Page:Indian Journal of Economics Volume 2.djvu/369

 OBJECII$ OF DEYELOPMEIII  855 Department, wkieh give no incentive to or scope individual building initiative; and another the English urban bye-laws, which have caused the erection in every growing industrial town of miles upon miles of dreary monobonous streets of small houses for work- men..perfectly straight, perfectly. engineered (on the surface), but without a blade of grass or the semblance of a tree, and with no individuality for any house, but its number. Variety on the other hand is the very breath of life. Variation is an essential part of organic evolu- tion; and freedom. to be unusual from other people, to experiment and act differently freely in new and old ways of doing things, is absolutely essential to s healthy and progressive national life. Governments should remember this in the spheres both of legislation and of service. In the services-of Government, whether educational, sanitary, agricultural, or others, it should be comparatively easy to provide for variety. If the need were adequately realized the extra expense involved would be easily overcome. It is perhaps more difficult  got the official type o! mind to realize that it should be his duty to allow and assist individual initiative to break away from traditions and regulations, to encourage people to underke serious and well intentioned efforts in any ways desired, novel or old fashioned, advising as to continuance only according to the ultimae results. It is worth while risking. many failures and eccentricities in order to get individual initiative striking out in many different directions. The task o! Government should be sympathetically to stimulate, assist, watch and record the results o! all methods which people are using, whether well tried or experimental. This principle applies in education, medicine, agriculture, industries, and almost every type of Government service.