HEREDITY AND POLITICS 131 



feeble-minded children an education in special schools, 

 which cost three times the relative amount that do 

 normal schools, is in large measure a waste of public 

 resources. They will never be more than just able to 

 keep themselves under competent direction, and the 

 money lavished on them might have trained double the 

 number of competent workmen to a higher degree of 

 useful skill. Moreover, unless the control and super- 

 vision last through life, the training may even do 

 permanent harm in making the unsound less unattract- 

 ive, and hence more likely to marry and give birth 

 to and rear children to perpetuate their infirmities. 



In this and other ways the money and energy spent 

 indiscriminately may be much worse than unremunera- 

 tive. It may actually tend to multiply the unsound, 

 and increase the average degeneracy of the nation. 



Forcibly to take a share of the earnings of those who 

 are not competent to spend their wages wisely, and to 

 lay it out on their behalf on education, clothing and 

 food, may result in an advantage sufficient to com- 

 pensate for the destruction of personal responsibility. 

 To abstract more than is strictly necessary for national 

 purposes from able and competent people, who can 

 make good use of their resources, is a step on the 

 downward path of discouragement, too often meted 

 out to our best citizens. The parable of the Talents 

 contains teaching which is at least as authentic as the 

 lesson in that of the Good Samaritan. 



And now let us turn to the other side of the shield. 

 As these agencies are established with the avowed 

 intention of favouring the unfit both directly and 

 indirectly, and as they tend to encourage the more rapid 



