Somuchforthedoctrineof "ProgressandPoverty"'sdefinition "thatpartofaman'sstockwhichheexpectstoyieldhimarevenueiscalledhiscapital" isquotedwithapproval (p.32); elsewherecapitalissaidtobethatpartofwealth "whichisdevotedtotheaidofproduction" (p.28); andyetagainitissaidtobe
..."wealthincourseofexchange,[7]understandingexchangetoinclude, notmerelythepassingfromhandtohand, butalsosuchtransmutationsasoccurwhenthereproductiveortransformingforcesofnatureareutilisedfortheincreaseofwealth" (p.32).
Butiftoomuchponderingoverthepossiblesensesandscopeofthesedefinitionsshouldwearythereader, hewillberelievedbythefollowingacknowledgment:—
..."NoristhedefinitionofcapitalIhavesuggestedofanyimportance" (p.33).
Theauthorinformsus, infact, thatheis "notwritingatext-book," : no, he "isonlyattemptingtodiscoverthelawswhichcontrolagreatsocialproblem"—,inmytime, of "laws" whichcontrolother "laws";butthisisthefirstoccasiononwhich "laws" which"controlaproblem" "ofthoseflabbywriterswhohaveburdenedthepressanddarkenedcounselbynumerousvolumeswhicharedubbedpoliticaleconomy" (p.28) couldhardlyfurnishtheircriticswithafinerspecimenofthatwhichaheroofthe "Dunciad," bytheoneflashofgeniusrecordedofhim, called "clottednonsense."
