Page:Tales in Political Economy by Millicent Garrett Fawcett.djvu/55

, he could not now purchase, except by offering what had cost him twice as much labour—such as a child's stool, or a pair of oars. The same difference in relative value occurred in other industries. Speaking generally, all the food-producing industries became more and more costly; that is to say, to obtain a given amount of food, it became necessary to give a greater amount of labour and sacrifice, and in some cases to incur a greater amount of danger; whereas in the manufacturing industries cost either remained stationary or was actually reduced. In a given number of hours of labour, the carpenter, for instance, produced as much now as he did ten years ago; in a given number of hours of labour, those who wove the plantain-fibre into cloth, produced half as much again as they did when they first applied themselves to the work. This resulted from the improved appliances which they now brought to their industry, and also to the greater skill with which the fibre was prepared for weaving. Fishing was not the only trade that had become less productive in proportion to the amount of labour