PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS IN SECTION F. 
(Economic and Social Science and Statistics.) 
OBSERVATIONS ON CURRENT SOCIAL AND 
ECONOMIC PROBLEMS. 
By ROBERT M. JOHNSTON, F.L.S: 
Causes oF ExistiInNG Poverty AND MISERY. 
Ir cannot be denied, in spite of the great accumulation of wealth 
and the increased command over the forces of nature during the 
present century, that there is still to be found much poverty and 
distress, especially in large centres of population, and that much 
of it is due to the unequal distribution of wealth ; and whether 
we may or may not be able to point out a remedy, it is utterly 
repugnant to the best feelings of human nature to sink into the 
despair or apathy of many who say, “ Let alone ; whatever is is 
best or worst, and cannot be helped.” Whatever errors the 
Socialists and Communists are chargeable with, they must 
be credited with warm aspirations for the amelioration and 
improvement of suffering humanity, and are free from the charge 
of indifference. The latter, however, are too emotional to 
perceive the great difficulties of the problems which have always 
engaged the deepest attention of earnest Social Economists, and 
are too ready to advocate the introduction of their own pet 
schemes, without having taken sufficient trouble either to test 
their adequacy, or to fathom the true nature of fundamental 
difficulties, which would in most cases be made vastly more 
formidable by the various plans propounded by them for their 
removal. Thus some, having been misled by the assumption that 
all our evils are due to individual property right and unequal 
distribution of wealth, employ all their ingenuity to show that all 
existing evils are attributable to these, and to these alone. 
Yet there are many other influences far more potent for evil, 
which no scheme yet propounded by Political Economists, 
Socialists, or Communists may wisely undervalue or ignore. Of 
such are the following :— 
(1.) The superabundant proportions of human beings in 
existence who, free from restraint, are naturally 
disposed to be idle, sensuous, and wicked; or who are 
ignorant, foolish, and improvident. 
