Introduction 



ourj material life in detail with its mechanical and 

 electrical appliances, its agricultural advances and 

 the rest; each of these reacts upon the others, 

 and combines with them, and in their resultant 

 they are transforming the whole complexion of 

 society. As even the hewing of fuel and the 

 drawing of water have passed from being a matter 

 of slaves' hands to one primarily of engineer's 

 head, as the crude routine of food-winning from the 

 soil ceases to degenerate into unthinking drudgery 

 and becomes a matter of the ever subtler and skil- 

 fuller co-ordination of a score of arts and sciences, 

 so the whole function of society is changing also. 

 With this its structure is also in process of meta- 

 morphosis ; it is not enough then to take note of 

 the advances of discoveries and inventions ; it is 

 needful to ask, and in some measure to answer, 

 How are these advances affecting us in more 

 general ways ? The world-transforming influences 

 of improved communications is the well-worn ex- 

 ample of this : yet whether we reflect upon the 

 influence of railways and steamers upon the past 

 generation, upon those of electric tramways and 

 automobiles at present so distinctly making them- 

 selves felt, or upon the possibilities of turbine 

 steamers or air-ships in the future, we feel the 

 interest and see the necessity of discussing even 

 this matter of communications anew, and from 

 the beginning. In such ways appears the need 

 for a whole group of discussions, what of science 

 in agriculture ? in handicrafts and manufactures ? 

 in communications as aforesaid ? in commerce 



xii 



