96 SOCIAL SCIENTIST
over his own family. It thus depreciates his labour power. To purchase the labour-power of a family of four workers may, perhaps, cost more than if formerly did to purchase the labour power of the head of the family but in return, four days' labour takes the place of one, and their price falls in proportion to the excess of the surplus-labour of four over the surplus labour of one. In order that the family may live, four people must now, not only labour but expand surplus labour for the capitalist. Thus we see, that machinery, while augmenting the human material that forms the principal object of capital's exploiting power, at the same time raises the degree of exploitation" (pg&372&: 373).
Elsewhere in the same volume he noted that "by the excessive addition of women and children to the ranks of the workers, machinery at last breaks down^he resistance which the male operatives in the manufacturing period continued to oppose to the despotism of capital" (pg 379).
Marx's and EngePs views of the influence of machinery on different classes of society were far more perceptive than those of Ricardo who recognised that machinery affected the interests of different classes in society differently.'' For instance Engels in The condition of the working class in England (p 431) noted:
"The bourgeoisie usually replies that improvements in machinery by decreasing the cost of production supply finished goods at lower prices, and that these reduced prices cause such an increase in consumption that the unemployed operatives soon find full employment in newly founded factories. The bourgeoisie ignores ri^jact that it takes years for these results of the decrease in price to follow ancTfor new factories to be built, it is silent upon the point that every improvement in machinery throws the real work, the expenditure of force more and more upon the machine and so transform^ the work pf full-grown men into mere expansion which a feeble woman or even a child can do quite as well, and does for half or two-third wages; that therefore grown men are constantly more and more supplanted and not reemployed by the increase in manufacture, it conceals the fact that whole branches of industry fall away or are so changed that they must be learned afresh. It does not mention the fact that the process of improvement goes steadily on, and that as soon as the operative has succeeded in making himself at home in a new branch, if he actually does succeed in doing so, this too is taken from him, and with it the last remnant of security which remained to him for winning his bread"
"The fact that improved machinery reduces wages has also been violently disputed by the bourgeoise as it is constandy reiterated by the working-men. The bourgeoisie insists that although the price of piece work has been reduced, yet the total of wages for the week's work has rather risen than fallen, and the condition of the operative rather improved than deteriorated ! It is hard to get to the bottom of the matter, for the operatives usually dwell upon the price of piece-work. But it is certain that the weekly wage^so has in many branches of work been reduced by the improvement of machinery".
"The worst situation is rhat of those workers who have to compete