72 W. CUNNINGHAM_, D.D._, ARCHDEACON OF ELY, ON 



shared in political power themselves, are apt to attribute the 

 failure of the legislature to introduce more general conditions 

 of welfare to the indifference, or the selfishness, or the greed of 

 the landowner and capitalist. Since the classes which had 

 hitherto been unrepresented began to realise their strength, 

 they have been eager to put forward such proposals for 

 improving the material condition of the most helpless elements 

 in the community, as that for providing at public expense for 

 the housing of the poor. According to the older opinion it 

 would be impossible for the State to take up such matters 

 wisely and without the serious danger of doing in the long run 

 more harm than good. 



II. 



While then there has been a new incentive to the introduc- 

 tion into Parliament of schemes which a bygone generation 

 would have denounced as socialistic, there has been less facility for 

 discussing them thoroughly and critically, owing to the changes 

 which have taken place in the academic study of Political 

 Economy. The laissez /aire doctrine had diverted scientific 

 investigation from the empirical enquiries which can be most 

 usefully undertaken* ; such are investigations as to the best 

 means of attaining some particular material benefit, the main- 

 taining rates of wages, the improvement of employment, and 

 the opening of new markets, or as to the best means of render- 

 ing small holdings profitable, and so retaining the rural 

 population upon the land. Much admirable work of this 

 kind has been done by Eoyal Commissions, and is embodied in 

 their Eeports, but it lies outside the scope of current economic 

 science. The academic economists in England, under the 

 influence of laissez /aire principles, were not inclined tO' 

 spend much time in studying the precise conditions of any 

 industry or branch of commerce ; they believed that the 

 growth and decay of trades could be left to settle them- 

 selves. So far as practical life was concerned, they were 

 merely prepared to take the part of critics — to fornuilate the 

 principles according to which the increase of national wealth 

 would go on most rapidly — and to approve or condemn particular 

 proposals by the application of these principles. They did not 

 profess to lay down what ought to be done in regard to any 

 matter, but only to criticise actual projects from a particular 



* See p. 80 below. 



