第38章

To prevent the crime and misery which ever follow these unfavourable fluctuations in the demand for and value of labour，it ought to be a primary duty of every government that sincerely interests itself in the well-being of its subjects，to provide perpetual employment of real national utility，in which all who apply may be immediately occupied.

In order that those only who could not obtain employment from private individuals should be induced to avail themselves of these national works，the rate of the public labour might be in general fixed at some proportion less than the average rate of private labour in the district in which such public labour should be performed.These rates might be readily ascertained and fixed，by reference to the county or district quarterly returns of the average rate of labour.

This measure，judiciously managed，would have a similar effect on the price of labour，that the sinking fund produces on the Stock Exchange；and，as the price of public labour should never fall below the means of temperate existence，the plan proposed would perpetually tend to prevent an excess of nationally injurious pressure on the most unprotected part of society.

The most obvious，and，in the first place，the best source，perhaps，of employment，would be the making and repairing of roads.Such employment would be perpetual over the whole kingdom；

and it will be found true national economy to keep the public roads at all times in a much higher state of repair than，perhaps，any of them are at present.If requisite，canals，harbours，docks，shipbuilding，and materials for the navy，may be afterwards resorted to；it is not，however，supposed that many of the latter resources would be necessary.

A persevering attention，without which，indeed，not anything beneficial in practice can ever be attained，will soon overcome all the difficulties which may at first appear to obstruct this plan for introducing occasional national employment into the polity of the kingdom.

In times of very limited demand for labour，it is truly lamentable to witness the distress which arises among the industrious for want of regular employment and their customary wages.In these periods，innumerable applications are made to the superintendents of extensive manual operations，to obtain any kind of employment，by which a subsistence may be procured.Such applications are often made by persons who，in search of work，have travelled from one extremity of the island to the other！

During these attempts to be useful and honest，in the common acceptation of the terms，the families of such wandering individuals accompany them，or remain at home；in either case they generally experience sufferings and privations which the gay and splendid will hesitate to believe it possible that human nature could endure.

Yet，after this extended and anxious endeavour to procure employment，the applicant often returns unsuccessful；he cannot，by his most strenuous exertions，procure an honest and independent existence；therefore，with intentions perhaps as good，and a mind as capable of great and benevolent actions as the remainder of his fellow men，he has no other resources left but to starve，apply to his parish for relief，and thus suffer the greatest degradation，or rely on his own native exertions，and，to supply himself and family with bread，resort to what are termed dishonest means.

Some minds thus circumstanced are so delicately formed，that they will not accept the one or adopt the other of the two latter modes to sustain life，and in consequence they actually starve.

These，however，it is to be hoped，are not very numerous.But the number is undoubtedly great，of those whose health is ruined by bad and insufficient food，clothing，and shelter；who contract lingering diseases，and suffer premature death，the effect of partial starvation.

The most ignorant and least enterprising of them apply to the parish for support；soon lose the desire of exertion；become permanently dependent；conscious of their degradation in society；

and henceforward，with their offspring，remain a burden and grievous evil to the state；while those among this class who yet possess strength and energy of body and mind，with some undestroyed powers of reasoning，perceive，in part，the glaring errors and injustice of society towards themselves and their fellow sufferers.

Can it then create surprise that feelings like those described should force human nature to endeavour to retaliate？

Multitudes of our fellow men are so goaded by these reflections and circumstances，as to be urged，even while incessantly and closely pursued by legal death almost without a chance of escape，to resist those laws under which they suffer；

and thus the private depredator on society is formed，fostered，and matured.