o dispose of at a sacrifice just as merchants
often did in your day, charging up the loss to the expenses of the
business. Owing, however, to the vast body of consumers to which such
lots can be simultaneously offered, there is rarely any difficulty in
getting rid of them at trifling loss. I have given you now some general
notion of our system of production; as well as distribution. Do you
find it as complex as you expected?"

I admitted that nothing could be much simpler.

"I am sure," said Dr. Leete, "that it is within the truth to say that
the head of one of the myriad private businesses of your day, who had
to maintain sleepless vigilance against the fluctuations of the market,
the machinations of his rivals, and the failure of his debtors, had a
far more trying task than the group of men at Washington who nowadays
direct the industries of the entire nation. All this merely shows, my
dear fellow, how much easier it is to do things the right way than the
wrong. It is easier for a general up in a balloon, with perfect survey
of the field, to manoeuvre a million men to victory than for a sergeant
to manage a platoon in a thicket."

"The general of this army, including the flower of the manhood of the
nation, must be the foremost man in the country, really greater even
than the President of the United States," I said.

"He is the President of the United States," replied Dr. Leete, "or
rather the most important function of the presidency is the headship of
the industrial army."

"How is he chosen?" I asked.

"I explained to you before," replied Dr. Leete, "when I was describing
the force of the motive of emulation among all grades of the industrial
army, that the line of promotion for the meritorious lies through three
grades to the officer's grade, and thence up through the lieutenancies
to the captaincy or foremanship, and superintendency or colonel's rank.
Next, with an intervening grade in some of the larger trades, comes the
general of the guild, under whose immediate control all the operations
of the trade are conducted. This officer is at the head of the national
bureau representing his trade, and is responsible for its work to the
administration. The general of his guild holds a splendid position, and
one which amply satisfies the ambition of most men, but above his rank,
which may be compared--to follow the military analogies familiar to
you--to that of a general of division or major-general, is that of th