HERBERT SPENCER 27 



In 1874, when writing " The Principles of Sociology," 

 Herbert Spencer asked me to look over the proofs of the first 

 six chapters, and give him the benefit of my criticisms, " alike 

 as naturalist, anthropologist, and traveller." I found very 

 little indeed requiring emendation, but I sent him a couple of 

 pages of notes with suggestions on points of detail, which, I 

 believe, were of some use to him. 



During the year 1881 I had several letters from him deal- 

 ing with subjects of general interest. In consequence of an 

 article I wrote on " How to Nationalize the Land," especially 

 showing how to avoid the supposed insuperable objection of 

 State management, a " Land Nationalization Society " was 

 formed, of which I was chosen president. As I had been in- 

 duced to study the question by Herbert Spencer's early volume 

 on " Social Statics," I sent him a copy of our programme and 

 asked him if he would join us. His reply is very instructive, 

 as showing how nearly he agreed with us at that time, and also 

 how slight were the difficulties he suggested as the most 

 important. 



The letter is as follows : 



"38 Queen's Gardens, Bayswater, W., 

 "April 25, 1881. 



" Dear Mr. Wallace, 



" As you may suppose, I fully sympathize in the general 

 aims of your proposed Land Nationalization Society; but for 

 sundry reasons I hesitate to commit myself, at the present stage 

 of the question, to a programme so definite as that which you 

 send me. It seems to me that before formulating the idea in 

 a specific shape, it is needful to generate a body of public 

 opinion on the general issue, and that it must be some time be- 

 fore there can be produced such recognition of the general 

 principle involved as is needful before definite plans can be 

 set forth to any purpose. 



" It seems to me that the thing to be done at present is 

 to arouse public attention to (1) the abstract inequity of the 

 present condition of things; (2) to show that even now there 



