8 THE NATIONAL IDEAL 



centrate their thoughts on the work they are 

 doing with the object of devising improvements 

 in method. 



There is nothing strange in the notion of 

 men so giving the best of their minds to their 

 work that, conditions being suitable, they make 

 discoveries of vast importance. Nearly one 

 hundred and fifty years ago James Watt, work- 

 ing with his thoughts concentrated on the repair 

 of a Newcomen's model steam engine, discovered 

 or invented the separate condenser. 



Henceforward in this book we shall attend to 

 agriculture and manufacture as the chief occu- 

 pations of the workers. If they are going 

 forward rightly, the nation is going forward 

 rightly, and the workers themselves are apply- 

 ing a sufficient degree of energy in the proper 

 direction. 



(3) This implies full and suitable employment 

 for all the people. 



The march must be badly conducted if numbers 

 fall out because they cannot keep up. How 

 much worse must it be if numbers never join 

 because there is nothing for them to do ? 

 Should there be a dearth of workers, if the 

 work to be done is more than all the workers 

 of the nation can manage, there is a remedy. 

 The men being all trained to work with head 

 as well as hands, from among them, at such a 

 crisis, will emerge those who, intelligent as 

 James Watt, will hit on abbreviating processes ; 

 and the workers, with such help, will overtake 

 the work to be done; or, if the paucity of labour 



