THE WEALTH OF NATIONS.

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Long apprenticeships are altogether unnecessary. Thearts, which are much superior to common trade, such as thoseof making clocks and watches, contain no such mystery as torequire a long course of instruction. The first invention ofsuch beautiful machines, indeed, and even that of some of theinstruments employed in making them, must, no doubt, havebeen the work of deep thought and long time, and may justlybe considered as among the happiest efforts of human inge-nuity. But when both have been fairly invented and are wellunderstood, to explain to any young man, in the coinplctcstmanner, how to apply the instruments and how to constructthe machines, cannot well require more than the lessons of afew weeks; perhaps those of a few days might be sufficient.In the common mechanic trades, those of a few days mightcertainly be sufficient. The dexterity of hand, indeed, evenin common trades, cannot be acquired without much practiceand experience. But a young man would practise withmuch more diligence and attention, if from the beginning hewrought as a journeyman, being paid in proportion to thelittle work which he could execute, and paying in his turnfor the materials which he might sometimes spoil throughawkwardness and inexperience. His education would ge-nerally in this way be more effectual, and always less tedi-ous and expensive. The master, indeed, would be a loser.He would lose all the wages of the apprentice, which he nowsaves, for seven years together. In the end, perhaps, the ap-prentice himself would be a loser. In a trade so easily learnthe would have more competitors, and his wages, when hecame to be a complete workman, would be much less thanat present. The same increase of competition would reducethe profits of the masters as well as the wages of workmen.The trades, the crafts, the mysteries, would all be losers. Butthe public would be a gainer, the work of all artificers comingin this way much cheaper to market.

It is to prevent this reduction of price, and consequentlyof wages nndprofit, by restraining that free competition whichwould most certainly occasion it, that all corporations, andthe greater part of corporation laws, have been established.In order to erect a corporation, no other authority in ancienttimes was requisite in many parts of Europe , but that of thetown corporate in which it was established. In England, in-deed, a charter from the king was likewise necessary. Butthis prerogative of the crown seems to have been reserved

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