182 ROOT MATTERS IN SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC PROBLEMS. 



ficance of the statement that the greater the proportion of 

 sTcilfully applied previous labour or service (tools, instruments, 

 appliances, etc., or anterior lahour) introduced as auxiliaries to 

 present labour or services, the greater is the power of production 

 and supply, and the smaller is the price of the product. 



But if we bear in mind that all persons are necessarily 

 consumers, we can at once perceive that abundance and lessened 

 cost of primary needs, consumed alike by rich and poor, by- 

 producers and dependants, are real benefits in which aZZ must 

 equally participate. If it can be shown, then, that the state- 

 ment respecting the introduction of anterior labour is correct, 

 it follows unmistakably that Mr. Henry George's statement is 

 contradicted in the experience of all men as consumers of 

 marJcetable ivants. 



The City of Launceston contains about 15,000 inhabitants. 

 Each person consumes on an average at least 20 gallons of 

 water per day = 2001b. weight. Thus the population con- 

 sumes each day at least 1,342 tons weight of water per day, 

 or 488,840 tons per year, and each person consumes 7,300 

 gallons per year. 



The transit of this 488,840 tons over 18 miles from source 

 is at present easily effected by permanent waterways, iron 

 pipes, reservoirs, etc. (representing anterior labour'), in conjunc- 

 tion with a staff of men engaged in the maintenance and 

 working of the water supply (representing present labour), and 

 there is ample power (potential) in the store of existing 

 anterior labour to double the supply, if required, without any 

 addition to cost. 



Now, the exchange value of anterior labour and present 

 labour, combined in effecting this service each year, is estimated 

 to be ^68,243 and ^2,133 respectively, or about ^832 to ^1. 



The only way to measure the true value of the benefits 

 effected by the direct influence of anterior labour as an 

 auxiliary to present labour, is to try and estimate the number 

 of men required to effect the same work of transfer, viz., 

 488,840 tons per year a distance of 13 miles by more primitive 

 means. It is impossible for men to do any part of this work 

 without some anterior labour in the shape of instruments ; but 

 if we reduce the latter to the most simple form, it will be 

 sufficient to demonstrate the enormous advantage gained by 

 every accession to the power of anterior labour. Let us 

 suppose, therefore, three modes of transfer : — 



(1.) The primitive mode by pails of 2-gallon or 201b. 

 capacity, requiring 5 men and 10 pails per day 

 for carrying one day's supply to each person,'^^^., 

 20 gallons or 2001b. weight. 



(2.) One man and a horse and water cart effecting the 

 transfer of 224 gallons per day. 



