CONCLUSION 407 



make any intelligent inquiry into the reason why such 

 a load of taxation is placed upon them. In previous 

 chapters it is claimed that the reforms, definitely 

 described therein, are the chief means, if not the only 

 means, by which this vast waste of national substance 

 can be checked. Let ratepayers of the working class, 

 and especially those of the struggling shopkeeping class, 

 fairly examine the proposals made, and they will come 

 to the conclusion that by them not only would their 

 heavy rates be lessened, but their general prosperity 

 — their paying power — be greatly increased. 



In considering the cost to the State which the pro- 

 posed scheme of land reform might involve, the vast 

 expenditure detailed above must be taken into account. 

 From an economic point of view the balance would be 

 in favour of the scheme, while from the social point of 

 view no further argument in its favour is needed. 



To the cost of legal pauperism must be added the 

 enormous sums spent annually in what is called — to a 

 large extent miscalled — charity. One might say that 

 the two arch-evils of English economy are " cheap- 

 ness " and so-called "charity." The keen rivalry in 

 trade caused by the competitive system makes cheap- 

 ness the chief aim of the trader. Hence the adultera- 

 tion of food, the lowering of the quality of products, 

 and other hurtful results. It is worth considering 

 whether or not these mischiefs arise from putting the 

 supposed interests of the consumer before the in- 

 terests of the producer and of the nation as a whole. 

 It is true that after the abolition of the duty on im- 

 ported silks a woman could buy silk dresses at a much 

 lower price than before, but by the cheapening pro- 

 cess many thousands of silk-workers were thrown out 

 of employment. To take a more humble example, by 



