Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1845-10-16

correspondence between the above ra-
med gentlemen, in which they discuss
the principle, assumed by Prof Tuck
Err, in an address delivered BY him be-
fore the National Institute, "that the
rate of wages regularly declines with
the increasing density ofpopulation."
It is not our purpose to decide be-
tween these distinguished individuals
in question involving so much inter
est, and which requires SO large an a.
mount of information to discuss it. -
is our intention merely to state the afsf,
native and negative sides of this great
question intelligibly to the mind Of our
readers, and leave them to draw their
own conclusions. Prof. TUCKER thus
illustrates the principle assumed BY
him:
The inherent difficulty, not to say iinpos-
sbility, ofwages continuing to rise with The in
creasing density Of population, may be further
shown by the following Illustration. Let us
suppose country dependant on its own resour-
ces, (fol 10 such my attention is now confned)
with population of forty persons to the square
mile-abont the present population of Ohio
I This allows to each inhabitant on an eyerage,
the product of l6 acres. When the population
shall have doubted, or reached so to the square
mile, that allows to each one the product of s
acres. The next liquidation would of course
| limit the average consumption to the product
of acres; and if we suppose it to attain 800
| to the square mile, which is less than the pres
ent population of England, exclusive Of Wales,
that destiny would reduce the quota to acres
| Now it would be conceding great deal to admit
that, by any improvement in husbandrg, first
! 8 acres, then a, and finally but 2, could be
made to yield as much as the 10 had DONE
especially when for some arcicles consumed by
men, such as timber and fuel, (if the country
contained no fossil coal or peat) the product can
be but moderately increased by human industry
and skill. But if this liberal concession. war
raned oy no experience, be made, it would sup
pose the wages of labor to be merely undimin-
lShed but not increased. To infer such in
crease, we must suppose that the reduced
number OF acres has actually produced
than the larger number, so that not only halt
the land is made to yield more than the whole
had done, but the fourth more than either, and
and the eighth the most of all. When VIC
recollect how extremely difficult it is only to
quadruple the product of poor land, and that
it is impossible so 10 multiply that of the rich
land, and not easy even to double it. the great
est average increase on all the lands, which has
been supposed, and which is the undisguieable
condition of an increase Of wages, seems 10 be
rlyr IL
pYiori view of ii e subject Such a result.
too, is rendered yet more marvellous and
incredulous by the fact, that when the general
average of the land to each individual is
reduced from 16 acres to 2, portion of the
society still retains much more than their pro-
portionate part,-some even the original Is
acres,-for their exclusive consumption in
| pleasure grounds, of game, forests, sc. SO that
we must conclude that as population advances
! to destiny, and each individual must sutSist or
a smaller portion of the earth's su1face-the
increased subsistence required is met, partly
by making the soil more productive, and partly
by the great body Of the community COM
pretending the laboring class consuming
cheaper and coarserf food. And since that class
obtain but the means of subsistence for their la
bor-at least In densely peoped eountries--to
say that their subsistence deteriorates with in
creasing numbers in the same as saying that
wages fall"
Mr.. EVERETT assumes the negative
side Of the question to be true, and
contends that the rate of wages regu-
larly increases with the density of pop
ulation. The following extract from
his answer to Prof. fuckers theory,
will suffice to show the difference CT
opinion between them:
Gin order to bring the question to point, let
US suppose community occupying territory
where the limit Of the possible amount of agri-
cultural produce has been reached and let Va
suppose the population Of this community to be
doubled. As there is no further employment
for agricultural labor, the additional members
OF The community will, Of course, engage IN
the various branches of manufactures; and en-
the principle, in which we agree, that the pro-
gress OF population increases very rapidly and
to an indefinite extent the productiveness OF the
labor employed in manufactures, this whole
class OF products Gncludipg, according to your
enumeration, clothes, furniture, and all sorts of
machinery is consequently much cheaper, as
compared with any fixed standard of value,
thar 1t was before. The productiveness Of agri.
cultural labor not having increased at all its prod
ucts remain ofthe same value, in comparison with
any fixed standard, and are, of course, dearer
IN exchange with manufactures. If barrel Of
hour would before exchange for yard of Srosd-
cloth, 1t will now exchange for two In the
mean time the rate of exchange between fRr
and broad-cloth remains the same as beforo0
other countries where no increase of populs
ton has taken place. In France and England
barrel of flour exchanges for two yards OF
broad-cloth in Poland it still exchanges for
only one. The merchants, whose business It
Is to watch the markets and take advantage
OF differences of this kind in the value OF the
same article in different places, now purchase
cloth In England or France, exchange it in
Poland at the rate ofa yard to the barrel, carry
their flour to London OF Paris, where they sell
It at the rate of two yards to the barrel, and
thus realize upon the operation profit of one
hundred per cent deducting charges, whatever
they may be. But in every branch of business
which yields profit beyond the usual rate,
competition, of course springs up Immediately.