for the chief deficiences under which the Australian economic unit labours to-day.

The Australian production of raw materials cannot grow as long as the market cannot be relied upon to yield a living wage to the farmer.

The farmer labours under three principál evils, all of them resul-ting from the artificial aggravation of the isolation of Australia. They are:

1. Paying an excessive price for Australian goods of inferior quality, the manufacture of which is possible only thanks to protection.

2. High-priced and unreliable labour through whose fault the crops are often lost while at the same time Australian goods are brought into discredit at home and abroad and become less marketable.

3. Monopolization of the export by wholesale firmš which profit from the difficulties of long-distance shipment to foreign markets, to the detriment of the producer, keep him in complete dependence and rob him of all spirit of enterprise clinging from narrow-minded commercial considerations to well tried and approved branches of and to the old markets.

In the intellectual life of Australia isolation proclaimed as goal and ideal, manifests itself principally in a partial interpretation of the political and economic problems. The lack of comprehension for extra-Australian problems, the exaggerated stress laid upon the self-sufficiency of Australia even where it is not true, these are the evil consequences of the popular and superficial form of patriotism about which the best among the Australian politicians, economists and sociologists complain for good reasons.

In art the bad influence of isolation is not less conspicious. Where art depends upon the good graces of wider circles, the deplorable results are a dedine of taste which becomes stereotype. The shallow-ness of taste is promoted by the manager, as it gives him an easy gain with little trouble, in return for trash. Light literaturę and reproduc-tive art, especially music and theatre are seriously affected. The con-certs and theatres are entirely in the power of a smali number of managers, who are intent on nothing but their profit. There are по subsidies whatever for artistic concerns, so попе сап exist without cringing to the taste of wider circles who would be worthy of a better artistic education.

The deplorable influences of isolation manifest themselves least in that branch of human activity, which more than any other finds its reward in itself, i. e. in scientific research. The work of Australian scholars in universities, high schools, research departmente, museums a. s. o. is beyond all praise. In comparison to its scanty population Australia has a great number of gifted men of science and of valuable publications, greater perhaps comparatively fhan many a nation looking back on a Ionger civilization.

A certain deficiency of scientific work due to isolation, Australia has in common with all other countries of English civilization: it pays almost no heed to non-English publications.