into elementary schools. There can be no doubt that it is most desirable
to disseminate knowledge of the truths of political economy through all
classes of the population by any means which may be available. From
ignorance of these truths arise many of the worst social
evils--disastrous strikes and lockouts, opposition to improvements,
improvidence, destitution, misguided charity, and discouraging failure
in many well-intended measures. More than forty years ago Miss Martineau
successfully popularised the truths of political economy in her
admirable tales. About the same time, Archbishop Whately was much struck
with the need of inculcating knowledge of these matters at an early age.
With this view he prepared his "Easy Lessons on Money Matters," of which
many editions have been printed. In early boyhood I learned my first
ideas of political economy from a copy of these lessons, from the
preface to which I quote these remarks of Whately: "The rudiments of
sound knowledge concerning these (subjects) may, it has been found by
experience, be communicated at a very early age.... Those, therefore,
who are engaged in conducting, or in patronising or promoting
education, should consider it a matter of no small moment to instil,
betimes, just notions on subjects with which all must in after-life be
practically conversant, and in which no class of men, from the highest
to the lowest, can, in such a country as this at least, be safely left
in ignorance or in error." In later years like opinions have been held
and efforts made by Mr. William Ellis, Professor W.B. Hodgson, Dr. John
Watts, Mr. Templar, and others, and experience seems to confirm both the
need and the practicability of the teaching advocated by Whately. But it
is evident that one condition of success in such efforts is the
possession of a small text-book exactly suited to the purposes in view.
Relying upon my experience of ten years in the instruction of
pupil-teachers at Manchester, I have now put my lessons into the
simplest form which the nature of the subject seems to render advisable.

It is hoped that this little treatise may also serve as a stepping-stone
to a knowledge of the science among general readers of maturer age, who
have hitherto neglected the study of political economy.

Owing to the narrow limits of the space at my disposal, it was
impossible to treat the whole of the science in a satisfactory way. I
have, therefore, omitted some parts of politica