FANCIES AND-FACTS. -- - Fortunately, hoWever, we have to deal
with a com- munity still posseSsed of an average of sound 'common- sense, however much their quickness to appreciate the inwardness of the position may have been dulled by Socialistic agitators, with their childish notions of political economy, or by certain politicians with their readiness to promise everything -In return for votes. I suggest, therefore, it should not be difficult to bring home a few straight facts calculated to appeal to common sense, and to a sense of justice, and to a perception of the extent to which National Economy would ultimately. be of benefit to the humblest wage earner. Take the question- of the " Dole "itself. - The idealist politician proceeds on the idea that every man and woman is thirsting for--work, is -by nature -highly indus- trious, and that neitheireward niir punishment is necessary to bring out the maxiMum amount of effort. The average man and woman poSseised of common sense knows, however, that this is mere idealism, and that human nature being what it is, great incentives or great privations are often required to produce the maximum amount of effort. Thousands of individuals, no matter of what (Continued on page 486.)
Finance—Public and Private (Continued from pare 484)
station of life, would prefer to do nothing on a small pittance than work hard for a larger remuneration, and in such cases extreme hardship is the only means for bringing out the effort which is required. This truth, straightly but wisely proclaimed to . the workers them- selves, with all due sympathy, of course, for the genuinely out-of-work, would go straight home not only to the conscience but to the will of the mass of the community, which would also not be slow to realize that no community can stand a large proportion of drones in the industrial hive. It should alio be no difficult task to show the manner in which economies achieved on the "Dole " would, in their turn, tend to stimulate industry to the benefit of all who really desire work.
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