Christ and Economics. By Charles William Stubbs, M.A. (isbister and
Co.)—Mr. Stubbs preaches, as is his wont, some excellent doctrine. Sometimes he deals with very difficult sub. jects ; as, for instance, in his discourse on " The Sin of Usury." We may quote one, perhaps the most directly practical, conclusion on this subject that Mr. Stubbs states :—" That every Christian man or woman who lends money and receives interest upon it, who takes part, that is to say, in a commercial concern, and receives a proportion of profits in the shape of dividends, is bound not only to ask whether the business is safe to pay, but whether it deserves to pay." The applications which he makes are obvious enough,— to tramway companies with their drivers and conductors, and rail- way companies with their pointsmen. But how is it possible for an investor to see whether all the undertakings which are brought under his notice fulfil the conditions ? There are foreign rail- ways, for instance. Do they overwork their employs ? Who knows ? How is Mrs. A. B., a widow living in Brixton, to know how long a Buenos Ayres conductor has to work ? Whether the people who make dog-biscuits are adequately paid ? Whether telegraph-operators in Singapore are not kept too long at work ? Tho enormous complication of our system of investment makes it impossible to apply the test. But, on the other hand, if every one was to withdraw his capital from investments about which he could not satisfy himself, how widespread would be the ruin ! To discuss what Mr. Stubbs discusses would take us far afield. It must suffice to say that he is an honest and courageous thinker, whom it is impossible to read without much profit.
Previous page
