14 W. G. Langzuorthy Taylor 



appeals to one as essentially evolutionary and kinetic. Every old 

 category is vigorously submitted to this treatment, with the uni- 

 form result of a philosophical continuity between the categories, 

 which are filled with life and action. The reader is made to feel 

 at least as .though he were cognizant of many motions taking 

 place simultaneously, or at least in such quick succession that the 

 self-conscious center is aware of but one continuous movement. 

 This movement, then, being single, attains to the appearance of 

 simplicity — the result desired for logical clearness — and if formu- 

 lated would constitute a new economic law, so far as anything 

 can be new that is composed of antecedent elements. But Mar- 

 shall refrains from new names and formulas. He possesses thor- 

 ough English conservatism, and prefers scientific evolution to 

 mere literary effect or a loudly announced revolution. Since all 

 invention is but a sufficient degree of rearrangement, we may 

 grant to him the merit of an originality strongly stamped with 

 the kinetic die. The following citation is typical : 



"The production of everything, whether an agent of produc- 

 tion or a commodity ready for immediate consumption, is carried 

 forward up to that limit or margin at which there is equilibrium 

 between the forces of demand and supply. The amount of the 

 thing and its price, the amounts of the several factors or agents 

 of production, used in making it, and their prices — all the ele- 

 ments mutually govern one another, and if an external cause 

 should alter any one of them the effect of the disturbance extends 

 to all the others. 



"In the same way, when several balls are lying in a bowl,, 

 they mutually govern one another's position ; and again, when a 

 heavy weight is suspended by several elastic strings of different 

 strength and lengths attached to different points in the ceiling, 

 the equilibrium position of all the strings and the weight mutually 

 govern one another. If any one of the strings that is already 

 stretched is shortened, everything else will change its position, 

 and the length and the tension of every other string will be 

 altered also." 1 



1 Marshall, Principles of Economics, .4th ed., bk. VI, eh. 2, par. 1. 



14 



