CHAPTER 21. THE SUPPLY OF LABOR

1. Has the principle of the survival of the fittest any influence on the

population of America?

2. What limits the number of wild rabbits? Of tame pigeons? Do the same

influences act in the case of men?

3. What other influences affect population?

4. What relation is there between population and mountains, temperature

and water-supply?

5. It has been said that the supply of labor is fixed by biologic laws.

Is it therefore not subject to economic influences?

6. What application do you think the principle of diminishing returns

has to the question of population?

7. What is meant by the standard of life?

NOTE.--The subject of population generally is discussed

under the name of "The Malthusian Doctrine" and much space

is given to it in the texts. So much useless controversy

has been occasioned by the ambiguities of Malthus's

argument that it seemed best not to introduce this

difficulty into the text. The subject is discussed with

broadest view by A. T. Hadley, _Economics_, Secs. 47-60.

The writer attempted to make a judicial study of Malthus

and his work in _Versuch einer Bevölkerungslehre_, Jena,

1894, and sought to put the discussion on higher ground in

an article in the _Yale Review_, August, 1898, "The Essay

of Malthus, a Centennial Review."

The Principles of Economics, with Applications to Practical Problems · 第 21 / 57 章