Butfortheartisanwhoisaminutepartofavastorganisation，whosewagescomeoutofanindefinite，unexploredreservoirwhichmaybeaffectedbychangesincommerceoftheoriginandexactnatureofwhichheiscompletelyignorant，thereisnosuchpalpablelimit。Thespringsfromwhichhissubsistenceflowsmay，foranythinghesees，beinexhaustible。Heisaunitinalargemultitude，which，takenasawhole，mustundoubtedlybesomehowdependentuponthegeneralresourcesofthenation。Buthowtoexplaintheintricaterelationsofthedifferentclassesisaproblempuzzlingtothebesteconomists，andcapableofallmanneroffallacioussolutions。Asanindividual，theartisanmightlearnlikeotherpeopletobeprudent；buttoknowwhatisprudenthemustunderstandhisposition。Canthelabourerrightfullydemandorreasonablyexpecttogetalargershareofthewealthwhichheproduces，ormustheconfinehimselftolimitinghisnumbers，andtrustingtosupplyanddemandtobringhisrightshare？Heretheworkmanwasmisledbyallmanneroffalselights；anditbecameincumbentuponMilltoexplaintheposition。
Apopulationentirelydependentonwagesnever，saysMill，74*refrainsfromover-populationunlessfrom’actuallegalrestraint，’orsome’custom’which’insensiblymouldstheirconduct。’TheEnglishagriculturallabourerseemstomultiplyjustasfarashecan。75*All’checks’havegoneoraregoing。
Iftheartisanisbetteroff，itisduetotherapidexpansionofourtrade。Shouldthemarketforourmanufactures——notactuallyfalloffbutceasetoexpandasrapidlyasithasdoneforfiftyyears，wemayfallintothestateofIrelandbefore1846。Hehopes，indeed，thatthefactorypopulationmaybeintelligentenoughtoadaptitselftocircumstances。Thefactthatsolargeapartofourpopulationiscomposedofmiddleclassesorskilledartisansistheonlysecurityforsomerestraint。YetMill’sopinionevenoftheartisanwaslow。EnglishexperienceconfirmstheevidenceofEscherofZ黵ich。76*TheheadoftheEnglishartisanisturnedbytheideaofequality。’Whenheceasestobeservile，hebecomesinsolent。’77*Thereisnowhere，hesayselsewhere，78*anyfriendlysentimentbetweenlabourersandemployers。Theartisan，swampedbythegrowingmultiplicationofunskilledlabour，willtooprobably，wemayinfer，takeafalseviewofthesituation，andascribehispovertynottohisownneglectofMalthus，buttothegreedandhard-heartednessofthecapitalist。Suchananticipationwaslikelyenoughtoberealised。
Thisleadstothegreatproblemofthetruerelationbetweencapitalandlabour。ThedistinctivepeculiarityofEnglandwasthedependenceofthemassesuponwages。How，asMillhasasked，isthisstateofthingsreconcilablewithimprovement？Hewillassume，ashispredecessorshadsubstantiallydone，thatthecapitalistandlabourersareseparateclasses，andthatthelabourerderiveshiswholesupportfromthecapitalist。Thoughthisisnoteverywheretrue，itisforhimthereallyimportantcase。Moreover，heseemstothinkthattherulederivedfromconsideringtheclassesseparatelywillnotbealteredwhenthetwocharactersareunitedinindividuals。Thelabourer，sofarashehas’fundsinhand，’isalsoacapitalist；andthatpartofhisincomeisstilldecidedbythegenerallawofprofits。79*
Theassumptionofacompleteseparation，madeforconvenienceofargument，mightnodoubtbeconfoundedwithastatementoffact。