CHAPTER V*.

But the rate of profits will fall still more, because the capital of the farmer, it must be recollected, consists in a great measure of raw produce, such as his corn and hay-ricks, his unthreshed wheat and barley, his horses and cows, which would all rise in price in consequence of the rise of produce. His absolute profits would fall from 480l. to 445l. 15s.; but if from the cause which I have just stated, his capital should rise from 3000l. to 3200l. the rate of his profits would, when corn was at 5l. 2s. 10d., be under 14 per cent.

If a manufacturer had also employed 3000l. in his business, he would be obliged in consequence of the rise of wages, to increase his capital, in order to be enabled to carry on the same business. If his commodities sold before for 720l., they would continue to sell at the same price; but the wages of labour, which were before 240l., would rise when corn was at 5l. 2s. 10d. to 274l. 5s. In the first case he would have a balance of 480l. as profit on 3000l., in the second he would have a profit only of 445l. 15s., on an increased capital, and therefore his profits would conform to the altered rate of those of the farmer.

There are few commodities which are not more or less affected in their price by the rise of raw produce, because some raw material from the land enters into the composition of most commodities. Cotton goods, linen, and cloth, will all rise in price with the rise of wheat; but they rise on account of the greater quantity of labour expended on the raw material from which they are made, and not because more was paid by the manufacturer to the labourers whom he employed on those commodities.