274 ADAM SMITH. 



population. It is absurd to suppose that the mere augmen- 

 tation of agricultural produce extends the demand for it, by 

 increasing the population of the community. If the lowest 

 means only of subsistence are considered, and if men will 

 be contented to possess only the simplest food, without any 

 raiment, then, no doubt, an increase of grain and roots may 

 increase the numbers of the consumers. But is it not evi- 

 dent that men require more than the mere necessaries of life, 

 and that even those necessaries are in part the production 

 of manufacturing labour ? Does not a person in forming 

 his estimate of a competency, take into the account articles 

 of manufacture as well as husbandry, furniture, clothes, and 

 even luxuries gratifications as well as meat and drink? 

 The mere augmentation of those simple necessaries will 

 never sensibly increase the number of the consumers, any 

 more than the mere augmentation of articles of comfort and 

 luxury. An increase in the production of the one class of 

 commodities will operate exactly as powerfully on popula- 

 tion, as an increase in the production of the other class. In 

 fact, an increase of either may somewhat affect the numbers 

 of the consumers ; but in order to produce any considerable 

 augmentation of those numbers, the increase of both species 

 of produce must go on together. This argument, then, only 

 leads us by a new, and certainly an unexpected road, to an 

 additional conclusion in favour of the theory that utterly 

 denies all distinction between any of the applications of 

 capital and industry, which are subservient to the wants 

 and enjoyments of man. 



The reasoning in which we have been engaged, will pro- 

 bably be deemed sufficient to authorize several positive in- 

 ferences with respect to the nature and sources of national 

 wealth. We trust that enough has been said to expose the 

 inaccuracy of drawing any line between the different channels 

 in which capital and labour may be employed of separating, 

 with Dr. Smith and his followers, the operations of agricul- 

 ture, manufactures, and commerce, from those arts where 

 nothing tangible is produced or exchanged or of placing, 

 with the Economists, the division somewhat higher, and 

 limiting the denomination of productive to agricultural em- 

 ployment alone. It may safely be concluded, that all those 

 occupations which tend to. supply the necessary wants, or 



