190 ROOT MATTERS IN SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC PROBLEMS. 



wealth during the last fifty years the rich have not improved 

 their incomes in the same ratio as the working classes. 

 Thus:— 



Progress of National Income in Millions of £'&. 



Thus we perceive the falsification of Mr, Henry George's 

 statement with regard to the alleged exemption of the working 

 classes from any share in the present progress in the aggre- 

 gation of wealth ; for not only do they also share in the 

 material progress of our times, but it is shown that the pro- 

 portion of the lowest group in the increased wealth (160 per 

 cent.) is by far greater than that of the two higher (100 to 

 110 per cent.) It is impossible to enumei'ate all the com- 

 parative advantages of those who live in the present day, due 

 to improvements in knowledge, but the indices given should 

 decide all earnest enquirers that whatever difficulties still 

 exist are small, indeed, in comparison with what men suffered 

 from in former times. The greatest difficulty which now 

 threatens, is not that man's power to further command the 

 forces of Nature may fail, but the far more serious con- 

 sideration : "Will the increase of such power be commensurate 

 with the high rate of natural increase which is the 

 inevitable concomitant of a comfortable existence ? This 

 brings us to the problem of problems — Population, 



Increasing JSTxjmbers. 



Residents of new countries, with a scant population, and 

 with vast natural resources in the shape of unlimited ai'eas of 

 unoccupied and unutilised virgin lands, longingly picture the 

 transformation of these areas into yellow cornfields, fruitful 



