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34
Letter XVIII.
After so much as has been said, on the application of our principle to the
business of manufactures, considered as carried on by forced labour, you will think a very
few words more than sufficient, in the view of applying it to manufactures carried on upon
the ordinary plan of freedom.
The centrality of the presiding person's situation will have its use
at all events: for the purpose of direction and order, at least, if for no other. The
concealment of his person will be of use, in as far as control may be judged usefull. As
partitions, whether they would be more serviceable in the way of preventing distract
of disserviceable by impeding communication, will depend upon the particular
nature of the particular manufacture. In some manufactures they will have a
further use, by the convenience they may afford for bringing ranging a greater number of
tools, than could otherwise be stow'd, within the workman's reach. In nice businesses
such as that of watchmaking, where considerable damage might result from an ac
-dental jog, or a momentary distraction, such partitions, I understand, are usual.
Whatever be the manufacture, the utility of the principle is obvious an
incontestable, in all cases where the workmen are paid according to their time. Where they
are paid by the piece, there the interest; which the workman has in the value of his work
supersedes the use of coercion, and of every expedient calculated to give force to it.
this case, I see no other use to be made of the inspection principle, than in as far as
instruction may be wanted, or in the view of preventing any waste or other damage
which would not of itself come home to the workman, in the way of diminishing his
earnings, or in any other shapes.
Were a manufactory of any kind to be established upon this
principle, the central Lodge would probably be made use of as the compting-house:
and, if more branches than one were carried on under the same roof, the account
belonging to each branch would be kept in corresponding parts of the lodge. The
lodge would also serve as a sort of temporary store-room, into which the tools and ma
-rials would be brought from the warehouses, and from thence whence they would be delivered
out to the workmen all around, as well as finished work received, as occasion
might require.
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Identifier: | JB/550/225/002 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 550.
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