“Next I may give you a description of our store, which is located in a convenient place in each ‘big-house.’ It is a very capacious department. Everything is kept as clean and orderly as the finest drawing-room. All commodities that an individual might want to buy are kept for sale there. The different classes of goods have each a certain division of this department. All the financial business of the members of the family is either directly or indirectly transacted in this department. Meal tickets, barber tickets, restaurant tickets, etc., are sold in this store-department. Of course, you understand by this time that everything in our world is sold at cost. The clerks receive pay for their work the same as an engineer or miner. We have no _profit_, as you will see when we get to our mercantile system. Profit results from _monopoly_, and we have no monopoly and hence no _profit_. The profit system is one of the greatest evils of your industrial world. Some of your economists condemn your competitive system. But competition is as natural, necessary and beneficial to the welfare and progress of mankind as the unobstructed natural law of supply and demand is essential for an economic regulation of production and consumption. By profit a person may be able to live an idle life; may have others produce his food, clothing, shelter and luxuries for him. By competition, a person must always work. Monopoly, from which all profit, etc., accrues, and not competition, is that great enemy of the human race. “On some more convenient topic I shall endeavor to show you that your profit system does not only enable certain persons to live from the labor of others, but it also tends to make them dishonest and cruel.” “I have long ago arrived at the same conclusions about our profit system,” said Mr. Uwins. “I am pleased to find that I am right in this, for I have already written considerably on this subject and intend to write much more. I know it is not a very popular subject to write on, for it cuts down the extravagant income of our so-called best society.” “Mr. Midith, you said a short time ago that all of you bathe at least once a day. Will you be kind enough to describe your bathing conveniences?” I asked. “I have always been fond of water, and before I go to Mars--that is if I ever shall be able to go--I would like to know whether there is still plenty of water left on the surface of that planet to enjoy a good swim.” “In the first place, Mr. Fulton, we have large, beautiful, artificial lakes for swimming and bathing purposes, which I will describe to you more fully when we get to the park and other out-door descriptions, and also under the topic of education. “Besides these artificial lakes, which are largely used during warm, pleasant weather, we have a plentiful supply of splendid bath-rooms, supplied with hot and cold water; large mirrors and other convenient furniture and toilet articles.