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82 is greater when the labourers are prosperous. There is no surer test of the prosperity of the labouring class than the low price of bread, and there are few statistical facts better substantiated than that the marriages amongst the labouring class increase with the fall in the price of bread. It may be reasonably assumed that wages are high when trade is good. But from what source are these higher wages supplied? It must be from the capital of the country, because this is the fund from which the labourers' wages are provided; the circulating capital employed in any trade or manufacture must be increased if the labourers engaged in it receive higher wages. It may be here remarked, that when a trade is active, the profits are high, and thus a great inducement is offered to those engaged as employers in the trade, not only to save more, but to apply a greater amount of capital to their business; this additional capital is either borrowed or is withdrawn from other investments. But now, having pointed out some of the sources from which an increased number of labourers will be obtained, we have next to consider how this increased population will be fed. Reference has just been made to some of the sources from which the additional wages paid to the labourers will be supplied when an active trade causes a greater demand for labour. Let us suppose, therefore, that when the labouring population has increased, the circulating capital of the country has been proportionally augmented; but if there is a larger population, more food will be required, and the important question arises: Under what conditions is this food to be obtained? In answering this question we avail ourselves of that principle which has been stated in the first part of this chapter, namely, that there is a tendency for food to become more expensive as the demand for it increases, because less productive land may have to be resorted to, the returns from which are not so large in proportion to the labour and capital expended upon it.

The production of an increased quantity of wealth requires a greater number of labourers, and when the labouring population is thus augmented, food will become more expensive, unless the additional food required can be obtained either by agricultural improvements, or can