COMMUNISM 319 



that people thus treated should show no interest in 

 life or in such management of their own affairs as 

 is still left to them, and should be rapidly disappear- 

 ing from the face of the earth. 



The classificatory system is but one expression 

 of a condition of communism or collectivism which, 

 either in its complete form or as survivals of various 

 degrees, is still far more frequent among mankind 

 than is generally supposed. The white adminis- 

 trator through his ignorance is perhaps only 

 hastening a movement towards individualism which 

 was already in progress before his advent. Some- 

 times even he may be doing the right thing, but 

 as in the case of chieftainship, it is not what he 

 does but his way of doing it which is so especially 

 harmful. People who see their institutions being 

 upset by men whom they know to be acting in 

 ignorance lose heart. They do not languish and 

 die because their institutions are changed. They 

 would perhaps welcome a change if its necessity 

 were pointed out to them with considerateness and 

 knowledge. The distrust bred of the ignorance of 

 their rulers leads to the lack of interest in life 

 which among such people is only the forerunner 

 of extinction. 



This essay has so far considered the value of 

 anthropology to the government of subject-peoples 

 in relation to the task of that science in the collection 

 and description of social facts. The other two tasks 

 of the science can be considered very briefly. 



