Such, reduced to its simplest elements, is the process on which the riches of the rich in the modern world depend. ◆¹ It will be seen, however, that in the case we have just supposed, the labourers, by the process in question, gain absolutely nothing. Each of them originally made _fifty pounds_ a year. He now receives the same sum in wages. But the total product has increased by _three hundred and fifty pounds_, and of this the labourers acquire no share whatever. Nor, supposing them to be inexperienced in the art of combination, is there any means by which they could ever do so. And if our imaginary community were a complete representation of reality, the same would be the case with the labourers in real life. [Sidenote ◆1 But let us introduce a second man of Ability competing with the first, and the process of distribution of the increased product amongst the labourers begins at once.] ◆¹ But it must now be pointed out that in one important respect, as a representation of reality, our community is incomplete. It represents the main process by which the riches of the rich are produced; but it offers no parallel to one factor in the real situation, owing to which the labourers inevitably acquire a share in them. In that community the rich classes are represented by a single person, who has no conflicting interests analogous to his own to contend against. But in actual life, so far as this point is concerned, the condition of the rich is different altogether. As looked at from without, they are, indeed, a single body, which may with accuracy be represented as one man; but as looked at from within, they are a multitude of different bodies, whose interests, within certain limits, are diametrically opposed to each other. In order, therefore, to make our illustration complete, instead of one man of Ability we must imagine two. The first, whose fortunes we have just followed, and whom, for the sake of distinctness, we will christen John, has already brought production to the state that has been just described. He has managed to get seven men out of eight to produce luxuries for himself,—luxuries, we will say, such as wine, cigars, and butter,—paying these seven men with the surplus necessaries which, with his assistance, are produced by the eighth man. But of these luxuries the seven men keep none; nor can they give any of them to the eighth man, their fellow. John takes all. But now let us suppose that a second man of Ability, whom we will christen James, appears upon the scene, just as anxious as John to direct Labour by his Ability, and just as capable of making Labour productive. But all the labourers are at present in the pay of John. James therefore must set himself to detach them from John’s service; and he accordingly engages that if they will work for him they shall not only each receive the necessaries that John gives them, but a share of the other things