Page:The Economic Journal Volume 1.djvu/205

100 years we know; we cannot say that more may not be accomplished in the century to come. In the past the inventor has worked on upon his own resources or with the help of friends or speculators having some confidence in him, and if he has succeeded he has benefited himself and them, and the world at large using his invention, except those fellow-workers whose old processes have been placed at a disadvantage by his discovery. The net gain to the human family has been enormous, and this net gain must somehow or other be preserved. Let us admit, as I would most freely, that the zeal of the inventor would be as strong as ever. How is he to begin with his invention, to practise at it, to perfect it? He will not have resources of his own, nor can he go to friends or speculators to help his fortunes. A bureau of inventions will be necessary, or perhaps a series of them for different branches of industry. Here we get a glimpse of the greatest difficulty of organized Socialism. The moral obstacles are overcome; the common good is the paramount aim of all; but where is the brain to order, direct, modify, control the working of the great machine? It is just possible to believe, looking back on the past, that some of the greatest discoveries would, with more or less hindrance, obtain acceptance—the application of steam power, the economic use of electricity, the introduction of running lines of iron or steel; though it must be remembered that each of these would have had to overcome the lethargy of a national board, instead of first obtaining the support of a few and then, through the force of demonstrated fact, the acceptance of the many; but it must be remembered also that the progress of industrial improvement has depended, and must depend, upon the continuous unceasing introduction of alterations, many of them apparently minute, which have cumulatively abridged the labour and economized the time of industrial processes. We could not hope to see maintained in full vigour this free experimental adoption of small improvements making up together a great gain. The socialized community would be a slowly moving, if not stagnant, organism. Another consideration may be thrown out following the same line of thought. We have not only experienced improvements in processes of production; the products themselves have been presented to us in endless variety. Differences of colour, differences of shape, differences of material, have abounded in our dress. Even in so simple a matter as the making of bread we have a large range offered to our choice. Variety has degenerated into the monstrosities of fashion; and the play of fancy has passed into the