Although the population increase improves the labor force, Malthus criticizes the lower class for reproducing beyond their limits and insists upon positive and preventative checks in order to create and balance between population and food. In the early 1800’s, England was becoming over populated and could not support its population with the amount of food resources it had. The large population helped to increase the size of the labor force, but at the same time, the large population outgrew the food sources. Thomas R. Malthus proposed that a series of positive checks be used, such as, “sever labor and exposure to the seasons, extreme poverty, bad nursing of children, great towns, excesses of all kinds, the whole train of common diseases and epidemics, wars, plague, and famine”. All these positive checks are checks on the population number. When England becomes too crowded, these positive checks will wipe out those who do not have the resources to protect themselves. Essentially, these checks wipe out many of the lower class. Malthus also proposes preventative checks on the lower class as well. These checks include the lower class looking at large families and checking with themselves if they want to have to divide all their earnings among seven or eight, as opposed to one. These checks also are supposed to help to control the lower class, and prevent them from repopulating. Malthus believed that the over population was good for the work force, but a severe blow to the food supply.