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which merits much attention, but here 1 must confine myself to distinguishing 
certain results or particular economic features which characterise one type of 
country. Some of these, indeed, despite their importance, must be treated 
very briefly. Thus, for instance, the effect of a rather one-sided economic 
development, already treated of in another connection, has a bearing on the 
present matter. Again, the difficulties which some new countries have experi- 
enced, in respect of the immigration of a particular type of labour, are 
undoubtedly attended by social and political risks. No nation can view with 
equanimity the steady increase of an element in the population which stands 
out apart and distinct from the nation and can neither assimilate national 
characteristics nor be absorbed into the national life. Remedy may be difficult, 
but such a situation is undoubtedly disquieting. But if we leave these, as 
matters already dealt with, there are four matters which call for attention. In 
the first place, the circumstances of a new country, if that country be at all 
prosperous, naturally engender self-reliance and vigour. The openness of out- 
look, and the obviousness of the progress achieved, make for assurance and 
hopetulness. -Even if vicissitudes be frequent, and men lose as well as gain 
and fall as well as rise, we only come to Adam Smith’s position when he attri- 
buted the stimulating effect of great prizes in any occupation or calling to the 
innate sanguineness of human nature, which leads each man to believe in his 
own prospects of success, whatever may be the fate of average mankind. And 
where the examples of success are many, this individual hopefulness is much 
strengthened. So, too, the greater diffusion of opportunity plays a part. 
What is characteristic of the individual is characteristic of the race. Of course, 
there are some new countries where a lack of rich resources precludes any such 
feeling, and in any country there must occur from time to time periods of 
depression, perhaps the more acute because of their vivid contrast with the 
sanguine past. But, taken as a whole, undoubtedly in new countries, where 
development is in active progress, there is greater vigour, greater assurance, 
perhaps greater self-assertion, than in other lands where development has gone 
further and where the prospect lying before the race as well as the individual 
is bounded by what seems to be a nearer and a more defined horizon. In the 
second place, as work is the common lot, there is less division between calling 
and calling and more tendency to judge a man by what he has done in his 
occupation, whatever that may be. A factor like this is far-reaching in its 
influence aud reveals itself in many directions. It makes for solidarity, as well 
by creating a community of interest as by destroying prejudices. It furnishes 
a common test whereby pretensions and claims for consideration can be tried ; 
and, though the measure may be imperfect, the test of actuality, after all, has 
the merit of being definite. In the third place, in such communities material 
things and material interests necessarily loom large. This points to a weak 
feature in this phase of development which is emphasised by the 
circumstances of a country striving to make good its place amongst older 
nations. The very pressure of their demands and their competition add to its 
prominence. Success means material prosperity. There can be little doubt 
that this is one of the dangers against which a community of this type has to 
strive. Such a country is, by the very nature of things, face to face with 
material difficulties and its victory rests on material achievements. Even 
the democratic test, alluded to above, of actual work and achievement 
operates in the same direction. In the last place, the very freedom from 
class prejudice is in part due to a general absence of custom and tradi- 
tion which has an unfavourable as well as a favourable side. From a social 
point of view, custom is an invaluable tie, welding into union a large 
body of individuals with every variety of aim and very different views and 
opinions. It gives a permanence and stability to social life. No doubt, each 
country has to form its own habits, but till these are formed the social 
structure is weak. As an illustration, a comparison may be made between 
legislation in a new and in an old country. In the latter, legislation is largely 
a gradual development of custom, and as a consequence the course of legisla- 
tion is slow, often injuriously slow; the delay in some cases being due to an 
unfair regard for vested rights; but the main reason is the latent dislike to 
any violent breach with the past and to departures from custom. On the other 
