CONCLUSION 283 
But there can be little doubt that the despairing note 
is due to our ignorance of the empirical laws that 
bind together the whole social organism. A definite 
conception of the character and strength of these 
binding ties must lead to a perception of the direct 
connection between pure theory and concrete life.’’* 
This recent tendency in economies—the solution 
of problems of real life by the employment of 
mathematical and statistical methods to supplement 
theoretical analysis—is embodied in the growing mass 
of statistical work undertaken of recent years by the 
advaneed section of writers on economic questions. 
So this essay has been written on a small part of 
the economic field of New Zealand, in the hope that, 
by presenting some reliable knowledge of one of the 
Dominion’s primary industries, the present position 
of that industry may be the more fully understood, 
and a suitable view-point may be found for forecasting 
the course of future progress. The necessity and 
opportunity for work of this kind in all departments 
of New Zealand life are equally great. On account of 
her homogeneous population, her partial isolation from 
the world of industry and commerce, her rich natural 
resources, her opportunities for State enterprise—in 
short, on account of the peculiar and interesting 
character of the general social phenomena. which her 
economie life manifests, New Zealand offers a wide 
field of investigation for the economist. 
But the need for investigation is imperative, because 
of the peculiar sociological activity of the Government. 
Owing to our lack of the necessary fundamental know- 
ledge of the nature and effects of the very phenomena 
which our democracy is creating we are in danger of 
placing our fair country in an embarrassing situation, 
by the pursuance of such a policy. Little attempt has 
*Moore, ‘‘Laws of Wages,’’ page 23. 
