Produced by Curtis Weyant, Josephine Paolucci and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net. (This book was produced from scanned images of public domain material from the Google Print project.) SOCIAL VALUE A STUDY IN ECONOMIC THEORY CRITICAL AND CONSTRUCTIVE BY B. M. ANDERSON, JR., PH.D. _Instructor in Political Economy Columbia University_ BOSTON AND NEW YORK HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY The Riverside Press Cambridge 1911 COPYRIGHT, 1911, BY HART, SCHAFFNER & MARX ALL RIGHTS RESERVED _Published November 1911_ TO MY FATHER BENJAMIN M. ANDERSON OF COLUMBIA, MISSOURI MY FIRST TEACHER OF POLITICAL ECONOMY PREFACE This series of books owes its existence to the generosity of Messrs. Hart, Schaffner, and Marx of Chicago, who have shown a special interest in directing the attention of American youth to the study of economic and commercial subjects, and in encouraging the systematic investigation of the problems which vitally affect the business world of to-day. For this purpose they have delegated to the undersigned Committee the task of selecting topics, making all announcements, and awarding prizes annually for those who wish to compete. In the year ending June 1, 1910, the following topics were assigned:-- 1. The effect of labor unions on international trade. 2. The best means of raising the wages of the unskilled. 3. A comparison between the theory and the actual practice of protectionism in the United States. 4. A scheme for an ideal monetary system for the United States. 5. The true relation of the central government to trusts. 6. How much of J. S. Mill's economic system survives? 7. A central bank as a factor in a financial crisis. 8. Any other topic which has received the approval of the Committee. A first prize of six hundred dollars, and a second prize of four hundred dollars, were offered for the best studies presented by class A, composed chiefly of graduates of American colleges. The present volume was awarded the second prize. PROFESSOR J. LAURENCE LAUGHLIN, _University of Chicago, Chairman_. PROFESSOR J. B. CLARK, _Columbia University_. PROFESSOR HENRY C. ADAMS, _University of Michigan_. HORACE WHITE, ESQ., New York City. PROFESSOR EDWIN F. GAY, _Harvard University_. A NOTE