Henry Ernest Dudeney/Puzzles and Curious Problems/67 - Carrying Bags/Solution

by : $67$

 * Carrying Bags

Solution
Let the boy carry his one bag for $1 \tfrac 1 3$ miles.

Then let him hand it to the gentleman, who will carry it to the station.

Let the gardener carry the other bag for $2 \tfrac 2 3$ miles.

Then let him hand it to the boy, who will then carry it to the station.

Each of the $3$ people have then carried one bag for $2 \tfrac 2 3$ miles.

Whether this is equal division of labour is debatable, because:
 * the gardener is free to walk back home after having walked only $2 \tfrac 2 3$ miles, while the boy has to walk the entire journey
 * the gentleman has to walk only one direction, while the others have to walk the $4$ miles home again.

However, while in modern times walking is considered a burdensome chore, it was just the way people got about a century ago, and not considered "labour".