n order to buy food and clothes, and to pay the rent of
his house. Instead, then, of receiving an actual share of the produce,
he receives from the capitalist as much money as is supposed to be equal
in value to his share.

Now, we shall see that it is requisite to distinguish between #money
wages# and #real wages#. What a labourer really works for is the bread,
clothes, beer, tobacco, or other things which he consumes; these form
the real wages. If he gets more of these, it does not matter whether he
gets more or less money wages; he cannot eat money, or use it in any way
except to spend it at shops. If corn or cotton becomes dearer, the wages
of every workman are really lessened; because he can buy less corn or
cotton with his money wages. On the other hand, everything which makes
goods cheaper, increases the real wages of workmen; because they can get
more of the goods in exchange for the same money wages. People are
accustomed to think far too much about the number of shillings they get
for a day's work; they fancy that, if they get 25 per cent. more money
wages, they must be 25 per cent. more wealthy. But this is not
necessarily the case; for if the prices of goods on the average have
also risen 25 per cent, they will be really no richer nor poorer than
before.

We now begin to see that to increase the productiveness of labour is
really the important thing for everybody. For if anything, such as
cotton cloth, can be made with less labour, it can be sold more cheaply,
and everybody can buy more of it for the same money, and thus be better
clothed. If the same were the case with other goods, so that linen,
stockings, boots, bricks, houses, chairs, tables, clocks, books, &c.,
were all made in larger quantities than before, with the same labour,
everybody in the country would be better supplied with the things which
he really wishes to have.

It is certain that #a real increase of wages to the people at large is
to be obtained only by making things cheaply#. No doubt a tradesman
gains sometimes when the goods he deals in become dearer, but to the
extent that they are dearer, all consumers of the goods lose, because
they can enjoy less comforts and necessaries. But, if goods are made
cheaply, all consumers gain thereby, and, all people being consumers,
all gain so far as they use the cheapened articles. Nor does it follow
that artisans and tradespeople suffer by the cheapening of goods. If,
owing to some invention, m