PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS—SECTION F. 131 
may only increase according to their rigid proportion ; and this 
must be determined by a previous increase in the fundamental 
producing industries of the particular place. 
The principal producing industries of the place may increase 
irrespective of other local divisions (7.e., agricultural, pastoral, and 
mining), as their products may find the necessary consumer in 
foreign markets. Whatever influence, therefore, may bar the 
progress of the dominating producing industries of the place 
must also bar occupations in all other divisions of services. 
It is clear from what has been stated that applicants for a 
given kind of employment may often fail, not because there is no 
room for more labour, but because the drection in which the 
applicants have been trained, or in which they desire to be 
employed, is out of harmony with the natural or local proportions 
of that particular service necessary in the production of general 
satisfactions. 
From this cause arises much difficulty and distress. It largely 
adds to the proportion of dependants, and consequently the direct 
or indirect strain (7.e., support of friends, relatives, private and 
public charities) upon the actual breadwinners. becomes oppressive. 
I do not here touch upon artificial aids to local production in its 
effects upon the alteration or disturbance of the relative propor- 
tions of the division of services upon which such aid must have 
an immediate effect, further than to remark that if the aid by 
tariff duties or other means enables the local division at once to 
cover the ground formerly supplied by foreign industry, it can 
only do so either by increasing the machinery or the relative 
proportion of numbers employed locally in the division of service 
affected. The advantage or disadvantage of adopting such a 
policy is hereafter discussed. It is sufficient for the present 
purpose to show the possible effect it may exert upon local 
employment alone. 
SATISFACTION OF WANTS AND THEORY OF OBSTACLES 
CONSIDERED. 
Human satisfactions are enjoyed to the fullest extent with the 
smallest expenditure of time and human energy in regions where 
the natural sources of human satisfactions are vast and rich, and 
under conditions where the fewest obstacles intervene between 
actual producers and actual consumers. Extra time and labour, 
often necessarily spent in mere distribution, are in themselves 
obstacles, and directly tend to lessen the quota of satisfactions 
which might be enjoyed by each individual. All conditions, 
therefore, which necessitate the larger expenditure of time and 
labour (such as extreme distance between the several kinds 
of producers and manufacturers), as well as conditions which 
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