SEMAINE D’ETUDE SUR LE ROLE DE L’ANALYSE ECONOMETRIQUE ETC. 
making level and at the level of national planning. I myself have 
seen during the last ten years in India the beneficial effects which 
are coming out of such efforts, not only on the part of Professor 
FRISCH and other specialists like him, but also on the part of those 
who are working on such methods in India. I see a beneficial effect 
— not directly, but in influencing the thinking of individuals and 
groups and making them more sophisticated in their nutlock. 
I also see a danger if such studies are taken superficially or are 
imitated, as such things are apt to be very often in the underdeve- 
‘oped countries, due to fashion or because of the high prestige and 
authority of the advanced countries. A superficial imitation of 
advanced countries at too early a stage may and have often become 
‘he most serious obstacle *. progress in the under-developed 
rountries. 
ALLAIS 
Can I stress some technical points? In a mixed economy there 
are two sectors: the private sector and the public sector. So, che 
first question I would raise is: could the state formulate a preference 
function for the private sector? And if so what would this preference 
‘unction be? So far as the public sector is concerned, we meet the 
same difficulty. We must consider not only the state but also regions, 
cities, public and semi public agencies and so on. Is it possible to 
‘ake account of these different operators in one single preference 
function? 
[ have many doubts about this possibility. 
[ do not see at all how it could be possible or desirable to repre- 
sent finally different and probably conflcting views by one and only 
ne preference function. 
Would it not be better to allow every operator some purchasing 
power and to leave him free to use it as he sec. 
‘17] Frisch - pag. 21