delay, and without uncertainty, others who want what he can produce.

In themselves these principles are self-evident. Everyone will admit
it to be expedient that all goods wanting to be sold should be sold
as soon as they are ready; that every man who wants to work should
find employment as soon as he is ready for it. Obviously also, as
soon as the 'division of labour' is really established, there is a
difficulty about both of these principles. A produces what he thinks
B wants, but it may be a mistake, and B may not want it. A may be
able and willing to produce what B wants, but he may not be able to
find Bhe may not know of his existence.

The general truth of these principles is obvious, but what is not
obvious is the extreme greatness of their effects. Taken together,
they make the whole difference between times of brisk trade and
great prosperity, and times of stagnant trade and great adversity,
so far as that prosperity and that adversity are real and not
illusory. If they are satisfied, everyone knows whom to work for,
and what to make, and he can get immediately in exchange what he
wants'himself. There is no idle labour and no sluggish capital in
the whole community, and, in consequence, all which can be produced
is produced, the effectiveness of human industry is augmented, and
both kinds of producers both capitalists and labourersare much
richer than usual, because the amount to be divided between them is
also much greater than usual.

And there is a partnership in industries. No single large industry
can be depressed without injury to other industries; still less can
any great group of industries. Each industry when prosperous buys
and consumes the produce probably of most (certainly of very many)