PROPERTY. 551 



Southern Slavs, mostly in course of dissolution, M. de 

 Laveleye says 



&quot; The family -group was far more capable of defending itself against the 

 severity of Turkish rule than were isolated individuals. Accordingly, 

 it is in this part of the southern Slav district that family-communitie? 

 are best preserved, and still form the basis of social order.&quot; 



The influence of commercial activity as conducing to dis 

 integration, is shown by the fact that these family-commu 

 nities ordinarily hold together only in rural districts. 



&quot; In the neighbourhood of the towns the more varied life has weakened 

 the ancient family-sentiment. Many communities have been dissolved, 

 their property divided and sold, and their members have degenerated 

 into mere tenants and proletarians.&quot; 



And then the effect of a desire, alike for personal independ 

 ence and for the exclusive enjoyment of benefits consequent 

 on superiority, is recognized in the remark that these family- 

 communities 



&quot; cannot easily withstand the conditions of a society in which men are 

 striving to improve their own lot, as well as the political and social 

 organization under which they live. . . . Once the desire of self -aggran 

 disement awakened, man can no longer support the yoke of the zadruga. 

 ... To live according to his own will, to work for himself alone, to 

 drink from his own cup, is now the end preeminently sought.&quot; 



That this cause of disintegration is general, is implied by 

 passages concerning similar communities still existing in the 

 hill-districts of Lombardy that is, away from the centres of 

 mercantile activity. Growing averse to the control of the 

 house-fathers, the members of these communities say 



&quot; Why should we and all our belongings remain in subjection to a 

 master ? It were far the best for each to work and think for himself. 

 As the profits derived from any handicraft form a sort of private 

 f-eculium, the associates are tempted to enlarge this at the expense of 

 the common revenue.&quot; And then &quot; the craving to live independently 

 cariies him away, and he quits the community.&quot; 



All which evidence shows that the progress of industrialism 

 is the general cause of this growing individualization of pro 

 perty ; for such progress is pre-supposed alike by the greater 

 security which makes it safe to live separately, by the in- 



