THE END OF LAISSEZ-FAIRE

which selects the most efficient by the bank-ruptcy of the less efficient. It does not countthe cost of the struggle, but looks only to thebenefits of the final result which are assumedto be permanent. The object of life being tocrop the leaves off the branches up to thegreatest possible height, the likeliest way ofachieving this end is to leave the giraffes withthe longest necks to starve out those whosenecks are shorter.

Corresponding to this method of attainingthe ideal distribution of the instruments ofproduction between different purposes, thereis a similar assumption as to how to attainthe ideal distribution of what is available forconsumption. In the first place, each in-dividual will discover what amongst thepossible objects of consumption he wantsmost by the method of trial and error “at themargin,” and in this way not only will eachconsumer come to distribute his consumptionmost advantageously, but each object of con-sumption will find its way into the mouth ofthe consumer whose relish for it is greatest29