s
by evaporation, etc., this offal represents a money value of 11.8
marks. Calculating the population of Germany to be 50,000,000 in round
figures, and estimating the average value of the human offal at 8 marks,
the sum of 400,000,000 marks is obtained, which now is almost totally
lost to agriculture, owing to the present imperfect methods for
utilizing it. The great difficulty in the way of a full utilization of
these stuffs lies in the establishment of proper and extensive
provisions for their collection, and in the cost of transportation.
Relatively, this cost is now higher than the importation of guano from
far-away transmarine deposits, which, however, decline in mass in the
measure that the demand increases. Every living being, however, casts
off regularly an annual supply of manure about enough for a field that
yields food for one person. The enormous loss is obvious. A large
portion of the city excrement runs out into our rivers and streams, and
pollutes them. Likewise is the refuse from kitchens and factories, also
serviceable as manure, recklessly squandered.

Future society will find means and ways to stop this waste. What is done
to-day in this direction is mere patchwork, and utterly inadequate. As
an illustration of what could be done to-day, may be cited the
canalization and the laying out of vast fields in the capital of the
Empire, on whose value, however, experts are of divided opinion.
Socialist society will solve the question more easily, due, in a great
measure, to the fact that _large cities will gradually cease to exist,
and population will decentralize_.

No one will regard our modern rise of metropoles as a healthy
phenomenon. The modern system of manufacture and production in general,
steadily draws large masses of the population to the large cities.[204]
There is the seat of manufacture and commerce; there the avenues of
communication converge; there the owners of large wealth have their
headquarters, the central authorities, the military staffs, the higher
tribunals. There large institutions rear their heads--the academies of
art, large pleasure resorts, exhibitions, museums, theaters, concert
halls, etc. Hundreds are drawn thither by their professions, thousands
by pleasure, and many more thousands by the hope of easier work and an
agreeable life.

But, speaking figuratively, the rise of metropolitan cities makes the
impression of a person whose girth gains steadily in size, while his
le