Karl Marx. Capital. Critique of Political Economy. 
Volume One. Hamburg, Meissner, 1867 

When we take the above work into consideration we certainly do 
not do so on account of the specifically socialist tendency which 
the author openly displays already in the preface. 

We do so because, apart from this tendency, the work contains 
scientific expositions and factual material which deserve every - 
consideration. We shall not enter into the scientific part either, 
since this is far from our purpose, and confine ourselves to the 
factual matters alone. 

We do not believe that any work exists—either in German or a 
foreign language—in which the analytical fundamentals of more 
recent industrial history from the Middle Ages to the modern day 
are so clearly and completely summed up as on pages 302-495 of 
the present book in the three chapters: Co-operation, Manufacture 
and Large-scale Industry. Every single aspect of industrial 
progress is here emphasised in its proper place, according to 
merit, and even if the specific tendency comes through here and 
there, one must do the author justice for never moulding the facts 
to suit his theory but, on the contrary, seeking to present his 
theory as the result of the facts. He takes these facts always from 
the best sources, and where the latest state of affairs is concerned, 
from sources which are as authentic as they are at present 
unknown in Germany: the English Parliamentary Reports. Ger- 
man businessmen who consider their industry not merely from the 
standpoint of day-to-day business but regard it as an essential link 
in the whole development of large-scale modern industry in all 
countries and hence also take an interest in matters not directly 
concerning their own industry, will here find a copious source of 
instruction and will thank us for having directed their attention to 
it. For the time when every trade existed singly and quietly for 
itself alone has indeed long passed, now they all depend on one 
another and on the progress being made in distant lands as well as . 
in the closest neighbourhood and on the changing economic 

situation of the world market. And if, as may well be, the new 
Customs Union agreements' lead to a reduction in the present 
protective tariffs, all our manufacturers are likely to ask to be 
made better acquainted with the history of modern industry in 
general, so as to learn in advance how best to conduct themselves 
when such changes occur. Higher education, which up to now has 
saved us Germans again and again, in spite of the political 
dismemberment, would also in this case be the best weapon we 
could use against the crude materialism of the English. 

This leads us to another point. With the new Customs Union 
legislation the moment may soon arrive when a uniform regulation 
of the working hours in the factories of the Union states will be 
demanded by the manufacturers themselves. It would be obviously 
unfair if in one state the working hours, especially of women and 
children, were entirely at the discretion of the manufacturer, while 
in another they were subject to considerable limitations. It will be 
difficult to avoid coming to an understanding on common 
regulations in this respect, and the more so if the protective 
tariffs were actually lowered. In this respect, however, we 
Germans have greatly insufficient, one could even say, no 
experience at all, and are entirely dependent on the lessons to be 
drawn from the legislation of other countries, particularly 
England, and from its fruits. And here the author has done a 
great service to German industry by giving the history of English 
factory legislation and its results in the greatest detail from official 
documents. (Cf. pp. 207-81 and 399-496," and passim.) This whole 
aspect of English industrial history is as good as unknown in 
Germany, and one will be surprised to learn that since a 
Parliamentary Act of the current year placed no fewer than a 
million and a half workers under government control, not only 
almost all industrial but even most of domestic and part of 
agricultural labour in England are now subjected to the supervi- 
sion of officials and direct or. indirect time limits. We ask our 
manufacturers not to be deterred by the tendency of this book 
from seriously studying particularly this part of it; sooner or later 
the same question will surely be put before them! 

. . : script 

Württemberg, No. 306, December 27, Published in English for the first 
1867 time