WAGES are the price paid for labour. The labour of man, being an object of purchase and sale, has, like other commo dities, a natural or cost price, and a mar ket price. Its natural price is that which suffices to maintain the labourer and his family, and to perpetuate the race of labourers. The rate of wages cannot be permanently below this natural price, for if in any country labourers could not be thus maintained, they must cease to exist ; they must be exterminated by famine, or be removed to some other country. If the price paid were only sufficient to maintain the labourer himself, without any family, he would be unable to marry, or his children would die of want. By these distressing causes the supply of ht bout. would be reduced until the competi tion of employee, had raised the price of labour to its natural level. But, although the natural price would thus appear to be that which only wards off starvation, there is, hapr-ly for mankind, a principle which tends to raise it to a much higher standard. Every man desires to improve his condition, to enjoy more of the com forts and luxuries of life than have fallen to his lot, and to raise himself in the esti mation of others. If he has accomplished this, he acquires habits of living which it is painful for him to forgo. He endea vours to bring up his children with the same views and habits as his own, and feels it a degradation if they fall below the standard which he has himself attain ed. The necessary consequence of this tendency to social improvement is to cause prudence and forethought in marrying, and undertaking the support and settle. ment of a family. if a labourer had been accustomed to abundance of nou rishing food, to decent clothing, and to a comfortable home, he would be restrained from marriage by a fear of losing these comforts himself, and of bringing want upon his wife and family. He would thus be induced to defer the responsibilities of marriage until he should be better able to bear them. This is a sound and whole some principle as regards an individual, and is conducive to the welfare of him self and his family. It is not less advan
tageous to society at large, and to the class of labourers in particular. The sufferings and demoralization of poverty are avoided, and the population being restrained within reasonable limits, the supply of labour does not exceed the de mand. A labourer cannot have too many wants. He should desire good food, good clothing, a cleanly and comfortable home, and education for his children. If the standard of wants could be universally raised, the natural price of labour would rise in proportion ; for if each labourer were determined not to render himself unable to gratify these wants, all could command the wages that would supply them. The degree in which this princi ple operates determines the natural rate of wages and the condition of the work ing classes. Where it has no influence, as in Ireland and many parts of Asia, the wages are only sufficient to support life upon the commonest food, and to provide the most squalid clothing and habitations. In more civilized countries, the wants and prudence of the middle classes extend lower in the scale of soci ety, and the labourers want more and enjoy more of the comforts and decencies of life. Happy, indeed, is that country in which the natural price of labour is the highest I In investigating the princi ples of population in reference to wages and to the condition of the labouring classes, Mr. Malthus did no more than apply the common and recognised maxims of individual prudence to the social state of the poor. He laid down rules for their guidance, which every richer man would require to be observed by his chil dren; and yet he has been ignorantly and vulgarly defamed by many of that class who have only acquired and main tained their present station by acting upon the very principles which he nei ther suggested nor discovered, but the consequences of which he has only more scientifically explained.