SEMAINE D'ÉTUDE SUR LE ROLE DE L’ANALYSE ECONOMETRIOUE ETC. 
1207 
contrary, I have the same social ideals as Professor Frisch, but 1 
don’t think that his practical proposals would in any way forward 
their realisation. My purpose is to comment on some postulates 
which are generally accepted by those favour central planning, but 
which are really very questionable. 
3) First question: what exactly are the social preferences Pro- 
tessor FRISCH spoke about? Should there be a steering committee 
‘0 decide what they must be? But we must be very cautious here. 
[ think the proposition that some political steering committee should 
1ave power to decide the aims to be or pursued by society is in fact 
1 very questionable one. Prof. FriscH felt that it was necessary to 
correct this position, and he says in his paper (page 2) that plebisci- 
‘es could be used, 
But, from a democratic point of view, the use of plebiscites is 
itself very questionable. There are many difficulties which I cannot 
discuss here in detail. But, for instance, who will have the right to 
write the text of the referendum? This is very important because 
‘he answers can evidently be biased. Many Frenchmen are very 
sceptical about plebiscites to-day. Personally I consider them 
a very dangerous procedure and in any case I think it is impossible 
using plebiscites to decide what national preferences are in fact. The 
definition of social preferences is a very difficult and complex problem 
and I think the purposes of the society cannot be decided in a definite 
way from a national point of view. There are millions of people who 
have their personal and very legitimate preferences. Certainly, there 
are many decisions which only a government can take, but these 
decisions are only one element of what Professor FriscH calls « so- 
~ial preferences ». 
And we must consider not only the central government but public 
agencies of any kind. It is imposible to reduce the problem of social 
preferences to the problem of defining one preference function and 
one preference function only. The problem is much more complex 
ndeed and from this point of view the procedure which Prof. Frisch 
has proposed is not at all satisfactarv 
{/ 
Frisch - pag. 11