ORGANISATION OF INDUSTRY. 491 



to indicate what that action should be — the true remedy, 

 having regard to existing conditions, which shall control the 

 elements of conflict retarding progress, and render the 

 achievements of thought and science conducive to results 

 more worthy of mankind ? If it is possible in a new land 

 like Australia to do so by departing from the old grooves of 

 thought, and recognising new modes of action, it is for the 

 exponents of economic science to indicate what they should 

 be. It is for them to put forward propositions based on 

 sound principles for recognition ; to become the public 

 opinion, which is now formed by the exercise of thought 

 among the masses, and, possibly, nowhere to a greater extent 

 than in Australia, which is formed by workers in every field 

 of mental and physical employment, not only by the more 

 intellectual portions of the community, but in every cottage, 

 in every bush settlement, and around the pit's mouth of every 

 mine. It is for the exponents of economic science to revise 

 our institutions, to put forward any new theories for action 

 which may be entertained. It will not, except in a few, or 

 rather a very few exceptional instances, come from the 

 politician, who becomes more and more a delegate in every 

 democratic community. His advancement depends upon 

 being the exponent of pubUc opinion, and, with few excep- 

 tions, he does not seek to lead it. 



I believe that in a new country like Australia it is possible 

 to set on foot material measures of reform, not for the recon- 

 struction of society, but in the organisation of the industrial 

 system ; that it is for an Australian community to initiate 

 promising reforms tentatively. As the twig is bent the tree 

 inchnes. It may be possible in some instances to promote a 

 new growth. There are giant industries in their infancy, or 

 not yet started, which may be dealt with in the first stages of 

 progress as they could not be dealt with in the older lands. 

 Above all, the data which economic science can give should 

 be forthcoming. The data and axioms of that science, to be 

 recognised as axiomatic truths, are like the data and truths of 

 mathematical science which are observed in the work of 

 material construction ; the data and axiomatic truths of 

 economic science necessarily underlie the whole structure of 

 social and industrial life. 



For economic science to put forward any such data for the 

 purpose of the inquiry suggested it must probe the industrial 

 system ; it must trace as far as possible its operation ; its 

 attention should be especially directed to two phases of the 



