TO THOSE IN EVERY CLASS

WHO ARE ABLE AND WILLING TO ACKNOWLEDGE

THE WHOLE TRUTH AS IT APPEARS,

WHETHER FAVORABLE OR UNFAVORABLE TO PREVIOUS OPINIONSWHOSE DEEPEST LOYALTY IS NOT TO PARTY OR CAUSE

BUT TO ETERNAL RIGHT AND JUSTICE —

This Book is Dedicated

WITH THE BELIEF THAT THEY, TO WHOM HAS BEEN COMMITTED THE WELFARE AND PROGRESS OF HUMANITY,

WILL SO INCREASE IN NUMBERS AND INFLUENCE, WITH THE SPREAD OF KNOWLEDGE, THAT SOCIETY'S SPLENDID HERITAGE

OF CIVILIZATION WILL NOT THIS TIME

BE WASTED OR SET BACK AS IN THE PAST, BUT WILL CONTINUE, AND AT A QUICKENING RATE, TO RISE IN FRUITFULNESS FOR

PREFACE.

To remedy society's many ills, and to attain its magnificent possibilities, the all-inclusive need of course is knowledge of nature's economic and sociological laws, whose observance by men, or non-observance, makes society at any time what it is. To a large extent the same is true of such knowledge with each person individually.

The belief that this knowledge can be sufficiently possessed by the people in general appeared in the establishment of popular government, and appears now, stronger and more widespread than ever before, in the dissemination of information by state labor bureaus and by economic societies, and in the unprecedented interest in sociological study among preachers and teachers, trade unionists, literary club women, and the thoughtful in every class. It seems to be true that "all economists and labor bodies agree that education in economics is the great desideratum for working people," and, it may be added, for all other people. Hence, in view of the present interest, and of the general study of economics since the rise of trade unionism twenty years ago, the reason why so few have other than a hazy idea of the problem of wealth and poverty seems not to be indifference; nor is it lack of knowledge to be studied, for the investigators and economists have found out nearly enough in most particulars what the truth is. The trouble seems to be that its scattered form has made this truth inaccessible to all not having the mind, the time, and the money to study scores of books and hundreds of reports and periodicals, and to pick out the truth from a mass of error.

The purpose in writing this book, therefore, is to give the connected and somewhat complete view that all intelligent citi

zens should have of the many economic divisions of the great problem of labor and life, but which, for the reason stated above it seems, is possessed now by perhaps less than a tenth of even college graduates. That there is no necessity for having this most important of perhaps all fields of knowledge thus closed, seems to be evident in the approach to its mastery by tens of thousands of men using mere common sense, without ever having read a chapter on economics; and that the ordinary sensible man can and will go to some depth into its intricacies is indicated by his abundance of ideas on its topics, and by his easy perception of its finer distinctions.

Sufficient reason for the author's writing of this book exists in the apparent fact that the service is needed and desired, and is not being performed. But as few are so well prepared to judge conclusions that to them the authorship is a matter of indifference, and as generally one's class connection affects materially his ideas of wealth and poverty, it seems pertinent for the author to state here the combination of experiences and circumstances that apparently gives him special fitness for the task undertaken. In the printing business carried on for nine years by him and his partner they do themselves most of their skilled work, and hence are directly benefited by high wages, since such wages keep up prices, but hiring others gives them. also the usual interests of the employer. The author's experience has been varied-in over three unbroken years of child labor, beginning at eleven; in failing and succeeding, as employer and employee, in the latter capacity in several occupations; in small industries and large; in striking and being struck against; in North and South, in primitive country districts, in the large cities, and at great mines; in circumstances of special application to socialistic discussion, such as close taxing of strength, as being held until near middle life at work not the most suitable, and as general non-realization so far of hopes ordinarily deemed commendable.

The fact that these experiences have been commonplace, a tempting in all points such as anybody passes through, and especially the fact that they are going on still and are likely to continue, seem to be advantageous for interpreting the principles of getting a living; and the same may be said of a connection with trades, classes, and sections loose enough in