VOGELSTEIN, CAPITALIST FORMS OF ORGANISATION IN MODERN BIG INDUSTRY (original) (raw)

Vladimir Ilyich Lenin

NOTEBOOK “γ”

(“GAMMA”)

VOGELSTEIN, CAPITALIST FORMS OF ORGANISATION IN MODERN BIG INDUSTRY

Theodor Vogelstein, Capitalist Forms of Organisation in Modern Big Industry, Vol. I: “Organisational Forms of the Iron and Textile Industries in Great Britain and America”, Leipzig, 1910.

pp. 54-56.

The British firms: Vickers, Son and Maxim, Ltd.; Browns; Cammels, now own (iron ore) mines, coal mines, iron and steel plants, shipyards, several explosives factories, etc., etc.

| The Rail Cartel:“During the very severe depressionof 1884, British, Belgian and German railfirms agreed on a division of exportbusiness, on the understanding thatthere would be no competition in theirhome markets. At first Great Britainwas allotted 66 per cent, Belgium 7 percent and Germany 27 per cent of theexports; later the figures were somewhatmodified in favour of the continentalcountries. India was reserved entirelyfor Great Britain.... The British firmsdivided their share among themselvesand fixed a price which enabled plantsworking under unfavourable conditionsto continue in operation.... Joint wardeclared against a British firm remainingoutside the cartel, the cost of which wasmet by a levy of two shillings on allsales. But when two British firms retiredfrom the cartel, it collapsed”....[1] (quotedfrom the edition of 1886).... “Twentyyears elapsed before a new internationalassociation was formed. In spite of allefforts, it was impossible, during thesedecades of rapid industrial developmenton the continent and in America, toreach agreement on territorial limits andquotas.... | | | | Divisionof theworld:1884 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | ---- | | -------------------------- | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1886 | | | | | | | | |

| “In 1904 an agreement was at lastreached with Germany, Belgium andFrance on the basis of 53.50 per cent,28.83 per cent and 17.67 per cent forthe first three countries” (sic?? Britain,Belgium, Germany??). “France took partwith 4.8 units in the first year, and5.8 and 6.4 units in the second andthird years, in a total amount whichwas increased by these percentages, hencein 104.8, 105.8 and 106.4 units. | | | 1894 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | | ---- | | | | | |

| | “In 1905 an agreement was reachedalso with the United States, and inthe following year ... Austria and theAltos Hornos plants in Spain werebrought into the alliance. At the presenttime, the division of the world is com-plete, and the big consumers, primarilythe state railways—since the world hasbeen parcelled out without considerationfor their interests—can now dwell likethe poet in the heavens of Jupiter”[2](pp. 99-100). | | | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | “divisionof theworld” | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | goodexample!! | | | | | | | | | | |

As regards the United States Steel Corporation, it is still an open question whether Charles Schwab is right in maintaining that the iron ore mines of Lake Superior (mostly bought up by the Steel Corporation) will soon be the only ones left—or whether Carnegie is right in thinking that many ore deposits will still be found in America.

The share of the Steel Corporation in American output (p. 275):

| | 1901 | 1908 | | | | | ------- | ------ | ------------------- | ----- | -------------------------- | | | | | | | | Total | output | (extraction) of ore | 43.9% | 46.3% | | ” | ” | of pig-iron . . . . | 42.9 | 43.5 | | ” | ” | ” steel . . . . . | 66.3 | 56.1 | | ” | ” | ” rolled goods . . | 50.1 | 47.1[3] |

Notes

[1] Ibid., pp. 251-52.—Ed.

[2] See present edition, Vol. 22, p. 252.—Ed.

[3] Ibid., p. 203.—Ed.

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