SHORTAGE OF WORK 9 



ment. It therefore becomes evident that the Leader of 

 the Opposition was himself so imperfectly acquainted 

 with the subject as to give effect to utterances which 

 can serve no purpose but to mislead his Party, and all 

 that large section of the electorate who will not think 

 this matter out for themselves. 



Mr Balfour is an able debater, a capable and astute 

 leader of a great party, and he is, moreover, no mean, 

 pettifogging politician, but a wise and far-seeing states- 

 man, who compels the respect and admiration of even 

 his political opponents; but he is, nevertheless, human, 

 and liable to human fallibility. In this instance he has 

 obviously committed an error of judgment. 



In discussing so momentous a question as that in- 

 volving the welfare of a people, we cannot permit our 

 judgment to be influenced against our own convictions, 

 even by so great an authority as the ex-Prime Minister 

 of the United Kingdom. 



Let us now look at the matter from one or two other 

 points of view, just to see if Mr Balfour's contention that 

 in manufactures will be found the 



" Only possible mode in which the population of this 

 country can largely increase, or its wealth augment, to 

 meet the Imperial needs with which we have to deal " 



can possibly be justified by the experience of the past. 



Success is a standard by which we may fairly measure 

 most things in this world; and if a work yields good 

 substantial results and stands satisfactorily the practical 

 tests of ordinary life, it may safely be called a success. 



Mr Balfour's " only possible mode " of dealing with 



