Taking the High Road Only to Arrive at the Low Road: The Creation of a Reserve Army of Petty Capitalists in the North Maine Woods

Class relations in wood harvesting in Maine are analyzed. An unexpected high-road strategy emerges from the adoption of new technology for corporate crews (wage labor). This high-road policy is enhanced by the class struggle of independent logging contractors (petty capitalists). The ultimate diffusion of this technology to contractors reversed this strategy by allowing company crews to be disbanded. This created a reserve army of petty capitalists and a resultant increase in the rate of exploitation.