As I understand it, we are seeking the usage of "factors of production" to  
mean land, labor, and capital (plus possibly entrepreneurship tacked on as a  
4th factor, later).  Yuri Tulupenko's citation from Ripley and Dana deals  
with "laborer, capitalist, merchant, and employer" - which they attribute to  
Proudhon. Proudhon was known for distinguishing land from capital - Marx  
attacked him for doing so.  So I wonder if Ripley and Dana accurately  
portrayed Proudhon.  Also, "capitalist" is not the same as "capital".  Also,  
"employer" is one who advances capital, and should not be listed separately.  
  
  
I strongly suspect, therefore, that Ripley and Dana were careless writers,  
who simply used the word "factor" with no clear meaning.  
  
Mason Gaffney