BY E, M. JOHNSTON, F.L.S, 145 



and still maintain a more or less extended life-struggle with 

 misery of some kind : but if the wants of the first group be 

 ever so little curtailed below a certain minimum, he will 

 speedily perish miserably. 



Preserve to maa his life, and if needs be he will eagerly 

 exchange for its preservation all his comforts and luxuries. 

 Deny him life, and all the Economist's wealth of exchange 

 becomes to him as dross — absolutely valueless. This being 

 so, let us endeavour to investigate some of the more important 

 social problems closely connected with the welfare and 

 progress of man. It is for many reasons necessary at this 

 stage to confine attention to those primary wants essential to 

 life itself ; and for greater clearness these may be restricted 

 to that minimum of each great want necessary to maintain 

 the life of each person. The exact minimum of these, what- 

 ever their form may be, depends upon the energy destroyed 

 by work, and upon the physical condition of the labourer's 

 environment, and may be stated thus : — 



The minimum to maintain existence of 

 Food. 

 Shelter, 



Eest. 



Without a certain minimum of these, man, like all living 

 organisms, must perish inevitably. 



Division of Labotte — Advantages and Defects. 



Division of labour necessary to produce necessary satisfac- 

 tions, and to distribute them in large civihsed communities, 

 undoubtedly ensures greater skill, and prevents unnecessary 

 waste of the aggregate time and energy of the individuals. 

 Were it not for this provision no country could sustain the 

 life of large numbers. This division of labour, however, 

 rests upon the tacit understanding that energies in other 

 directions than that of actually producing food may 

 constantly be exchanged for food and other primary wants. 

 Individual societies, communities, and nations are alike in 

 this respect; for no matter the skill, time, and labour 

 proffered or applied for or in the production of other than 

 primary wants, it is necessary that they be constantly 

 exchangeable in sufficient amount to obtain at least that 

 minimum of primary needs from other persons or communi- 

 ties, who, under this system, are supposed to produce a 

 sufficient surplus for the satisfaction of all other members of 

 society not immediately engaged in the production of primary 

 wants. Were it not for this understood assurance, the 

 present civilisation — with special centres of manufactures for 



