THE END OF LAISSEZ-FAIRE

do those things which at present are notdone at all.

It is not within the scope of my purpose onthis occasion to develop practical policies. Ilimit myself, therefore, to naming some in-stances of what I mean from amongst thoseproblems about which I happen to havethought most.

Many of the greatest economic evils of ourtime are the fruits of risk, uncertainty, andignorance. It is because particular individuals,fortunate in situation or in abilities, are ableto take advantage of uncertainty and ignorance,and also because for the same reason bigbusiness is often a lottery, that great in-equalities of wealth come about; and thesesame factors are also the cause of the Un-employment of Labour, or the disappointmentof reasonable business expectations, and ofthe impairment of efficiency and production.Yet the cure lies outside the operations ofindividuals; it may even be to the interestof individuals to aggravate the disease. Ibelieve that the cure for these things is partly

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