From: Paul Zarembka (zarembka@BUFFALO.EDU)
Date: Thu Jul 12 2007 - 22:18:30 EDT
I have to update this thread. The empirical estimate in Vol. 3 is by
Engels using Marx's figures in Vol. 1. In fact, the entire Chp. 4 of Vol.
3 (of which this calculation is a part) is by Engels, not Marx at all.
Marx was calculating a weekly basis, Engels yearly, based upon the same
underlying data.
Paul Z.
*************************************************************************
(Vol.23) The HIDDEN HISTORY of 9-11-2001 "a benchmark in 9/11 research"
(Vol.24) TRANSITIONS in LATIN AMERICA and in POLAND and SYRIA
Research in Political Economy, P.Zarembka,ed, Elsevier hardbacks
********************** http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/PZarembka
On Thu, 12 Jul 2007, Paul Zarembka wrote:
> Thanks, Andrew. What I like about the subsequent footnote is that Marx
> knew what he was doing in even presenting a calculation.
>
> There is also something interesting: Marx in Vol. 1 is reporting the
> example for the spinning industry and obtains a c/v = 7.3. Yet, in Vol. 3
> for the same industry he reports an implied 38.3! Recall the Vol. 3 was
> written before Vol. 1 and never edited later by Marx. Thus, the Vol. 1
> figure ought to be considered more reflective of his empirical work.
>
> Paul Z.
>
> *************************************************************************
> (Vol.23) The HIDDEN HISTORY of 9-11-2001 "a benchmark in 9/11 research"
> (Vol.24) TRANSITIONS in LATIN AMERICA and in POLAND and SYRIA
> Research in Political Economy, P.Zarembka,ed, Elsevier hardbacks
> ********************** http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/PZarembka
>
> On Thu, 12 Jul 2007, Andrew Brown wrote:
>
> > Paul, and all,
> >
> > It must be stressed that Marx's *next* footnote, concerning the calculation that Jurriaan draws our attention to (plus a second example calculation) reads:
> >
> > 'The calculations given in the text are intended merely as illustrations. We have in fact assumed that prices = values. We shall, however, see in Volume 3 that even in the case of average prices the assumption cannot be made in this very simple manner'. [Capital 1, 1976 Penguin edition, p. 329]
> >
> > Many thanks
> >
> > Andy
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: OPE-L [mailto:OPE-L@SUS.CSUCHICO.EDU] On Behalf Of Paul Zarembka
> > Sent: 11 July 2007 19:39
> > To: OPE-L@SUS.CSUCHICO.EDU
> > Subject: Re: [OPE-L] Marx's own empirical estimate of c/v
> >
> > Thanks, Jurriaan. I had missed the footnote as to actual data being
> > relied upon.
> >
> > Anybody for any other examples anywhere in Marx's works?
> >
> > Paul Z.
> >
> > *************************************************************************
> > (Vol.23) The HIDDEN HISTORY of 9-11-2001 "a benchmark in 9/11 research"
> > (Vol.24) TRANSITIONS in LATIN AMERICA and in POLAND and SYRIA
> > Research in Political Economy, P.Zarembka,ed, Elsevier hardbacks
> > ********************** http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/PZarembka
> >
> > On Wed, 11 Jul 2007, Jurriaan Bendien wrote:
> >
> > > From Capital Vol. 1:
> > >
> > > First we will take the case of a spinning mill containing 10,000 mule spindles, spinning No. 32 yarn from American cotton, and producing 1 lb. of yarn weekly per spindle. We assume the waste to be 6%: under these circumstances 10,600 lbs. of cotton are consumed weekly, of which 600 lbs. go to waste. The price of the cotton in April, 1871, was 7 3/4d. per lb.; the raw material therefore costs in round numbers £342. The 10,000 spindles, including preparation-machinery, and motive power, cost, we will assume, £1 per spindle, amounting to a total of £10,000. The wear and tear we put at 10%, or £1,000 yearly = £20 weekly. The rent of the building we suppose to be £300 a year, or £6 a week. Coal consumed (for 100 horse-power indicated, at 4 lbs. of coal per horse-power per hour during 60 hours, and inclusive of that consumed in heating the mill), 11 tons a week at 8s. 6d. a ton, amounts to about £4 1/2 a week: gas, £1 a week, oil, &c., £4 1/2 a week. Total cost of the above auxiliary materials, £10 weekly. Therefore the constant portion of the value of the week's product is £378. Wages amount to £52 a week. The price of the yarn is 12 1/4d. per. lb. which gives for the value of 10,000 lbs. the sum of £510. The surplus-value is therefore in this case £510 - £430 = £80. We put the constant part of the value of the product = 0, as it plays no part in the creation of value. There remains £132 as the weekly value created, which = £52 var. + £80 surpl. The rate of surplus-value is therefore 80/52 = 153 11/13%. In a working-day of 10 hours with average labour the result is: necessary labour = 3 31/33 hours, and surplus-labour = 6 2/33
> > > http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1867-c1/ch09.htm
> > >
> > > Marx adds in a note: The above data, which may be relied upon, were given me by a Manchester spinner. In England the horse-power of an engine was formerly calculated from the diameter of its cylinder, now the actual horse-power shown by the indicator is taken.
> > >
> > > Jurriaan
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>
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