GOVERNMENT METHODS 83

tendency to variation in accordance with the needs
of the moment, which are so strongly shown by
individual enterprise, would be lost, to the great
detriment of the material progress of mankind.

As things are at present, there is little need to
fear that Socialistic organisation of industry could
stand up against competent individual effort. Any-
body who has ever had any business dealings with a
Government Department will inevitably shudder
when he tries to imagine how many forms would
have to be filled up, how many divisions of the
Department the inevitable mass of papers would
have to go through, and how much delay and tedium
would be involved before the simplest business pro-
position could be carried out. But, of course, it is
argued by Socialists that Government Departments
are only slow and tied up with red tape because they
have so long been encouraged to do as little as
possible, and that as soon as they are really urged
to do things instead of pursuing a policy of masterly
inactivity, there is no reason why they should not
develop a promptitude and elasticity quite as great
as that hitherto shown by the business community.
That such a development as this might take place
in the course of generations nobody can deny; at
present it must be admitted that with the great
majority of men the money-making incentive is
required to get the best out of them. If the process
of education produces so great a change in the human
spirit that men will work as well for the small salary
of the Civil Service, with a K.C.B. thrown in, as
tkey will now in order to gain the prizes j>f industry