354 Canadian Record of Science. 
It is the author’s belief that the ill conditions of life of 
the manufacturing classes are responsible for most of the 
vexatious labour controversies, the political disaffection, and 
even the widespread Socialism of the present day. The 
system, which has gradually developed during the last few 
decades, of large manufacturing centres, consisting mostly 
of great factories where the capitalist reigns supreme over 
armies of labourers, usually reduced to the meanest condi- 
tions of life, is the ultimate source of all these political evils. 
The question is of moment to us here in Canada, for this 
unsatisfactory state of affairs is beginning to show its evil 
results even in the New World, where nature’s gifts still 
overflow in prodigal abundance. 
It has been truly said that it is very easy to criticize, as 
it requires neither heart nor head. The author therefore 
feels the necessity of going a little further; and, assuming 
that he has correctly diagnosed the disease, he will essay to 
prescribe a remedy. ! 
It may be presumed that the happiness of the members 
of the human race, in so far as this depends on merely sub- 
lunary affairs, is inseparably bound up with the amount of 
wealth they possess. By wealth it must not for a moment 
be supposed that money is here meant. This was the error 
into which the old protectionist statesmen of England fell, 
when they acted on the supposition that the amassing of 
bullion was synonymous with the aggregation of wealth. 
Adam Smith and Ricardo first showed the falsity of this 
notion and gave the true economic definition of the word, 
viz: wealth is anything whatever which has an exchange 
value. So that, when a man possesses anything, whether it 
be wit or courage or learning or skill, which possesses a 
value for exchange purposes, he may become a useful mem- 
ber of the community ; and in so far as agreeable conditions 
of life and the commendation of his species can make him 
so, he may be contented and happy. People whom we are 
accustomed io call “ the poor’’ have very often large stores 
of wealth in this sense of the word; and hence mere im- 
