British Socialism: An Examination of Its Doctrines, Policy, Aims and Practical ProposalsBarker, J. Ellis
History
British Socialism: An Examination of Its Doctrines, Policy, Aims and Practical Proposals
Barker, J. Ellis
Socialism; Socialism -- Great Britain
Many Socialists promise the workers that the Socialist State of the
future will abolish the curse of work by greatly diminishing the hours
of labour. A leading English Socialist writer says: "It is as plainly
demonstrable as that twice four make eight that a due system of
organised effort would enable your 43,000,000 of people to win from
Nature an overflowing superfluity of all that man desires, without
one-fourth the effort put forth now to win a beggarly subsistence so
far short of what your community requires that 13,000,000 of your
people live continually upon the very verge of starvation."[347] A
leading American Socialist promises somewhat vaguely, "A few hours of
work will secure to everybody all necessaries, decencies, and comforts
of life."[348] William Morris tells us that four hours' work will
suffice, and that it will not all be "mere machine-tending."[349]
Morrison-Davidson prophesies that the "hours of labour will probably
not exceed a minimum of two and a maximum of five daily."[350] Hyndman
feels quite certain that "two or three hours' labour out of the
twenty-four by all adult males would be enough to give the whole
community all the wholesome necessaries and comforts of life,"[351]
and Bax thinks that "In a perfectly organised Socialist State men
never worked more than two or three hours a day."[352] Yves Guyot
wittily says: "There is no reason why their demands should not go
further. Zero alone can bid them defiance."[353] It is worth noting
that many Anarchists also promise a great lessening of the hours of
labour when the State has been destroyed. Kropotkin, for instance,
requires only from four to five hours' work.[354] Agitators desirous
to secure the support of the workers cannot be too lavish in their
promises.
In the Socialist State of the future a few hours' work every day will
give boundless prosperity to all, for "Wealth may easily be made as
plentiful as water at the expense of trifling toil."[355] "Under
Socialism, nineteen-twentieths of the people will be better off
materially than they are to-day, for they will be equal partners in
all the productive and distributive wealth of the community."[356]
"Comparative affluence would be enjoyed by each member of the
community."[357]
In the Socialist commonwealth of the future "all wages will be
immediately increased," for "the social community will apply itself to
raise all salaries of workers and peasants."[358] "In a Socialist
State you will have everyone paid a living wage. The surplus will be
dispensed by the State, bringing happiness to the whole
community."[359]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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