CHAPTER II. 

 THE LAW OF POPULATION. 



THE exposition of the law that governs and 

 controls the movement of population is neither 

 involved in intricacy nor is it of an abstruse character. 

 The general movement of population is determined 

 directly by the ability of the individuals of a com- 

 munity to marry ; and this ability again depends 

 upon the state of the labour market. 



When the labour market is expanding from year 

 to year, more people are enabled to marry than would 

 be the case if the labour market were stagnant and 

 remaining stationary. 



Where stagnation of the labour market exists, the 

 number of labourers remains at the same point, and 

 young men can be placed in positions that enable 

 them to marry only by entering into posts of employ- 

 ment that have been rendered vacant by the death 

 of those who formerly held them. Experience teaches 

 that in those circumstances the population does not 

 increase, the birth-rate doing no more than keep pace 

 with the death-rate. 



On the other hand, where a community is prosper- 

 ing by commerce or manufacturing industry, new 



