IV CAPITAL THE MOTHER OF LABOUR 183 



One would think that the " paying out " of 

 capital is hardly possible without at least a 

 " temporary " diminution of the capital from which 

 payment is made. But " Progress and Poverty " 

 changes all that by a little verbal legerdemain : 



For where wages are paid before the object of the labour is 

 obtained, or is finished as in agriculture, where ploughing and 

 sowing must precede by several months the harvesting of the 

 crop ; as in the erection of buildings, the construction of ships, 

 railroads, canals, &c. it is clear that the owners of the capital 

 paid in wages cannot expect an immediate return, but, as the 

 phrase is, must "outlay it " or "lie out of it " for a time which 

 sometimes amounts to many years. And hence, if first princi 

 ples are not kept in mind, it is easy to jump to the conclusion 

 that wages are advanced by capital (p. 44). 



Those who have paid attention to the argument 

 of former parts of this paper may not be able to 

 understand how, if sound "first principles are 

 kept in mind," any other conclusion can be 

 reached, whether by jumping, or by any other 

 mode of logical progression. But the first principle 

 which our author " keeps in mind " possesses just 

 that amount of ambiguity which enables him to 

 play hocus-pocus with it. It is this ; that " the 

 creation of value does not depend upon the fin 

 ishing of the product " (p. 44). 



There is no doubt that, under certain limitations, 

 this proposition is correct. It is not true that 

 "labour always adds to capital by its exertion 

 before it takes from capital its wages" (p. 44), 



