CHAPTER IX. 



CONCLUSION. 



READERS who have had the patience to follow the facts 

 accumulated in this book ; especially those who have 

 given them a thoughtful attention, will probably feel 

 convinced of the immense powers over the productive 

 forces of Nature that man has acquired within the last 

 half aT century. "Comparing the achievements indicated 

 in this book with the present state of production, some 

 will, I hope, also ask themselves the question which will 

 be ere long the main object of a scientific political 

 economy : Whether the means now in use for satisfying 

 human needsTlinder the present system of permanent 

 division of functions and production for profits, are really 

 economical ; whether they really lead to economy in the 

 expenditure of human forces ; or whether they are not 

 mere wasteful survivals from a past that was plunged 

 into darkness, ignorance and oppression, and never took 

 into consideration the economical and social value of the 

 human being ? 



In the domain of agriculture it may be taken as 

 proved that if a small part only of the time that is now 

 given in each nation or region to field culture was given 

 to well thought out and socially carried out permanent 

 improvements of the soil, the duration of work which 

 would be required afterwards to .grow the yearly bread- 

 food for an average family of five would be less than a 

 fortnight every year ; and that the work required for 

 that purpose would not be the hard toil of the ancient 



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