product and in its own
proper degree. That which turns out as
new value, must evidently have been
added to the material by labor.
Prof.-So far so good. But. E.
III understand. You wish to refer
to the implements of labor, for instance,
the machines, the tools,etc. These enlist
| the forces of nature to cooperate with
them during the process of production
Labor-power would be much less pro.
duetive if unaided by natural forces
Here it might be said capital CO operates
actively in production.
| Prof.-Excellent, young man. | per,
ceive that by degrees you are becoming
accessible to wisdom.
| S.-This young fellow Hall is an sd-
mirable person. We must raise his
/ wages.
H'-Capital, we see, does cooperate
actively in production.
s. & Prof.-Excellent A remarkable
chap.
| H-But, gentlemen.
I Prof.-How is that, have you got q