I managed to put in the time very well.

I made various acquaintanceships, and in my quality of stranger was able to ask as many questions as I wanted to.
A thing which naturally interested me, as a statesman, was the matter of wages.

I picked up what I could under that head during the afternoon.

A man who hasn't had much experience, and doesn't think, is apt to measure a nation's prosperity or lack of prosperity by the mere size of the prevailing wages; if the wages be high, the nation is prosperous; if low, it isn't.

Which is an error.