172 TKAXSACTfOys OF THE AMERICAS InSTITI'TE. 



industry by imposing oppressive conditions upon such as sought to 

 engage in particuhir occupations, and watching with the extremest 

 jealousy every threatened encroachment upon tlieir prescriptive privi- 

 leges. Such organizations continue to exist at the present time ; 

 less dictatoi'ial, perhaps, than formerly, but still too frequently and 

 unwarrantably interfering with the freedom of the individual. 

 Divested of this objectionable feature, they are doubtless useful instru- 

 mentalities, not only as assuring to their members the benefits of 

 mutual aid, but as enabling them to take counsel together, and to 

 act unitedly for the common welfare. 



But the associations of which your Institute is an example, are 

 founded upon no such narrow or selfish principle, and aim to promote 

 no objects more specially interesting to tliose who compose them 

 than to other men. Your aim is to promote the welfare of the whole 

 human race alike, by stimulating to the highest practicable degree, 

 the productive power of industry. That in the forty years which 

 have elapsed since its foundation, your Institute has accomplished 

 much in this way is beyond a question, how much it would be diffi- 

 cult, among the multiplicity of cases conspiring to stimulate industrial 

 activity, to estimate with exactness. But some idea of the usefulness 

 of your labors may be gathered by considering the obvious modes in 

 which your influence makes itself felt. 



You have encouraged emulation by offering valuable recompenses 

 in ev(?!T branch of industry, whether mechanical, agricultural, manu- 

 facturing or artistic, to the most meritorious of the competitors at 

 your periodical exhibitions. But it is by no means probable that 

 the positive value of such rewards has been the principal stimulus 

 which has urged the competitors to effort. The stamp of declared 

 superiority publicly affixed by im})artial and competent judges, to 

 an}' articlci entered for such a competition, is a recompense of vastly 

 greater, and of more really substantial value to the producer, than 

 any merely pecuniary reward which the Institute would be able to 

 bestow. It is so, because it gratifies a feeling which is always honor- 

 able, the ambition to excel ; and it is so, moreover, because it com- 

 mands for the object which is thus distinguished, and for its producer 

 in like manner, the confidence of the public, and thus secures a 

 demand for the one and a patronage for the other, which might 

 otherwise have been much longer in coming. The effect of this con- 

 sideration is stimulating constantly the effort to improve, to produce 

 a bettor machine, a l)etter fal>ric. a better fruit, a better vci^etable, 



