40 PROCEEDINGS OF THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE. 
2. Given a certain product, what quantity will go to the landowner, 
the capitalist, and the labourer? This is the question to be solved 
that we may determine wages. 
Ultimate analysis will show that the division of the product is 
either for land or for labour. 
To determine the distribution of the product we must have regard 
to the following considerations : 
1. Competition of labourers amongst themselves. Labourers are 
moveable, hence within areas in which competition is effective, wages 
are equal among labourers of the same class. 
2. Competition of landowners amongst themselves. Land is in- 
movable, hence the values differ enormously, all the way from nothing 
in rural districts to fifty or one hundred thousand dollars per acre 
per annum in cities. 
3. Competition of labourers against landowners. Labourers in- 
crease, land does not. Increase of labourers increases their competi- 
tion, rents rise at the expense of wages. 
4. Relative power of landower and labourer in determining a bar- 
gain. Labourers must have access to land or die ; this dependence is 
absolute. The dependence of the landowner is determined only by 
the necessity of maintaining the labourer alive. Hence unskilled 
labour has ever had to be content to accept a bare subsistence. The 
fulcrum is placed so that the advantage is altogether with the land- 
owner. Strikes, as at present conducted, do nothing to remove that 
fulcrum in favour of the labourer. 
Mr. Murray criticized the principles advanced by Mr. 
Douglas, contending that rent had not increased but dimin- 
ished ; that wages had not diminished this century, and that 
the rich are not becoming richer and the poor poorer. He 
declared that wages must be a matter of free agreement be- 
tween employer and employé. ’ 
Dr. Bryce questioned the statement that the amount of 
wages earned, when land produces no rent, is the measure of 
the wage-fund. 
Mr. Browning controverted the position that wages diminish 
2s wealth and population increase, and that the statistics show 
the contrary. 
