THE CHARACTER OF THE SOLUTION 9

The general character of our solution must be,therefore, that it withdraws from expenditure aproportion of the increased earnings. This is theonly way, apart from shortages of goods or higherprices, by which we can secure a balance betweenmoney to be spent and goods to be bought.

Voluntary savings would serve this purpose ifthey were sufficient. In any case voluntary savingsare wholly to the good and limit to that extentthe dimensions of our problem. No word shouldbe said to discourage the missionary zeal of thosewho campaign to increase them or the self-restraint and public spirit of those who makethem. Nor is there anything in the plan whichfollows to make voluntary personal economy use-less or unnecessary. I aim at a scheme which willachieve the bare minimum; and by the time ithas been qualified by practical concessions nothingis more likely than that it will fall short of thebare minimum, and wiU not be sufficient by itself.Every further economy in personal consumptionbeyond what is prescribed will either ease theposition of some other consumer or will allow anintensification of our war effort.

But the analysis of the national potential andof the distribution of the national income, whichwill be given in the next two chapters, showsclearly enough how improbable it is that volun-tary savings can be sufficient. Those who allegeotherwise are deceiving themselves or are victimsof their own propaganda. Moreover, many peoplewould, I think, welcome a prescribed plan whichindicates to them their minimum duty; and those

B