CHAPTER XXII

INDUSTRY

THE Occupation of the group of artisans is industry. By industry, we mean the making of things by the power of man. The word handicraft gives the exact meaning, but we are obliged to use the word industry. In the Chinese language, the word kung really means industry, although the industry of the ancients was done by hand. Therefore we cannot use the word handicraft in place of the word kung. If we do so, it means that we must put the word shou before the word kung, "hand industry;" and such a term will change the sense of the word kung from a general and abstract sense, which can be applied to all ages, to a narrow and definite meaning, which is fitted only to the ancient time.

I. IMPORTANCE OF INDUSTRY

The importance of industry is indicated by Confucius himself. As we have seen, among the nine standard rules of a government, he says: "By inducing all classes of artisans to come in, wealth is made sufficient." Therefore, if a government wishes to make the national wealth sufficient, it must welcome all classes of artisans, because they are the industrial workmen. It is industry alone that can produce new wealth, at all independent of nature. Industry can produce wealth in greater degree and more easily than agriculture. Hence Confucius does not mention agriculture in the

1 See supra, p. 318.

nine standard rules. Commerce can only add to the utility of the existing wealth; industry produces new items of wealth. Hence Confucius ascribes to industry only the power of making wealth sufficient. From this passage, it is clear that Confucius thinks that industry is more important than both agriculture and commerce.

The reasons the Chinese make agriculture precede industry are, in the first place, that agriculture supplies food, and in the second place, that it furnishes raw materials. Therefore, in the process of production, agriculture comes naturally before industry. But as regards the efficiency of production, industry is under the absolute control of human power. Hence industry is more important than agriculture. The reasons the Chinese make industry precede commerce are still clearer. First, there can be little if any commerce unless there is some sort of industry. A good must be finished in the workshop before it can go to the market for sale. Therefore, in the process of production, industry comes naturally before commerce. Second, commerce is only an exchange of goods which have been produced, but industry is a creation of goods which have never before existed. Therefore, as regards the efficiency of production, industry has creative power much greater than that of commerce. Hence industry is more important than commerce. Indeed, agriculture, industry and commerce are all necessary, but industry is the most important branch of production.

II. DIVISIONS OF INDUSTRY

In ancient times, the kinds of industry must have been very few. But there were still six grand divisions of industry. According to the "Details of Rites," the emperor had six treasuries for the storing of products, and there were six superintendents in charge of them. These were:

first, the superintendent of the land; second, the superintendent of the wood; third, the superintendent of the waters; fourth, the superintendent of the grass; fifth, the superintendent of the manufactured articles; sixth, the superintendent of the mineral commodities. At that time, the taxes were paid in kind much more than in money. Therefore, the imperial government established the six treasuries for the keeping of the different commodities. All the products paid by the farmers, the foresters, the inhabitants along the waters, the gardeners, the artisans, and the merchants, were stored up in these six treasuries. The stores of these six treasuries came from the taxes, but they were mostly raw materials; hence, they needed to be manufactured.

On this account there were six imperial factories. Hence industry was divided into six kinds, and thus there were workers in earth, workers in metal, workers in stone, workers in wood, workers in the skins of animals, and workers in twigs. These six factories were for working up the materials of those six treasuries.1 The reason the six treasuries left out metal, stone, and the skins of animals, was because these were included in the manufactured articles and mineral commodities. For the same reason, the six factories left out the products of the water, the manufactured articles, and the mineral commodities, because they were included in the factories of metal-workers and stone-workers. The six factories, however, did not necessarily correspond with the six treasuries in details. For instance, the superintendent of the land had charge of the products of the farmer, which might be ready for consumption, but the factory of earth-workers was a factory of pottery. Therefore, the six treasuries were simply warehouses of the different products,

1 Li Ki, bk. i, p. 110.

and their goods were not necessarily turned over to the six factories for production. On the other hand, the six factories were places for manufacturing different articles, and they did not necessarily take their materials from those six treasuries only. Of course, the six factories had a very close connection with the six treasuries, but there was no exact correspondence. The six treasuries and the six factories were the system of the Yin dynasty (1215-571 B. K. or 1766-1122 B. C.). Hence, we know that even at that time Chinese industry was divided up into six kinds.

During the Chou dynasty, industry was highly developed; yet there were still six kinds only. According to the “Record of Industry," there are the industry of wood, the industry of metal, the industry of skin, the industry of coloring, the industry of polishing, and the industry of earth. These are the grand divisions of industry.

For their sub-divisions, the branches of the industry of wood are seven-namely, the wheelwright, the carriagewright, the bow-maker, the maker of the handle of different weapons, the mason, the car-maker, and the carpenter. The branches of the industry of metal are six-namely, the maker of the knife (used as a pen), the maker of different weapons, the maker of bells, the maker of measures, the maker of agricultural implements, and the sword-maker. The branches of the industry of skin are five-namely, the maker of armors of defense, the tanner of hides, the maker of drums, the worker in leather, and the furrier. The branches of the industry of coloring are five-namely, the design-drawer, the maker of embroidery, the dyer of feathers, the drawer of baskets, and the steeper of silk. The branches of the industry of polishing are five-namely, the lapidary, the comb-maker, the sculptor, the arrow-maker, and the maker of musical stones. The branches of the industry of earth are two-namely, the maker of different pots, and the maker of

different vessels. In the six grand divisions, four divisions are based upon materials, such as wood and metal; the other two, upon the nature of arts, such as coloring and polishing. The total number of the branches of industry is thirty, but this number is incomplete. These thirty branches are simply the representatives of the prominent skilled workmanship, and this Record does not give all the branches of industry of that time. Moreover, there is even a branch given in this Record which is not included in the thirty branches; the maker of the shaft where the yoke for the two inside horses is attached. Therefore, these thirty branches are merely examples.

In

All the thirty branches are government factories, and are controlled by officials. Hence they are subject to the promotion of the government. Since the progress of civilization is from simplicity to complexity, the division of labor follows the same law, and the domination of different industries changes along this direction. Therefore, in the Yü dynasty, the government promoted the industry of pottery; in the Hsia, that of masonry; in the Yin, that of carpentry; and in the Chou, that of carriage-making. Such a government promotion simply followed the natural course. the Yü dynasty, society was simplest; hence, pottery was the prominent industry, because it was the simplest form of industry. In the Hsia dynasty, when "the great flood" had just been settled, there was a great demand for shelter, and the land needed the system of water-channels, so the industry of the mason was prominent. In the Yin dynasty, when civilization had advanced, and society had demands beyond the necessaries of life, the industry of the carpenter was dominant. According to the "Record of Industry," the works of the carpenter are: the making of the stands of the musical instruments, which are carved with the figures of animals; the making of drinking-cups; and the mak