AT DIFFERENT PERIODS. 89
bour. For instance, if A and B were each pro-
duced by six days’ labour, they would be equal
in value; but if A should from some cause or
other require 12 days’ labour, then the value of
A would be to the value of B as 12 to 6. But
suppose that a in 1810 required six days’ la-
bour at 4s., making 24s., and in 1811, 6 days at
6s., making 36s., if the value of the commodity
was 40s. at the former period, it would still be
40s. at the latter. And suppose that Bin 1810
required 3 days’ labour at 4s., making 12s., and
in 1811, 3 days’ labour at 6s., making 18s., the
value of the commodity at each period would
be 20s.
Now this author's argument is, that because a
and B at these two periods do not vary in value
with the varying value of labour, therefore they
are not to each other in value as the values of
the producing labour. But itis evident that 40s.,
the value of 4 in 1810, is to 20s., the value of
B at the same period, as 24s., the value of the
producing labour in a, is to 12s., the value of