190 ADAM SMITH. 



parts of his work, leaves out of view one important cir- 

 cumstance when speaking of capitalists, and also of 

 labourers, shifting their stock or their labour to new 

 channels of employment when a burthen is laid on them, 

 or any other demand is made which tends to lower their 

 gains. They very often linger on a long time, perhaps 

 all their lives, in order to avoid the disagreeable conse- 

 quences of the change; and because they have become 

 expert in one employment and could not soon be equally 

 so in another. What they would pay to avoid a risk or a 

 disagreeable change of employment or business, may fairly 

 be reckoned the difference of the two in value to them, 

 according to an argument often used by Dr. Smith, and 

 this price they pay for continuing in their former business 

 or occupation. It is also to be observed that Dr. Smith, 

 when he speaks of the tax often being thrown on the 

 consumer, forgets the important consideration that the 

 power of so throwing it depends on the condition of the 

 market. When the demand is rising, or even stationary 

 if steady, the tax may be thrown on the consumer ; when 

 the market is falling, or is fluctuating, the trader is 

 unable so to throw it, and he must either pay it himself 

 or quit the trade. 



3. Taxes on wages must be paid by the rise of wages 

 a good deal higher than the tax ; the tax is not even 

 advanced in the first instance by the labourer, but by his 

 employer, who must lay it on goods, or deduct it, if a farmer, 

 from rent. Hence the consumer or the landlord must 

 always pay such taxes. The French taille was charged 

 on labourers as well as farmers, and produced great evils. 

 In Bohemia artificers paid a tax of ten pounds a year in 

 the highest class, and so down to two pounds ten shillings 



