His wife said to herself that she had no idea he could have been so stern as he was all this day; she scarcely knew him for William Allen.—Many people made the same observation from this time forward. His sternness only appeared when matters of honour were in question, and no one who knew by what means he had been made jealous on this point wondered at the tone of decision in which a once weak and timid man could speak. But there were other circumstances which made them scarcely able to believe him the same William Allen. He no longer touched his hat to the masters, or appeared to see them as they passed. He no longer repaired to the Spread-Eagle to hear or tell the news, or to take part in consultation on the affairs of the workmen of Manchester, though he was ever ready to give his advice with freedom and mildness when called upon. He stated that he was a friend to their interests, and therefore anxious to avoid injuring them by being one of the body. He would not even represent his children, who grew up one after another to be employed in the factories, while their father toiled in the streets with his water-cart in summer and his broom in winter; enduring to be pointed out to strangers as the leader of an unsuccessful strike, as long as his family were not included with himself in the sentence of proscription. When will it be understood by all that it rests with all to bring about a time when opposition of interests shall cease? When will masters and men work cheerfully together for their common good, respect instead of proscribing each other, and be equally proud to have such men as Wentworth and William Allen of their fellowship? _Summary of Principles illustrated in this Volume._ --------------------- COMMODITIES, being produced by capital and labour, are the joint property of the capitalist and labourer. The capitalist pays in advance to the labourers their share of the commodity, and thus becomes its sole owner. The portion thus paid is WAGES. REAL WAGES are the articles of use and consumption that the labourer receives in return for his labour. NOMINAL WAGES are the portion he receives of these things reckoned in money. The fund from which wages are paid in any country consists of the articles required for the use and consumption of labourers which that country contains. THE PROPORTION OF THIS FUND RECEIVED BY INDIVIDUALS MUST MAINLY DEPEND ON THE NUMBER AMONG WHOM THE FUND IS DIVIDED. The rate of wages in any country depends, therefore, not on the wealth which that country contains, but on the proportion between its capital and its population. As population has a tendency to increase faster than capital, wages can be prevented from falling to the lowest point only by adjusting the proportion of population to capital. The lowest point to which wages can be permanently reduced is that which affords a bare subsistence to the labourer.