Samuel Smiles：Thrift, Excerpt 394

There is not a mechanic but has the use of the money of the master who employs him. When the unskilled labourer lays down his spade, he leaves idle a capital worth eighteen-pence; but when a skilled artizan or mechanic leaves his mill or his workshop, he leaves idle a capital of from a hundred to two hundred pounds per man. Nor does the skilled workman run any risk whatever as regards the sums invested, though he virtually shares the profits in the shape of the wages paid for his labour. The profit which remains is the master's return for his management and his risks. It is well known, however, that the risks are not always covered, as the _Gazette_ in bad times abundantly demonstrates.

Source： https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/14418
Locator：Excerpt 394 · Verified：2026-10-19 · Verification：Short excerpt

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