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Thus much I shall take for granted you have not reached that class in your school in which this reading book is used, without having had your thoughts turned towards the path in life you mean to tread when you leave school. You have, I hope, felt that delight which knowledge fairly brings with it. You have learned, we hope, to esteem your schoolmaster, and have won his affection. You have sometimes noticed children who have been neglected, whilst you have been cared for. You have been warned against associating with them. You have heard, perhaps, of a boy of your own age being taken before a magistrate and convicted of theft. You have heard your father express his fears of that boy's future course, and his indignation at the neglect with which the little culprit's parents have reared him. And at such a time, thinking over what your parents have done for you, and what, in consequence, ought to be your course in life, you have made brave resolves to honour your father and your mother by your walk and conversation amongst men. You would like, when you become a man, to be a good and useful man.

Here, then, the teacher of social science joins you. He rejoices at your disposition, and desires to aid you in carrying out your good intentions. He feels that one branch of his science will be of great use to you; that branch which is called Social Economy, or economic science. Let us see now, if taking upon myself the office of teacher, I can manage to give you an intelligible account of what this science is. If I can make the account intelligible, I am sure you will find it interesting and alluring.

In the newspaper lying by my side, a little paragraph says, that the introduction of a machine for making boot-tops, has considerably alarmed the work-people who are engaged in the boot and shoe trade; and that the work-people of Stafford, to the number of 2000, have held a meeting in the new-covered market, and resolved that they will not make up boots for any master who makes the tops by machinery.

A master addressed them, urging, that although the introduction of the machine would throw some of them out of work, it was in vain for them to oppose the progress of machinery; that if they persisted in their opposition, they would ruin the trade of the town, because purchasers would go where the machines were used; that the best thing the working people could do would be to work with the machine instead of resisting it.

The work-people seem to have listened quietly and patiently; but they in their turn urged that the machines would throw their wives and children out of employment, and so, says the report, "A resolution pledging those present not to make up any machinebound tops was passed by acclamation, and without a dissentient hand."

Now the master admits that the machine will throw some hands out of employment: ought he then to introduce the machine ?

But, he says, purchasers will go where the machine is used; for there the boots will be cheaper: ought purchasers to go where the machine is used, and where, as they thoroughly believe, it has thrown the wives and children of the workmen out of employment?

The work-people asserting that the machine will throw their wives and children out of work, are trying to force the masters to keep out the machine; can they force the masters to keep it out? ought they to force them if they could?

If instead of forcing their masters the work-people could persuade them to keep out the machine, would it be kept out?

If kept out, would the work-people be benefited? would any one else be benefited? Would any one else be damaged? Would wages be altered by its introduction ? If altered, how? would they be higher or lower?

On the subject which I have brought before you I might ask more questions, and very important questions too. But you are already puzzled. Even where you give an answer to yourself as we go along, you feel a little doubtful. Now my object is not merely to puzzle you. I want you to observe how men, who are doing the work of life, and, in most respects, are doing it well, get into conflict where they do not desire strife, and when engaged in the conflict, are without the power of guiding themselves to a right issue. And you, when you get to work, will find life put

ting just such questions to you. For instance, as soon as you begin work you will handle tools. A very probable result of the school-training which your parents have given you will be, that using an unhandy tool, you will wish to make it better; you will study how the improvement can be brought about, and likely enough you will succeed. But a tool is an instrument for diminishing labour, or (if this expression be more intelligible to you) is an

instrument for making the same quantity of human labour produce more for our use, and a machine is only a more complex tool. Should some workmen check you in your efforts after improvement, by saying, "Do you want to throw people out of work?” How would you answer him? Or rather (for so the teacher of economic science loves to put his questions), if you, as a reflecting lad, should ask yourself the question, how would you answer yourself? Two courses would be open to you; one, that you should delude yourself by foolish answers, and so stifle your disposition to inquire. The other would be, that you should give the right answer, and so be stimulated to inquire at all times for the right course of action. But these questions are questions in social economy. To answer them intelligently you must study social economy-you must attain the knowledge which that science teaches. And notice here, I have emphasized the word "knowledge." My reason is this. All men have in their heads some sort of social economy; but, as a rule, it is a bad sort. So little do its possessors themselves esteem it, that they call their notions on the subjects on which I have questioned you, "opinions." You, if you be in earnest, will not be content with having opinions on such matters, you will get knowledge; yet that is the power of demonstrating to yourself, or to any capable and dispassionate reasoner, the truth of each answer you give to the above questions, just as you would demonstrate the truth of a rule in arithmetic, or of a theorem in geometry.

