The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1928-04-20
Elements of
Political Education
IS. HOW DID THE CITIES DEVELOP IN THE
MIDDLE AGES?

MIDDLE AGES?
The conditions of the rise of the medieval cities as
the fortified market centers led to the condition that
at first the power in the cities was concentrated in the
hands of the big land and merchants the latter
being united in separate guilds
From the end of the 18th century the handcrafts in
the cities begin to become the important branch
of labor which surpass in their Importance not only
agriculture, but also trade The handicrafts developed
the artisans got rich and their organzatonsthe guilds
together with the guild organizations of the merchant
became continually more powerful In Italv the guilds
arise IN the 10th and 18th centuries; in France in the
18th and 18th centuries; in England in the 18th and
18th In Germany in the 12th-14th
The artisans united in their guild organizations dis
tinguished themselves only at first when it was neces
airy to struggle with the lords for their emancipation
and with the merchant guilds for the mastery in the
city by their free spirit and democracy, striving for
the growth OF their power and willingly accepting new
arrivals into their guilds But when the guilds had
gained their independence and equal participation in
the government of city affairs, they began more and
more to lock themselves in and fence themselves off
from newcomers from the village localities looking on
them as competitors The power of the guilds origin
atng IN their numbers and solidarity began to be re-
placed by power based upon the size of their captal
AS long as the methods of the handcrafts were very
simple and old not require simple cooperation ie
simultaneous labor OF several people, any man could
get himself tools and work as an ndependent artisan
But with the development, the basis of an improve
ment In the methods of the handicrafts and certain
degree OF specialization, independent handcraft work
began to require preliminary apprenticeship and al
ready considerable capital for the acquisition of the
implements OF production and raw materials OF
course all those who did not have the experience in
production and capit had to fall into dependenca nor
w inaSter craftsmen, and had to become apprentices
ana Journeymen According as the guilds became moro
of ind
engrossed in their own guild economic interests m H.
neg 10 use their privileged position for the exploa
lion OF the Journeymen, to that extent did the latter
ue 10 organize in unions in the different branches of
he handcrafts These unions NATURALLY" entered into
'ne struggle with the guild masters which resulted in
ocu anu continually sharpening strikes, taking
place already in the 18th century
The chance to exploit the labor of the ournevnoen
and apprentices gradually changed the masters who had
previously worked alone with the journeymen into
entrepeneurs, only organizing production but NOT
working personally. This phenomenon brings q ne1,
feature into the economic organization of the bandi
crafts The more the master became removed from
direct production the did he try to lengtben the
working day of the joumeymen and apprentices and
extract from them continually greater quantity of
surplus labor But exploitation within the guild or0ani
zaton nevertheless had bounds in the limitations which
au Oeen placed by the various guild organizations in
their charters ~
~ NNPACd1 accumulated by the master craftsmen no
CURED freer conditions for its use and more indenond
ehce 1or himself than the guild organization. NARROW
anu conservative in spirit and in processes of 1l
"oulu permit And the new capitalist-artisan found
suitable field of activity outside the euId orooi+i
Inc spread of the money system in the VILLAGE was
accompanied by the increase of the monetary dues and
taXes bringing peasant economy into decline and also
partly or completely depriving considerable portion
OF the peasanry of their land The ruined neasant no
gins more and more frequently to take to auxilia,v
work and Industry, including handicraft work How
ever having neither private property nor means fo,
acquiring implements of production and raw materials
such peasant falls into slavery to the canitalist.
cVsmen or into slavery to trading capital which sun
pleS Vhe peasant with material supplies and some
times the implements of production, and makes hin
WORK as IL orders Such peasant works at hono,
elther mmseH or together with his family gettino
Certain reward for his work. especially low in the cas-
where the enrepeneur supplied him with materials am
'oOiS ana gave him an advance on his work.
In this was the medieval homecrafts or home in
dustry, were formed; generally outside the cities i
the nearby village and therefore free from persecution
from their side Since home industry was very profit
aole Tor the entrepeneurs giving them large incomes
since 1t was free from the cramping formaties of th
guilds, and permitted broad exploitation of the home
worker and his family including the Young children
developed very rapidly, the more so that the market
required continually increasing quantity Of commod
ues' Inc merchants considered the most urofitabl
manner OF multiplying their capital to be the orpanzs
ton Oh workshops, working on their orders.