Money Answers All Things [43]
too, as Things now stand; and that they would do more, if it were provided in a Way that would encourage their Industry; I hope no such Stress ought to be laid on this Objection, as to hinder the Execution of this Proposal. And, First, I say the working People do work enough; because there is always such a Plenty of all Kinds of Goods in the Hands of the Venders, that the Consumers can always buy what they want. This being undeniably true, shews that the working People, who alone make all these, do Work enough; the End of making them being to supply the Wants of the Consumers. Again, I say, if it is become a Custom to hawk Goods about, to such an extraordinary Degree, that the Traders and Shopkeepers in most Parts of the Kingdom have petition'd the Parliament to have it prevented, because it disabled many of them to live, and pay their Rents, as they justly alledge; then there is not only Work enough, but too much done; since it hurts both the Traders, and Landlords of Houses, by a greater Plenty of Goods than those who should be the Consumers of them are able to purchase: For this too great Plenty of Goods is the sole Foundation of Hawking them. The like may be said of giving any considerable Credit, either as to Sums or Time. I wish I could say, the Plenty of the Necessaries of Life was as great as the Plenty of all other Things always is: But this is so far otherwise, that but 4 or 5 Years ago, many Thousands of Poor, in several Parts of the Kingdom, were forced to live on such unwholesome Trash, as introduced a Distemper little less than Pestilential, and almost, if not altogether as fatal to them; whole Families being frequently swept away by it in a few Days, and probably many were actually starved to Death. See Mr Richard Bradley's Philosophical Enquiry into the late severe Winter, and Scarcity and Dearness of Provision. Again, if there be any flagrant Marks of a Decay of Trade upon us (and I will presently produce enough of them) then there is evidently more Work done, than either our domestick or foreign Trade doth require, let the Time wasted by our working People be what it will: For a decay of Trade, and a sufficient Demand for the Goods we make, are incompatible Things. But I shall offer an Instance, to shew that the working People can and will do a great deal more Work than they do, if they were sufficiently encouraged. For I take it for a Maxim, that the People of no Class will ever want Industry, if they don't want Encouragement: The Truth of which is as certain and undeniable, as that the Consumer, if he had money to pay for ti, and was willing to buy, never yet went entirely without any staple Commodity whatsoever, or indeed without any other common thing he wanted. And if the labouring People do so much Work under the discouraging Wages, which I have shewn, are not equal to 2/3 of the necessary Charge of a middling Family; what might we not expect, if they were animated by a sufficient Supply, and those Temptation removed, which I have shewn, are the greatest Snares to them, and which I think would certainly in a great Measure be remov'd, if this Proposal were to be executed? The Instance I shall produce, to prove that the working People can and will do a great deal more Work than they do,if they were somewhat better incouraged, shall be that of a general Mourning for the Death of a Prince. The Charge brought against the working People, as above, shews that they don't want Time to do a great deal more Work than they do; and a Time of general Mourning for a Prince necessarily requires abundance of Goods to be made in a very short time, besides the considerable Stock we may suppose to be in Hand, towards supplying the extraordinary Demand of such Occasions; and we know the Weavers, Dyers, Taylors, etc. do at such Times work almost Night and Day, only for the Encouragement of somewhat better Pay and Wages, which an extraordinary Demand for any Goods is necessarily connected with; and if this can be carried so far, as to cloath so great a Part of the People of the Kingdom in so