gviil CONTENTS 
soncentrated their attention on national wealth, and were uncompromising 
advocates of laissez faire. The vigour with which they insisted on free play 
for capital as & right, and denounced traditional views, as to the duty of the 
State to labourers and the expediency of fostering 8 native food supply, in- 
sreased class bitterness. The Classical Economists generalised from the special 
conditions of their own day, and put forward a doctrine of the wages-fund 
which condemned all efforts on the part of labourers to raise wages, because 
they happened to be ineffective at that juncture. The Malthusian doctrine, as 
to the difficulty of procuring subsistence and the rapid growth of population, 
was & convincing statement of the facts in his time, but left the mistaken 
impression that all philanthropic effort was necessarily futile. - 737 
IV. HumaN WELFARE. 
266. The Humanitarians and Robert Owen. English public opinion, 
ander the influence of John Stuart Mill, became dissatisfied with the mere 
sonsideration of means, and began to feel after a better ideal of human life, 
and to work at the conditions which were necessary to realise it. Attempts 
had been made to put down the cruel treatment of parish apprentices, and 
other abuses at home and abroad ; and positive efforts to better the con- 
dition of the poor, by providing new means of education, were generally wel. 
somed. Robert Owen had extraordinary practical success at New Lanark, 
not only in his schools and co-operative store, but in managing his mill so 
as to contribute to the elevation of the operatives in character. v 745 
267. The Removal of Personal Disabilities. The status of the workmen 
was improved by altering the conditions for the settlement of the poor, and 
by repealing the restrictions on emigration, as well as by the repeal of the 
Combination Acts. Despite an outbreak of strikes, which disappointed the 
advocates of repeal, the Combination Acts were not reimposed, and the right 
of forming Trade Unions was established; the men were defeated in the 
struggles at Bradford and Kidderminster, but by combining to maintain the 
standard of life they have secured, with the assistance of the Radicals, 
» large measure of freedom for joint action. . 2 3 ’ " 754 
268. Anti-Pauperism. The methods adopted for the relief of the poor, 
by providing employment and granting allowances, were most demoralising 
ander various forms of administration. Neither the overseers nor the 
justices exercised effective control; and there was need for a central 
puthority to introduce a better policy. The Poor Law Commission reformed 
the workhouses, and abolished out-door relief for the able-bodied ; it has 
been re-organised as a permanent department. . % % + 763 
2069. Conditions of Children’s Work. The Econoraists feared that any 
shortening of hours would drive away trade and add to the distress of 
the artisans, but they were not ready to welcome interference, even where 
foreign competition was impossible. From the influence of Robert Owen, 
an agitation began against the over-working of children, and a Commission 
was appointed to enquire into the conditions of their labour in the 
woollen, linen, cotton, and silk mills. The early age of employment 
was a general evil, and the small mills had a specially bad reputation, bus 
the irregularity of water-power gave an excuse for working excessive time.