The mirror., 1919-12-18

lSYlGN pie today than the subject
GSh of Economics. The differ
ences between Capital and Labor, or
between employer and employee, seri-
ously threaten American industry.
Whether we are to have law and
order, or anarchy and revolution, de-
pends a great deal upon the speedy
and wise adjustment of these differ
cnces. The high cost of living, the
unbalancing of our economic machin-
cry due to the war, and the growing
dissatisfaction with our present wage
system, has brought about conditions
which only careful study and judi
cious educational propaganda can cor
rect. 1t is not so much matter of
force or legislation but of providing
a common ground for meeting and
settling differences which should be
changed into common interest for
Americans and American industry.
In order to gain a proper perspec-
tive for the study of economic prob
lens of today let us go back into the
past and see by what steps present
conditions were reached.
The primitive or uncivilized man
has few economic problems because
his wants are few. All he requires
is food and shelter and, since he has
not learned to make anything, he
takes these as he finds them.
He makes no provision for the fu-
ture but lives only in the present.
When hungry he fishes or hunts, and
when fed he lives in Incidence until
hungry again. He has no laws to pro-
tect property or property rights.
As man increased in intelligence,
however, he learns to domesticate GER
tain animals for his own use and this
brings us to his second stage of de-
velopment which is known as the pas
toral stage. These Aocks are moved
about from place to place in search
of food often following the seasons
north and south in summer and win
ter. He has no fixed habitation, but
lives in tents carrying everything he
possesses with him.
The most important effects of this
step are that; it insures him with
food, thereby lessening the danger of
starvation, and as the tribe now has
wealth in the form of flocks, he is
less apt to make war on neighboring
tribes as his property might be lost
or destroyed if he is defeated.
Coming down little farther, we
find that man has learned to till the
soil and raise certain crops to feed
himself and his Aocks.
This is known as the agricultural
stage and brings about many changes
in mans mode of living. In the
first place it gives him a fixed habita-
ton, as he cannot move about with
his Aocks and at the same time plant,
cultivate and harvest his crops. Thus
he builds himself permanent home
and villages spring up. There is lit
tie private ownership but tribal ar
rangement, whereby all work in the
same fields and the harvest is stored
in a tribal storehouse to be used as
needed. This is practically the ar
rangement so ardently desired by our
radical Socialists and Bolshevih to-
day. A striking example of how this
works out in practice is given in Gov.
Bradford's history of the Plymouth
Colony in which he tells of how he
changed from the communist plan of
working the land jointly, and as
signed tract to each family. The
result being as he says, "that they
labored more diligently, the whole
family together, where before, excuse
was always made that many were too
young or too sickly." 1t is obvious
that in any communist form of en-
deavor, the drone will always find
some excuse for not. doing his share,
and that industry and frugality can
only be stimulated by private owner
ship and control of the fruits OF
endeavor.
As man begins to acquire wealth in
the form of grain, hocks, or slaves,
he begins to trade with others OF his
own tribe, or with ueighboring tribes
As there is no money this trading is
carried on by barter, cattle and skins
he;no a favorite medium of exchange
Certain laws and customs regulate
trade within the tribe but when deal
ing with strangers he has no moral
code and strives to cheat in any way
possible. The word barter, which
comes to us from those times, is de-
rived from a word meaning to cheat
His Golden Rule was that of our
modern trader, David Harum, who