As we seek for the causes of such development, immediately we notice that, whether or not the "social spirit" has helped, we cannot think of this trait without considering a most peculiar combination of political and economic circumstances in England from 1850 to about 1880.
Without doubt the position of industrial monopoly which England reached, and which gave a tremendous economic impulse to the nation, was the solid basis of all social development. A few figures in illustration.
The railroads of the United Kingdom covered
| in 1842— | 1,857 English miles, | |
| in 1883— | 18,668 English miles. |
The ships entering all British harbours amounted
| in 1842 to | 935,000 tons, | |
| in 1883 to | 65,000,000 tons. |
The import and export business was valued
| in 1843 at about | £103,000,000, | |
| in 1883 at about | £732,000,000. |
This means that the other nations could not rival England in extending the market for an increasing productiveness. It betokens a remarkable infrequence of disturbance through financial crises and market stagnation.
From this come important consequences for the working man: a generally favourable condition of the labour market, constantly growing need of labour, less lack of work, on the one side; on the other, satisfaction of the employer, and his inclination and ability to remunerate better the workman, to give him some share in the golden stream of profit.