Alfred Russel Wallace 



relief of poverty and the betterment of the wage-earning 

 classes. The land question, we agreed, lay at the root of 

 the matter, and land nationalisation the true solution. In 

 fact, ever since I read the proof- sheets of his book on this 

 subject, which he corrected when staying at my house in 

 Kingstown, I have been a member of the Land Nationalisa- 

 tion Society, of which he was President. 



Needless to say, Dr. Wallace was an ardent Home Ruler 

 and Free Trader,^ but on the latter question he said there 

 should be an export duty on coal, especially the South 

 Wales steam coal, as our supply was limited and it 

 was essential for the prosperity of the country — and " the 

 purchaser pays the duty," he remarked. I heartily agreed 

 with him, and said that a small export duty had been 

 placed on coal by the Conservative Government, but sub- 

 sequently was removed. This he had forgotten, and when 

 later on I sent' him particulars of the duty and its yield, 

 he replied saying that at that time he was so busy with 

 the preparation of a book that he had overlooked the 

 fact. He wrote most energetically on the importance of 

 the Government being wise in time, and urged at least a 

 2s. export duty on coal. 



We talked about the question of a portrait of Dr. Wallace 

 being painted and presented to the Royal Society, which 

 had been suggested by the Rev. James Marchant, to whom 

 Dr. Wallace referred, when talking to me, in grateful and 

 glowing terms. — ^W. F. B. 



Perhaps it should be added to Sir William Barrett's re- 

 miniscences that the movement which was set on foot to 

 carry out this project was stayed by Wallace's death. 



During the last years of his life his pen was seldom 

 dry. His interest in science and in politics was fresh and 

 keen to the closing week. He wrote " Social Environment 

 and Moral Progress " in 1912, at the age of 90. The book 

 had a remarkable reception. Leading articles and illus- 

 trated reviews appeared in most of the daily newspapers. 



* But see anZc.'p. 153. 

 250 



