Political Economy. 153 
Of this commodity, convenience^ all traders and merchants, 
may truly claim the production, and its influence, on the general 
productiveness of labour, is incalculably great. 
Without an exchange of the commodities produced, there 
could e^ist no division of labour. But, how many exchanges w'ould 
take place, if the consumers were obliged themselves to seek^ and 
directly to traffic with, the producers, or manufacturers ? The 
enormous waste of time, which such a mode of supplying wants 
must occasion, would, inevitably, destroy all the advantages re- 
sulting from the division of labour — »which would therefore cease 
—and render half the treasures of nature, and industry, useless, 
in consequence of their being placed, morally, beyond the reach 
of consumption. 
The merchants, therefore, with their train, create value^ by 
creating convenience of consumfition. Without them, division of 
labour, if it existed at all, could not be carried to an equal extent. 
Without them, half the time of those whose labour is allowed to 
be productive, would be wasted in an Unproductive manner. This 
obliges us to admit, that their activity, if not directly is at least indU 
rectly productive. Their labours add nothing to the mass of mat- 
ter, nor improve its form ; but they cause, notwithstanding, more 
work to be performed, and the same amount of directly firoduc-^ 
tive labour, to yield larger results, by being more advantageously 
applied. 
If the industry of a million of people, without merchants, re- 
alizes the value of one million of dollars per annum, and, by turn- 
ing one fifth of them into traders, and merchants, their industry 
yields, annually, the value of two millions of dollars, will any 
statesiTian Say, that the labour of merchants is unproductive, and 
that they are to society a burthen rather than a benefit ? Those 
who distribute tasks, and provide every department with the need- 
ful, are not the least needful in a large manufacturing concern. 
What interests society is the quantum of work performed, and if 
the greatest result were obtained, by causing a portion of the 
large family to be the very idleness of these ought to he 
termed p^roductivc. 
The same observations apply to those, whose offices are re- 
quired for the maintenance of security, and for defence. I can 
see nothing unproductive in any of the situations, which an im- 
proved state of society, and great civilization, have brought forth. 
Cultivators, merchants, manufacturers, tradesmen ; the oflicers of 
Voh IL IT 
