economy of the energies of the community—is
only beginning; the economy of fuel, the limitation
of smoke and fogs being symptoms of this and pointing
to a more economic organisation of industrial activities
generally. But this next carries with it the
improved efficiency of the producers themselves, with
whom, however, the standpoint changes from the mere
economisation of physical energies to the higher economy
of organic evolution. The convention of traditional
economics, that the productive capacity of the actual
labourer is the sole concern of his science, thus
gives place to what is at once the original conception
of economics and the evolutionist one,
viz., that
the success of industry is ultimately measured neither
by its return in wealth of the capitalist nor in money
wages of the labourer, nor even by both put together,
but in the results of industry upon the concrete environment,
the family budget, the home, and the corresponding
state of development of the family—its
deterioration or progress. The organisation of
industrial groups or of representative institutions
found conducive to the well-being and progress of these
prime civic units, the families, may now be traced
into its highest outcome in city government.
The method of analysis and graphic statement thus outlined
may be shown to be even capable of useful application
towards the statement of the best [Page: 80]
arguments of both progressive and moderate parties
in city politics.
Passing from Politics to Culture. Culture, the
needs of this also become clearer; each community
developing a similar general series of culture institutions,
from the simplest presentation of its geography, landscape
and architecture, to the complex development of industrial,
technical and scientific instruction; and for provision
also for the institutions of custom and ethic in school,
law, and church. Just as place, occupation, and
family are intimately connected in the practical world,
so their respective culture institutions must more
and more be viewed as a whole. Civic improvers
will find their ideals more realisable as they recognise
the complex unity of the city as a social development
of which all the departments of action and thought
are in organic relation, be it of health or disease.
The view of theoretic civics as concrete sociology,
and of practical civics as applied sociology may be
more simply expressed as the co-adjustment of social
survey and social service, now becoming recognised
as rational, indeed in many cities being begun.
I—DEVELOPMENT OF SCHOOL, AND ITS REACTION UPON TOWN
The reactions of the School upon the Town are observed
in practice to be of very different values;—how
are these differences to be explained?