ON ECONOMIC TRAINING IN THIS AND OTHER COUNTRIES. 365 



Methods of Economic Training in this and other Countries. Feport of 

 the Committee, consisting of Professor W. Cunningham (Chairman), 

 Professor E. C. K. Gonner (Secretary), Professor P. Y. Edge- 

 woRTii, Professor H. S. FoxwELL, Mr. H. Higgs. Mr. L. L. Price, 

 and Professor J. Shield Nicholson. 



Appendix , . _ . _ ^ . tagk 

 I. — On the Methods of EcnTwmic Tmuilng adopted in Foreign Countries. 



Bt/ E. C. K. GoNNBE 30(5 



n. — On Economic Studies in France. jBy H. HiGGS 384 



HI. — On the Condition of Economic Studies in the United Kingdom. By 



E. C. K. Gonner 387 



In furtherance of the above purpose three reports have been drawn up 

 after due inquiry and laid before your Committee. 



These reports, wliich are appended, bring out very clearly some features 

 of difference between the position of such studies in this and in foreign coun- 

 tries, and, with other information before your Committee, seem to them to 

 call for the following observations. Before proceeding to the consideration of 

 certain particular points they would remark that the growth of economic 

 studies, and in particular the development among them of the scientific 

 study of the actual phenomena of life (both in the past and in the present), 

 have important effects, so far as the organisation of the study and its suit- 

 ability for professional curricula are concerned. It may be hoped, indeed, 

 that when the empirical side is more adequately represented, the import- 

 ance of the careful study of Economics as a preparation for administrative 

 life will be more fully recognised both by Government and the public. 



(a) The Organisation of the Study of Economics. — While fully recog- 

 nising the great energy with which individual teachers in this country 

 have sought to develop the study of this subject, your Committee cannot 

 but rei^ard the condition of economic studies at the universities and col- 

 leges as unsatisfactory. As contrasted with Continental countries and 

 also with the United States, the United Kingdom possesses no regular 

 system. In one place Economics is taught in one way, and in connection 

 with some one subject, not infrequently by the teacher of that subject ; in 

 another place in another way, and with another subject. Very often it is 

 taught, or at any rate learnt, as little as possible. In most places this 

 lack of organisation is due to the weariness of introducing elaborate 

 schemes for the l^enefit of problematic students. At Cambridge the pass 

 examination which has recently been devised only attracts a few. With 

 regard to the higher study of Economics, Professor Marshall, among others, 

 has written strongly of the comparatively small inducements offered by 

 Economics as compared with other subjects. He adds : ' Those who do 

 study it have generally a strong interest in it ; from a pecuniary point of 

 view they would generally find a better account in the study of something 

 else.' Some considerations bearing on this point are oti'ered below, but 

 here it may be observed that tlie attempts to introduce more system into 

 the teaching of Economics, and to secure for it as a subject of study fuller 

 public recognition, should, so far as possible, be made together. 



In the opinion of your Committee Economics should be introduced into 

 the honour courses and examinations of the universities in such a manner 

 as to allow students to engage in its thoroucjh and systematic study without 

 necessarily going outside the range of degree subjects. 



