THE  material  means  or  instruments  of  production  are  all
conveniently  reducible  to  three  general  kinds,  or  heads  of


•  The  interest  of  these  two  classes,  that  is,  of  all  labourers,  I  may
remark  here,  is,  in  the  respect  alluded  to,  exactly  the  same,  and  what-
ever raises  or  depresses  wages  to  the  one  must  produce  the  same  effect
in  regard  to  the  other.  Thus,  if  the  class  of  unproductive  labourers
be  very  much  increased,  and  taken  away  from  productive  employments,
more  work  must  be  done  by  those  who  are  left ;  and  if  more  work  be
done  for  the  same  wages  it  is  equivalent  to  a  reduction  of  wages.
But  if  more  work  be  done,  or  less  wages  taken  for  a  given  quantity  of
work  by  the  productive  classes  of  labourers,  the  same  must  be  done
by  the  unproductive  class,  including  of  course  those  employed  under
government,  in  all  the  subordinate  situations  at  least,  where  the  prin-
ciple of  competition  is  allowed  to  operate.
62  OF  THE  MATERIAL  MEANS  OR       BOOK  I.
arrangement,  and  naturally  belong  to  some  one  or  other  of
the  following  distinct  denominations  ;  viz.
I.  LAND.
II.  MAN  HIMSELF.
III.  CAPITAL.
