54 
which yield a larger income than he can hope to 
receive from an Investment List which disregards 
the important point of GeographicalDistribution. 
Before proceeding further with the question 
of how far it is prudent to attempt to employ 
Geographical Distribution as a means of en 
hancing income, let us re-affirm our opinion that 
capital safety should always be an investor’s 
first consideration. But, unfortunately, this 
life is prolific of circumstances under which 
counsels of perfection are of no practical utility. 
For example, let us suppose the case of 
a professional man with rapidly increasing 
family responsibilities, and a slowly growing 
professional income which is supplemented 
by the interest yielded by his private fortune 
of £4,000. To a man so placed, who roundly 
asserts that £240 per annum is the minimum 
income from his private means upon which 
he can make both ends meet, it is useless to 
advance the perfect theory of investment. 
Circumstances compel him to seek a yield of 
6 per cent., and, under the circumstances, his 
financial adviser can only put him in the way 
of securing this income with safety. 
In cases of this description a most carefully 
prepared International Investment List will 
prove the greatest of boons ; for the stocks, 
displayed on a chart given in Chapter V.,