152 ROOT MATTERS IN SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC PROBLEMS. 



From this table we learn that all people are divided into 

 two importaut groups : — Viz., breadwinners, representing 

 about 44*2 per cent, of all persons, and non-breadwinners or 

 dependants, composed mainly of wives and children, repre- 

 senting 55'8 per cent, of the total populations. Thus it 

 appears that the wants of all must be provided by the service 

 of less than half the total number of those who consume 

 wants. The proportions of the breadwinners necessary to 

 effect this service are as follows. That is to say, for every 

 100 persons engaged in services of exchange value there must 

 be on the aggregate the following proportions nearly : — 



Percentage Proportion. 



Agricultural and Pastoral services ... 52"5 



Industrial services ... ... ... 30*1 



Domestic services ... ... ... 6'8 



Commercial services ... .... ... 5'2 



Professional and other undefined services 5 '4 



Total ... 100-0 



It will be seen that the simple services of the agriculturist 

 and herdsman are by far the most important (52"5per cent.), 

 and that the next in importance are the industrial services, 

 embracing all artisans and labourers, representing 30"1 per cent. 

 The higher skilled workmen of this group only represent about 

 11 per cent, of all services. As the balance of services — com- 

 mercial and professional — only amount to 10'6 per cent., it 

 follows that of all services required only 21"6 per cent 

 ■demand shill of a higher order; and that 78'4 per cent, 

 represent agricultural and other labourers and domestic 

 servants, in respect of which skill of a high order is not 

 absolutely requisite. 



It is largely due to the flooding of particular kinds of 

 employment beyond the strict proportions which local wants 

 demand that inconvenience or distress is felt in young as well as 

 old countries. The numbers which can find entry into the higher 

 industrial, the commercial, and professional divisions cannot, 

 without unhealthy competition, be increased beyond the 

 relative proportions which these divisions must bear to the 

 producing industries of the particular country; and these 

 dominating industries in Australasia are agricultural, pastoral, 

 and mining. Employment in other divisions can only follow 

 substantial increases in the three industries named ; for 

 manufacturing industries cannot alter their present propor- 

 tions independently, as in England, until such time as they 

 are able to manufacture for the markets of other countries 

 than the local one. This applies much more strongly to the 

 i^smaller division represented by unskilled labour (not agri- 



