Page:Indian Journal of Economics Volume 2.djvu/368

$54 H. STANLEY JEVON$ is indeed so widely al?recia?ed ?ha? i? is s?range ?ha? in ?he execution of public works ?his condition is either wholly neglected, or sough? ?o be satisfied by meretri- cious ornament. Perhaps i? is due to civic apathy, bu? I ?hink more ?o ?he fac? ?ha? mechanical ideas have a? las? completely conquered our school-masters, from ? highes? ?o humblest, bo?h in Europe and Iudiia May ?hey soon learn wha? ?hey have 1os?i In all cons?ruc?ional works, public and private, artistic expression is possible: differently, of course according to ?he character and individuality of ?he work, In main roads i? will be largely ?he choice and disposition of ?he ?rees, ?he design of bridges, culverts,' and milestones. In railways ?he British l?como?ive engineer has shown wha? can be achieved in softening ?he hard lines and angular projections characteristic of "uncivilised" machinery. Wha? migh? no? be done to relieve the tedium o! railway journeys by proper attention to artistic merit in station buildings, platforms and signals? The ideal population, then, would not be content to live within and beside the msthetic horrors o! the mechanical-imperialistic age. A hundred years hence scientific economic development will have made the popular!on so wealthy that they w?l .be able k). sweep away m disgust such of our h?deous erections as s?ill remain. The refining influence of ?he environ- men? will be given i?s full weigh?. I? mus? no? be supposed ?ha? ?his would lead to any dead level of uniformity; ra?her, She reverse. In ?he ideal population ?here would be greater variety, as well as grea?er ?olerance. Uniformity is a fetish of. the mechanical-imperialistic age, and is enforced in a thousand ways both by law and convention. One of its most pernicious products is the uniform curri- cula of schools prescribed by & central l?dueskion