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POLITICAL  ECONOMY

same  time,  be  equalised  throughout  Lancashire. ­
  In  enunciating  the  proposition  that
within  each  of  these  areas  earnings  would  be
equalised,  of  course  I  mean  to  imply,  in  the
case  of  capital,  when  allowance  is  made  for
difference  between  risks,  and,  in  the  case  of
labour,  when  allowance  is  made  for  differences
in  respect  of  the  capacity  of  people  and
the  general  amenities  and  difficulties  of  the
various  occupations  pursued.  In  this  fanciful
picture  we  have  an  exact  representation  of
the  conditions  of  the  problem  of  international
values.
The  next  question  to  ask  and  answer,  and
one  to  which  a  convincing  response  can  be
given  in  a  very  short  space,  is  why  labour
and  capital  are  comparatively  immobile
internationally.  The  answer,  as  regards
labour,  is  because  patriotism,  differences  of
language  and  national  customs,  and  attachment ­
  to  the  surroundings,  both  geographical
and  social,  in  which  people  have  been  born,
naturally  keep  them  at  home,  as  a  rule,
unless  great  inducements  are  offered  to  them
to  change  their  country,  and  even  against
very  great  inducements.  And,  as  regards
capital,  the  answer  is  that  the  capitalist
feels  that  his  property  is  more  secure  when
it  is  so  located  that  he  can  watch  its  use,