The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1927-02-25
ELEMENTS OF POLITICAL EDUCA-
TON
Continued from last Week.
20. OF WHAT ADVANTAGE IS IT TO THE
CAPITALIST TO GIVE THE WORKER
wACES FOR HIS WORK9

use value i. e. the use obtained from such COM
modify as labor power is different in one way
from the use value of all other commodities. In
what way? In the fact that it is capable of be-
ing source of values, and furthermore of a
greater quantity of values than the value which
it itself possesses
Like every other commodity, the value of labor
power is determined by the quantity of socially
necessary time for its production In the given
case consequently, it is determined by the expense
of the maintenance and renewal of the labor pow
er which the worker expends in working for the
capitalist for a given period of time The work
er sells himself as commodity, l. e., he sells his
labor power and thus according to the laws of
| exchange of commodities, he gives away the use
value of his labor power. The exchange value
of this commodity Qabor power) comprises the
past labor which has created the commodity, l. e.
in the given case the expense of maintaining the
worker. But the use value which capitalist gets
in the person OF the worker or living labor, is of
different and (this is the most importantly
greater quantity This living labor covers not
only the expenses of existence of the worker, e.,
the exchange value of his labor power but Gre
ats extra, surplus value which remains in the
hands of\the capitalist who bought the commodi-
ty, labor power. The proletarian works for the
he produces his exchange value for which his la
Dor power bought by the capitalist; the re-
naming hours he creates surplus value which
goes, as profit into the pockets of the capitalist.
"The use value of labor power, labor itself, be-
longs to the seller of it just as little as the use
value of butter which has been sold belongs ia
the butter seller The owner of the money paws
the days value of the labor power; therefore the
use of 1t belong to him for the period of one day
/. e. days labor. The fact that days mainten.
ance of the labor power costs only half work
day although the labor power can act l. e. worl
the whole day, that therefore the value created
by its use in the course of one day is twice a.
great as its own value, constitutes the peculiar
good fortune of the buyer, but in no way consti
tutes injustice to the seller" concludes Mar,
ironically.
81. WHAT is CAPITAL?
Capital is the name given to the means AM
implements of production or money when thes
are used by their owners for the acquisition o
e mearned increment ii. e. income obtained with
out any labor by virtue of the single fact of tn
possession of the means of production) by mean
e of the use of wage labor.
g We do not call capital the means and nipple
l. ments of production, or money, when they ar
used by their owners in their own economy with
y out the use of wage labor and not with the ali
le OF extracting surplus income But only for the sal
ID lsfaction of the needs of their own existence
ot Means of Observation-Disclosures of labor an
g also money-are of very ancient origin. Howey
at er, only under given historical conditions name
N ly, captastic, do they become capital Exactl
in the same way human beings as toiling creature
" are Of still ancient origin, but only at a d,
st finite stage of history do they become wag,
IN workers proletarians.
According to the definition of the bourgeois ecoI
III omists, capital is the combination of means cr
al ated by former labor accumulated labor ar
intended for new economic activity (for new pr
Mt ductlon). They come to this definition becau,
es they consider capital as the combination of in
ne plements of labor, raw materials and means
existence. The definition is wrong By then
ne selves, neither implements of labor, nor raw M
he terials, nor means of existence, nor whole ia
a tories can bring any income ii. e. cannot ind
is pendently create new values). Implements of l
bor raw materials, etc., can bring an incon
ne only when wage labor is applied to them-the |
nd Dor of the proletarian who, giving the owner
ng the means of production in addition to the "n
'ir cessary labor" also surplus labor Cor surpl
eir value), thus creates new values With rega
n to these new (surplus) values created by labc
DE raw materials, etc., constitute capital 'The di
N tlnguishing mark of capital" says Marx sis n
of that accumulated labor implements of labor. "a
materials, food) serves living labor as mea
es, for new production, but that living labor serv
III accumulated labor as a means for conservati
as and magnification of its exchange value"
H. p. WHAT FORMS OF CAPITAL ARE THERE
SITS The original, earliest forms of capital are col
on mercial and lending (usury) capitaI later the
he develop industrial and finance capital
LIT Tc rH(N4
& Capital in general arises at given stage
he commodity production. The basis of it is privs
property. For the possibility of commodity ecc
EN- omy two conditions necessary: 1. Differe
fl economic units must produce different produ
M l. e. division of labor must exist in society.
Dor The products, as already pointed out, must
M private property. The more labor splits into va
Gus branches and the further private property
tends-the more does commodity production 81
plant production for individual use. The divisi
4 of labor leads to the condition that buying a
selling also becomes a special occupation,
"a which exclusively the trading class engage,
a. tracing profits from this occupation.
- Thus, commercial capital is the means Tin
E2 form of commodities money! which are expel
= ed on the purchase of commodities with the a
HAG--