Slaneij on Rural Expenditure. 325 



for this purpose. Some occupation under cover suited to bad weather will 

 be of great use, and may be easily afforded in cutting wood, chopping straw, 

 breaking stones*, clearing brick, &c. more especially if a farm is occupied. f 



" The same quantity of employment at two different periods of the year 

 is of very different value to a poor man. 



" It should be the object of the rich to provide it in time of need, and 

 thus equalise, in some measure, the demand for labour throughout the 

 twelve months. 



" If no work can be found ready for those in want of it, it may, at any 

 time, be provided by offering to defray a certain part (say one third) of the 

 expense of some improvement in the neighbourhood; on condition of its 

 being done at a certain season of the year, and by workmen before unem- 

 ployed. 



" In this mode of aiding the poor, one or two cautions are necessary : — 



" 1. The work so purchased should not be such as would have been done 

 without a premium paid upon it ; otherwise it does not at all increase the 

 employment, even in one particular district — though its being .done in win- 

 ter rather than summer may alone be a great good. 



" 2. The men's pay should be somewhat lower than the ordinary wages, 

 that they may be induced, as soon as possible, to look out and get other 

 work for themselves. 



" 5. This additional employment should beafforded at irregular intervals, 

 so as not to appear a certain resource for the poor, otherwise they will be 

 less frugal and industrious at other times." 



" We have seen that the sum of employment is only increased by pro- 

 ductive labour % ; but that, in some cases, a more regular distribution of 

 work may compensate for a small diminution. If, then, the employment 

 given falls within either of these rules, it will promote the happiness of the 

 poor ; but if not, it will probably do more harm than good. 



" It will be evident, that the money paid in wages to these workmen 

 would have been laid out some other way ; and elsewhere would directly 

 or indirectly have employed labourers. But the workmen employed under 

 the direction of a rich man, and for his caprice and amusement, are apt to 

 consider themselves dependent, in some sort, upon his bounty, rather than 

 resting upon the just remuneration for their toil ; and are thus less frugal 

 than ordinary labourers. If the employer dies, or removes or changes his 

 mind, all these people, who have perhaps married, or been brought up look- 

 ing to him for work, are suddenly discarded. Now although, if he had 

 indirectly employed these workmen as mechanics or artificers to form the 

 articles of luxury which he purchased his demand for their labour might in 

 like manner cease, yet the effect would not be the same, because, being 

 directly paid by the capitalists, their immediate employers, the cessation of 

 demand of any one consumer would scarcely be felt, as another would 

 arise in his place ; and, in all events, the reduction of workmen employed 

 would be gradual and almost insensible. § 



" * At two-pence halfpenny per bushel a man may earn, with ordinary 

 diligence, where the stones are not very large, about fifteen-pence per day." 



" f An Account of the School of Industry at Hofwyl. Simonde's Swit- 

 zerland, vol. i. p. 466." 



" $ Whatever indirectly encourages productive labour, or lessens the 

 vices which would diminish its proceeds, is as useful as productive labour 

 itself." 



" § This is one benefit arising from the progress of civilisation, by which 

 the consumer and actual workman seldom come in contact, but deal through 

 the intervention of a third person." 



Y 3 



