This consequence of the absence of price is injurious both to art and to artists: it occasionally removes from the field of competition the best judges of real merit. It is true that in several professions a certain delicacy respecting money matters exists which is wanting in others. Medical men and artists are peculiarly subject to its influence; but it is not reported of any lawyer that he ever refused a fee, and it is recorded of some Secretary of the Admiralty that he claimed _a quarter of a year’s war salary_, on account of the two days interruption of peace by the combat of Algiers. § Another result of the prices not being marked upon objects is, that the public are unable to form any just estimate of their commercial value; consequently, no proper public opinion arises to assist the juries in their decisions. This is a matter of considerable importance: the duty of a juror at an exposition is quite different from that of a juror in a legal question. It is the business of the Industrial juror to avail himself of the knowledge and the observations of all around him. Much of what he thus hears he may be able himself to verify by examination or experiment, and thus public opinion will be more matured, and the decisions of the juries have greater weight. § Many of the qualities of the articles exhibited can only be ascertained by use, or even by their destruction. In such cases a single sample would often be purchased if it had its price affixed to it. Another class, small indeed in number, but important from its functions, suffers the greatest inconvenience from the absence of price. Those engaged in studying the commercial and economical relations of various manufactures, either for the gratification of their own tastes or for the instruction of the public, are entirely deprived of the most important element of their reasonings. If _every article_ had its price affixed, many relations would strike the eye of an experienced observer which might lead him to further inquiries, and probably to the most interesting results. But it is quite impossible for him to write to any considerable portion of 15,000 expositors for their list of prices, or even to go round and ask for it in the building itself. § Price in many cases offers at once a verification of the truth of other statements. Thus, to a person conversant with the subjects, The low _price_ of an article might prove that it had been manufactured in some mode entirely different from that usually practised. This would lead to an examination of it, in order to discover the improved process. The _price_ of an article compared with its weight, might prove that the metal of which it is made _could not_ be genuine. The _price_ of a woven fabric, added to a knowledge of its breadth and substance, even without its weight, might in many cases effectually disprove the statement of its being entirely made of wool, or hair, or flax, or silk, as the case might be.