218 
POLITICAL ECONOMY 
sluggish economic conditions the conse 
quences of which are misdirected efforts, 
wretched lives and appalling waste ; but it 
is even more important that their perpetua 
tion should be stopped. For their perpetua 
tion the undirected drift of many in the 
rising generation at the critical age, owing 
to lack of advice and neglect of training, 
is largely responsible. 
The problem of unemployment overlaps 
that last considered : it is the product of 
causes which from a long-period and highly 
abstract conception of economic conditions 
are provisionally ruled out. For a reasonable 
plan of action we must look to a careful 
study of the facts and their appropriate inter 
pretation in the light of a theory which is 
closely reasoned but at the same time receptive 
of new ideas. 
" Facts alone are wanted in life. Plant 
nothing else and root out everything else. 
You can only form the minds of reasoning 
animals upon Facts : nothing else will ever be 
of any service to them.” Thus Mr. Grad- 
grind delivered his perverted mind in Hard 
Times. If he was right this book is a huge 
mistake, for, to the best of my knowledge, it is