himself or others!
Both rich and poor waste great quantities of food, sometimes because
they are afraid of being thought mean if they did not do so. There is a
strange power exercised over our acts and our liberty is curtailed by
the opinions of our neighbours or members of the same class. Much might
be accomplished if we could enlist these conventions on the side of
economy. Why, for example, should it not be considered "worse form" to
take on the plate good food that is not wanted and leave it, than to eat
peas with a knife? How greatly did an alliance with Mrs. Grundy support
morality in mid-Victorian days! If we could turn social observances from
encouraging extravagance to promoting economy, it would go far towards
eliminating national waste.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 8: See _Economist_, July 13, 1918.]

Part IV

REFORM

CHAPTER XVI

THE FIELD

_Above all things, order and distribution and singling
out of parts is the life of despatch._--FRANCIS BACON.

It has been usual to associate the term "reform" mainly with
constitutional changes, and especially with the extension of the
franchise. Fortunately, the present Parliament has dealt with that
question in a manner which makes great further changes unnecessary, and
will leave the new Parliament free to deal with others. Instead of
taking up time with the discussion of alterations in the franchise and
arrangements for elections, the legislative machinery should be ready
for use. But it is not merely to legislation that we have to look. More
and more will depend on the action of executive departments of
Government. Their field of activity has been extended during the War,
and new departments have been established. Some of the new activities
should be continued after the War, others should be stopped as soon as
possible. It will be necessary to discriminate carefully. The powers of
local authorities may be increased, and those authorities may be urged
to more energetic use of them. There will probably be strong demands for
interference by the State and local authorities, and the advantage of
the free action of private individuals is likely to be overlooked,
although where it is possible for a reform to be carried out by private
effort better results are usually obtained, and at less cost than by
action of the State. We are suffering and shall probably continue to
suffer from too much regulation. One of the first reforms will be to
get