Slaney on Rural Expenditure. 179 



character produced idleness and profligacy, and that hence 

 originated poverty and wretchedness, what occasioned the 

 change in moral character ? or, on the other hand, supposing 

 a great and permanent falling-off in wages or inability to pro- 

 cure work first existed, and then gave rise to moral degrada- 

 tion, what occasioned this depression of wages, this inability to 

 procure work? 



If we can get at this, the fountain-head of all the evil, we 

 may hope to be able to point out the means by which it may 

 be closed up, or at least prevented from sending forth a 

 stream, which, to all present appearance, threatens to over- 

 whelm the most numerous class of our population. We 

 have no hesitation in tracing this in the following; manner : — 



No permanent lowering of the wages of labour or of the 

 price of any commodity can take place, unless the proportion 

 betwixt the supply and demand is altered ; and this can be 

 altered either by the supply being increased, while the 

 demand continues the same ; or by the demand being dimi- 

 nished, while the supply is stationary ; or by the demand being 

 diminished, while the supply is increased. 



With" respect to the price of any commodity : if the demand 

 for it falls off, those who produce or manufacture it, soon learn 

 to diminish the supply, so as to apportion it to the diminished 

 demand ; and thus secure to themselves the same rate, though 

 not the same amount of profit. 



But the case is different with respect to the wages of labour ; 

 and we believe that, whereas, during the last fifteen years, the 

 demand for agricultural labour, in those counties of England 

 where the greatest change in character and condition has 

 taken place, has diminished considerably, — the supply of 

 labour, the agricultural population, has increased ; and, conse- 

 quently, as either of these two circumstances, a diminished de- 

 mand, or an increased supply, taken separately, must lower 

 wages, it is obvious that their conjoint effect in lowering wages 

 must be very great. 



Whence has this arisen ? In the first place, the very high 

 prices of grain and other farming produce at several periods 

 during the last thirty years, by enabling farmers to lay out 

 increased capital, either in improving old land, or in cultivat- 

 ing new, created an increased demand for agricultural labour; 

 and, consequently, raised w T ages. Hence many were induced 

 to marry who otherwise would have remained single ; hence 

 the agricultural population increased. 



These high prices of farming produce alternating with low 

 prices, and having been for some years entirely supplanted by 



N 2 



