C, three hours, 1½ b. B and C each give half of b for a, and all have their equal daily maintenance for equal daily work.
To carry the example a single step farther, let three articles, a, b, and c be needed.
Let a need one hour's work, b two, and c four; then the day's work must be seven hours, and one man in a day's work can make 7 a, or 3½b, or 1¾ c.
Therefore one A works for a, producing 7 a; two B's work for b, producing 7 b; four C's work for c, producing 7 c.
A has six a to spare, and gives two a for one b, and four a for one c. Each B has 2½ b to spare, and gives ½ b for one a, and two b for one c.
Each C has ¾ of c to spare, and gives ½ 'c for one b, and ¼ of c for one a.
And all have their day's maintenance.
Generally, therefore, it follows that if the demand is constant,[1] the relative prices of things are as their costs, or as the quantities of labour involved in production.
64. Then, in order to express their prices in terms of a currency, we have only to put the
- ↑ Compare Unto this Last, p. 115, et seq.
