INCIDENCE OF RATES AND TAXES 123 



benefit to the landowners was a benefit to 

 unearned increment at the expense of labour. 



It is not the fault of the economists if their 

 theories are used not as they should be, as 

 guiding clues in the investigation of facts, 

 but as a substitute for any inquiry. The 

 economist always admits that an allowance 

 must be made for " friction," and economic 

 friction includes everything that is of practical 

 importance. 



How far, then, do present conditions 

 conform to the conditions of the theory ? 

 There ought not to be much trouble in 

 ascertaining the most important facts owing 

 to the prolonged labours of successive 

 commissions on agriculture and taxes. 



Consider first the case of rent. The theory 

 just examined refers to pure economic rent ; 

 that is, the surplus that is due to differential 

 natural advantages. That is the strict 

 meaning. And here one of the conclusions 



