The  use  of  the  word  implies  that  the  whole
produce  of  all  the  workers  is  considered  to  be
a  joint  or  common  produce  which,  after  being
produced,  has  to  be  divided  or  "distributed."
If  each  man  lived  on  his  own  patch  of  ground,
using  his  own  instruments,  and  receiving  no
help  from  any  one  either  in  commodities  or
services,  each  man's  produce  or  income  would
obviously  be  quite  distinct  from  that  of  every
other  person,  and  the  conception  of  a  joint  pro-
duce requiring  to  be  distributed  would  never
have  been  formed.  Individuals'  incomes  would
vary,  but  the  variations  would  be  questions  of
production  only,  since  each  man's  income  would
depend  enthely  on  the  amount  he  produced.
Exchange  being  practised,  questions  of  "dis-
tribution "  arise  because  each  man's  income  de-
pends not  only  on  how  much  he  produces  but
also  on  the  value  of  what  he  has  to  sell,  i.e.
on  how  much  of  certain  other  things  he  can
get  in  exchange  for  a  given  quantity  of  his
work  or  of  the  use  of  his  property.
