ON ECONOMIC TRAINING IN THIS AND OTHER COUNTRIES. 381 



plex economic condition which is in process of rapid evolution in this 

 country — at once so great and so new. So, too, in England some half- 

 century back or more the theories of the economists of that time were 

 received by large numbers as an intellectual gospel. But in the next place 

 the circumstances attending this ' novelty ' of study have considerable 

 consequences. That the study of Economics is a novel study is important, 

 but it is of equal importance that it is novel at the present time and under 

 present conditions. The American economists have not to shake off the 

 half-uttered, half-silent opprobrium attached to their subject through the 

 action of the more numerous though less conspicuous of their predecessors 

 in their rigid adherence to incomplete or ill-founded theories. They are 

 fortunate in entering upon their teaching at a time when the need of in- 

 ductive inquiry and training is more fully recognised. This gives a 

 more systematic aspect to the economic instruction demanded from them 

 than was the case in England. In the third place, the campaign in 

 favour of civil service and tariff reform has drawn a great deal of 

 attention to those departments which deal with finance and the more 

 prominent aspects of political life. Lastly, it is urged that the political 

 eagerness which so largely affects the younger generation of Americans 

 combines with the foregoing to crowd the economic lecture rooms with 

 anxious and willing students. Economics is needed by politicians, and 

 ' we are all politicians,' writes one professor ; it is needed by journalists 

 both because they are keen for political knowledge themselves and 

 because they write for politicians. 



The same causes which stimulate economic students have often led to 

 its connection with political science, with history, and in some instances 

 with general sociology. 



Returns from several of the universities show the large number of 

 students who attend economic lectures, and the comparatively large number 

 who pass into advanced courses. The universities differ so much among them- 

 selves that no common standard of teaching exists. In some the elementary 

 courses are very elementary, in others more thorough than might be con- 

 cluded from the name. Thus at Harvard these include a study of Mill's 

 ' Principles of Political Economy,' lectures on general theory, or on what is 

 termed Descriptive Economics, including a survey of financial legislation ; 

 while in addition a course is provided on the Economic History of England 

 and America since the Seven Years' War. In some cases a great part of 

 the junior work consists in the use of text-books, and proceeds rather by 

 class instruction and interrogation than by lecture. Turning to the con- 

 sideration of the courses organised for the more advanced students, it is 

 highly satisfactory to note the very considerable proportion which these 

 form of the total number engaged in economic study. According to the 

 information collected from various quarters, at Harvard they amount to 

 some 38 per cent., at Columbia College to 41 per cent., at Cornell to 

 26 per cent. At some others they do not pi-esent so favourable an appear- 

 ance, though at Michigan I am informed that the twenty returned as 

 ' advanced ' consist entirely of very advanced students, all the others 

 being included under the heading of elementary. No doubt students 

 described as advanced at one institution may not be so regarded at others 

 for, as has been already suggested, these vary very greatly as regards both 

 their courses and the attainments of their students. "With regard to the 

 former, those provided at some of the better known and more highly 

 developed and equipped universities afford a description of the nature of 



