New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-05-22

x,,,., 49, enthusiasm, Of q man In possession Of
q new theory the most modern ecoho'"'' mo
tor.an believes that the cause of all wars Po"'i-
cal revolutions and constitutional chanseS 10
s,n,nly economic In a word. having abandoned
the Economic Man." he has set up IN MS place
the Economic Nation" Mr.. Giboins howc'et'
is fortunately not extremist IN TINS rcsa'u'
While he has in his latest work deVotcu i''oie
attention to the relations between Ehsiahu
political and economic developments than III i'is
industrial History of England" he neverthe-
less makes allowance for the operation oi o'"e'
than purely economic causes
The story of England's rise to industrial ana
commercial supremacy is as fascinating as the
story Of it's political progress from a petty In
sular kingdom to a great worldwide empire
II Is a picture Of an evolution without missing
link Not stage OF II Is there but can pc
traced so that il seems II the whole develop
men, the differentiation from the simple IN
dustry In the beginning 10 the complete IN
dustry Of to-day. could be represented by dia-
gran, Of diverging lines. The germ OF modern
industrial England was in the family OF the
AnGlo-Saxop period. The family OF that time
was an independent industrial unit supplying its
own wants with the labor Of It's own hands.
Mainly occupied with the cultivation of the
soil, 4, found time to make It's own tools ana to
srin it's own clothes. In general II was master or
all the trades necessary to supply its own print
tive needs. Economic history shows what steps
led up from this condition to that of the present
day. 1t shows how out OF this family system
srIang the guild system" under which divis-
ion of labor began and men devoted themselves
to special handicrafts. The guildsman owned his
own shop and his tools. made with his OWN
hands his wares. and finally sold them himself.
che ol,orn F -1a he
system is significant marking the beginning
of the division OF labor, but that division did not
proceed far although the system prevailed in
England Till nearly the seventeenth century.
Out OF II sprang the domestic system in which
the artisan Is differentiated from the maker and
seller. The manufacturer supplied TO the
artisan. who still had his tools and shop.
the raw material. and received back the finished
product. The sweating system OF to-day is
relic Of IT, Then comes into being with the pres
ent century the factory system" The maker
and seller Of goods has split up into the capital
isl, the entire preneur, the wholesaler the jobber
the retailer while the artisans work has become
specialized. that he no longer makes Il whole
article, but only attends TO a minute process OF
it's manufacture. That in brief outline is the
evolution Of industry in England.
Side by side with it the development Of
trade WIN Inc DIVISION OF LABOR II comes mo
being Under the guild system" it is hampered
by town inonopolies. TIE town is tho economic
unit within its limits trade is practically free.
but prohibitve barriers are in the way OF trade
between different towns. The same word is
used to describe the merchant Of another town
and Of another country. Both are foreigners"
With the growth OF industry undeDthe domestic
system town monopolies break down. Trade is
free throughout the nation. The nation becomes
conscious of itself as an economic existence.
With this conception come the struggles TO
contro! the market Of the world. the for
the supremacy Of the seas and for the pos
session Of the New World. The next step in
England was toward general freedom OF trade
between all nations.
In the same way the agricultural evolution
can be traced The development from serf
farming to modern capitalistic farming car be
shown. and the appearance on the scene OF the
different agricultural classes the agricultural
laborer the small farmer and the great land
lord can be noted Pictured evolution the
story Of England's economic growth has the
greatest value and interest. All these processes
in DEVELOPMENT went on together and are so re-
lated and interdependent that to present each
separately is to create a false impression of in
dependent development along different lines
Mr. Gibbins has chosen the chronological
method, so that his book presents a series OF
pictures Of industry it existed In different
periods Of English history That there is de-
velopmcnt IS made clear enough. but what inc
steps OF il are is not.
Mr.. Gibbins has his own theory Of the origin
Of the clements OF the industrial society Of
England as it is found at the dawn Of history
or society as it existed then the question Is, Was
II q blending Of Roman. Celt and Saxon, or was
Il purely Teutonic? Mr.. Gibbins is disposed to
think that the Roman occupation of Britain left
little trace upon the industrial life OF the island
There is reason TO believe that he owes this con-
vction 10 the force Of an analogy rather than TO
any historical evidence. His analogy is IL
genious. but PERHAPS for that reason only the
more risky. The Roman occupation OF England
was he says. much like the English occupation
Of India The same cause, the climate, operates
10 prevent both from being thorough. The cold
kept the Roman from colonizinG Britain as ne
did Ga,,l. lust as the heat has kept the English
man from occupying India, as he did this con-
tinent The industry Of the island throughout
the Roman occupation was entirely agricultural.
and the Roman left the Celt TO his own devices
In tilling the soil. II is hard TO believe. how
ever that a people who understood so thor
ouChly the business Of building up a world
empire. could occupy country for nearly four
centuries and leave so little trace upon the life
of the subjugatcd population. The Cet, &C
cording to the author. persisted In main taning
the individuality OF his institutions throughout
the Roman occupation. and Mr. Gibbins esti-
mates highly his contribution to that composite
thing which we call Anglo-Saxoa England. 1t
is somewhat of shock ~ find this Cet, who
mas always been left by historians strewn upon
ensansuined battlefelds carefully bestowed
in the Businesses Of Wales and Cornwall, turn
a
English life MIR. Gibbns is not alone however.
in this view. All recent writer's since the in
yestieations OF Seebohm and De Coulanges COIN
eide in H.
The acceptance OF the theory makes easy the
explanation OF an old problem which has been