says, "It may be of some consolation to the many patriotic but unsuccessful philanthropists, who since his time have attempted the arduous work of repairing this portion of the legislative fabric, that even so great a man as Mr Locke attempted it to but little purpose." Yet once more we have a panacea proposed to us—a short cut out of all our difficulties, and past experience suggests that we should examine it both critically and closely. The manifesto of the crusaders is rather a call to arms than a serious argument, and in order to understand the position clearly we must turn to the Minority Report itself.
Its Claim to "Scientific Precision."
There is a general impression that it contains a very clearly and fully thought-out scheme of reform. The Commissioners themselves seem to be of that opinion, for they speak of the "detailed and finished scheme which they have presented" (p. 1179).[1] Canon Barnett in a recent number of the "Fortnightly Review" commends the Report for its "scientific precision." I think that this opinion is erroneous, and in that opinion I am borne out by the able writer of Messrs Knight's admirable synopsis of the Reports, who says: "An administrator of the present system will naturally desire to understand first, how the new machinery would work in the details of administration. But the Report does not discuss these details except in meagre fashion. It is more concerned with establishing the general principles upon which its scheme of reform depends." Yet in Poor Law matters details are of the essence of the problem, and even in Part I., where the Commissioners are especially satisfied with the "finish" of their scheme, it will not, I think, be
- ↑ The references throughout are to the original official volume containing both the Reports of the Commission [Cd. 4499].
