must
simply starve; for the bourgeois will hardly give them work if he cannot
sell the produce of their labour at a profit.

From this it is evident what the minimum of wages is. The maximum is
determined by the competition of the bourgeoisie among themselves; for we
have seen how they, too, must compete with each other. The bourgeois can
increase his capital only in commerce and manufacture, and in both cases
he needs workers. Even if he invests his capital at interest, he needs
them indirectly; for without commerce and manufacture, no one would pay
him interest upon his capital, no one could use it. So the bourgeois
certainly needs workers, not indeed for his immediate living, for at need
he could consume his capital, but as we need an article of trade or a
beast of burden,--as a means of profit. The proletarian produces the
goods which the bourgeois sells with advantage. When, therefore, the
demand for these goods increases so that all the competing working-men
are employed, and a few more might perhaps be useful, the competition
among the workers falls away, and the bourgeoisie begin to compete among
themselves. The capitalist in search of workmen knows very well that his
profits increase as prices rise in consequence of the increased demand
for his goods, and pays a trifle higher wages rather than let the whole
profit escape him. He sends the butter to fetch the cheese, and getting
the latter, leaves the butter ungrudgingly to the workers. So one
capitalist after another goes in chase of workers, and wages rise; but
only as high as the increasing demand permits. If the capitalist, who
willingly sacrificed a part of his extraordinary profit, runs into danger
of sacrificing any part of his ordinary average profit, he takes very
good care not to pay more than average wages.

From this we can determine the average rate of wages. Under average
circumstances, when neither workers nor capitalists have reason to
compete, especially among themselves, when there are just as many workers
at hand as can be employed in producing precisely the goods that are
demanded, wages stand a little above the minimum. How far they rise
above the minimum will depend upon the average needs and the grade of
civilisation of the workers. If the workers are accustomed to eat meat
several times in the week, the capitalists must reconcile themselves to
paying wages enough to make this food attainable, not less, because the
workers a