Boy. But how can I get that knowledge ?

S. Patience. Before I close my lesson I will show you how ; but at present I have your former question still to answer. I have turned your attention to one only of the great divisions of economic science. Let us now go to another, taking care to select again from life, and from one of those scenes of life in which, one day, it is more than probable you will find yourself.

2. Turning then to the newspaper again, I see that many colliers of the midland counties of England are "out on strike." The men seem to be, on the whole, orderly and well-behaved men. They hold meetings and manage their conferences with at least as much decorum as would be found in a meeting of gentlemen gathered together to entertain the member of Parliament for their borough, and to hear his political opinions. They have their solicitor, whom they have chosen for his skill, attending their

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greater meetings, to warn them against any breach of the law. They are, in short, whether right or wrong in their social economy, acting like earnest, well-conducted men, who believe they are right. Their tale is this: "The masters want to reduce our wages fifteen per cent. It's a shame. We won't submit to it. Our wages are already too low to enable us to keep our families in comfort. Let us strike-i. e., all of us at once and together leave off work—that we may force the masters to keep up wages to the old rate. And whilst we are out of work on strike,' let our brother workmen, who get the old rate of wages still, subscribe to support us, and let our brother workmen of other counties, who are threatened with the reduction, join us in striking against the masters."

What shall we say to this? You intend to become a workman, listen to some of the questions arising out of this dispute. Ought masters ever, under any circumstances, to lower wages? Can we, with truth and intelligence, say that masters have the power either to raise or to lower wages ?

Have workmen the power, at any time, to fix or to raise wages? At a time when wages cannot be raised by any other means, can a strike" raise them?

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May it at such a time lower them?

If, instead of trying to force masters, the miners were to succeed in persuading them to raise the rate of wages, when, but for the persuasion, wages would remain at the old rate, could the masters really raise wages?

If the colliers and their masters, full of good feeling for each other, were to make an effort to raise wages, by the masters paying and the men receiving a higher rate of wages for a time than would otherwise have been paid and received, how would other workmen's wages be affected?

For instance, the working shoemakers, the working stockingers, the working iron-makers, the farmers' labourers-the men who happen to consume some of the coal which the colliers produce, would their wages be affected by the new arrangement? And if affected, how? Raised or lowered?

Such, you see, are some of the questions which the daily work of life is putting to each of us, and putting with a most importunate demand, for the right answer to each worker for wages. Such are some of the questions which the work of life will put to you, not as I am now putting them to you, when you have leisure

for examining the facts, and coolness of head for detecting the truth; but will put to you, when you are in the heat of work, and when your passions are aroused by your actually being involved in the turmoil. The man, much older than yourself, who has been busy organizing the strike, will come to you with all the energy of which he is master, and with all the influence which his character for sobriety, kindness, and superior skill in his trade has given him; will urge you to join the strike, to help your fellowworkmen to redress their wrongs, to beard the tyrant capital into justice, and will perhaps, should you hesitate to surrender to his guidance, ply you thus: "What! do you fear the rich man's frown?" "Well, stay. He'll make you his foreman when there is an opening." "Are you coward enough to tremble at the prospect of a little suffering, of bread without butter, of potatoes without meat, for a few weeks?" "Well, stay. I'm a man.

I will stand by my order. sell my furniture, my clothes, from school, the boy shall run but I'll not desert my colours. oh, you had better stay! We want no half-hearted fellow to encumber our struggle." Through such scenes as these, at some time or other in your working career, you may have to pass. Suppose the study in which I am trying to engage you should lead you to know that strikes are wrong, that they may and do often lower wages, but can never raise them, would not you be glad to meet your tempter armed with such knowledge ?

I will see my mates righted. I'll my books. I'll take my children errands, the girl get some place, I say I am a man. But you:

B. Yes. But are strikes wrong? I have heard my father say that capitalists and their foremen are often very tyrannical to their work-people, and although I know he is sorry when a strike takes place in his business, yet he subscribes to help the workmen who are out of work.

S. Whether we ought to say strikes are wrong, is a question we must defer until our lesson on "wages." All I wish at present, is to show you that this serious question will certainly concern you, and that to give it a right answer, you must enter on the study of social economy. The wages question is one of the most serious that engages the attention of the student of social economy, and is one that every worker for wages ought thoroughly to understand. You, I see by your remark, have been thinking about it; what I desire of you in our future lesson is, that you

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