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GROSS AND NET GAIN OF RISING WAGES 97
dition, and of the necessity for an improvement in his
living to enable him to do the new work. The two
things are inextricably connected. On the whole, the
complaint of workmen as to the difference between
gross and net is not unjustified, but it points to changes
in their condition of a remarkable kind, which are in
every way deserving of farther study. To show fully
what these changes are, statistics would be needed, but
the n.cessaryconditions ofthe problem are apparent
without statistics. The complaints here dealt with could
not exist without that improvement in society and the
condition of the masses which the complaints seem to
call in question.
A further conclusion may be drawn. The conditions
of life thus indicated seem favourable, on the whole, to
a continuous improvement in society, so long as science
and art make progress, and heavier and heavier calls
are made on the intelligence and energy of workmen,
along with an increase of their capacities on the one side
and their wants on the other. The whole structure of
modern society is such as to require greater and greater
knowledge, greater and greater energy and moral power,
greater and greater capacity of every kind, so as to
make sure that machines and inventions are maintained
and improved. and that artistic capacities and the arts
of Jiving are developed to correspond. The continuous
improvement implies a continuous improvement, on the
average, of the human being who really belongs to the
new society. So long as society, therefore, continues
to progress-that is. for our present purpose, so long
as the average workman continues to produce more
quantity or better quality-there must be continuous
improvement and progress in the quality of work-
men themselves, and the conditions of their existence,
although we should not expect that complaints would
cease as to the greater severity of toil and as to
particular classes of workmen not getting for them-
selves the full benefit of the increased production .
. Still, the improvement is there, and the complaints,
II. H