PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS. 881 
Now if it can be shown that the wage-earner group (under 
£150) receives a larger proportion of the consumable wealth in 
each year than the proportion of physical energy contributed by 
such in its production, it most effectually disposes of the senti- 
mental complaint so frequently put forward by the Fabian school 
of writers, viz., ‘the lower ten millions, whose toil is the active 
factor that produces all wealth, not of the upper ten thousand, 
who in some mysterious way manage to get rich upon that toil.” 
This inaccurate statement can easily be refuted in a very simple 
manner by ascertaining what proportion of consumable wealth, 
per year, is appropriated or absorbed by the three principal 
agencies engaged in its production. The best and surest means 
to gauge what measure of reward comes to each separate group is 
to determine what proportion of the total annual income is ap- 
propriated by each group respectively. 
This has been very closely determined by they writer so far as 
Tasmania is concerned, and is shown in the following table relating 
to distribution of national income for the year 1891 :— 
Share of National Income appropriated or absorbed by the various. 
agencies employed in the Production of Consumable Wealth. 
Comparative value of | Approximate share of title 
physical and other to consumable wealth 
energy exerted in the | absorbed or appropriated 
production of con- by the various agencies 
ing Acencies umable wealth. engaged in its production. 
roducing Agencies, sumabl Ith gaged in its product 
Energy — - 
Equivalent. Per cent. Amount. Per cent. 
£ 
By breadwinners, under £150 | 
PCLAW a sose ven cae stews 58,726 | 30°52 5,027,074 | 69-11 
£150 and over (capitalists’ class) 5,404} 2°81 1,138,800 15°66 
By capitalists’ steam and other | 
APRITEN EGS) 526 ty Sqnene nee Sacer 128,260 66°67 1,108,466 15:23 
ale to ae | 192,390 100 | 7,274,340 100 
A careful study of this table shows that, so far from the 
capitalist class being enriched at the expense of the wage-earner, 
the very opposite is the truth; for instead of a reward being 
allotted in proportion to his share of energy contributed, it has 
been increased fully 100 per cent., energy expended being only 
30°52 per cent., while his share of rewards represents 69-11 per 
cent. 
This improvement of his position is solely due to the fact that 
the more economic physical agent engaged in production only 
absorbs 15-23 per cent. of the consumable wealth, while its 
3K 
