Distributive Justice: The Right and Wrong of Our Present Distribution of WealthRyan, John A. (John Augustine)
PhilosophyChristian
Distributive Justice: The Right and Wrong of Our Present Distribution of Wealth
Ryan, John A. (John Augustine)
Economic history; Income distribution -- Moral and ethical aspects; Wealth -- Religious aspects
In the third place, the ability of the State to operate a few
enterprises, does not prove that it could repeat the performance with
an equal degree of success in all industries. I can drive two horses,
but I could not drive twenty-two. No matter how scientific the
organisation and departmentalisation of industries under Socialism,
the final control of and responsibility for all of them would rest
with one organ, one authority, namely, the city in municipal
industries, and the nation in industries having national scope. This
would prove too great a task, too heavy a burden, for any body of
officials, for any group of human beings.
Finally, it must be kept in mind that the publicly operated utilities
are subject continuously to the indirect competition of private
management. By far the greater part of industry is now under private
control, which sets the pace for efficient operation in a hundred
particulars. As a consequence, comparisons are steadily provoked
between public and private management, and the former is subject to
constant criticism. The managers of the State concerns are stimulated
and practically compelled to emulate the success of private
management. This factor is probably more effective in securing
efficiency in public industries than all other causes put together. In
the words of Professor Skelton: "A limited degree of public ownership
succeeds simply because it is a limited degree, succeeds because
private industry, in individual forms or in the socialised joint stock
form, dominates the field as a whole. It is private industry that
provides the capital, private industry that trains the men and tries
out the methods, private industry that sets the pace, and--not the
least of its services--private industry that provides the
ever-possible outlet of escape."[131]
The Socialist expectation that altruistic sentiments and public honour
would induce all industrial leaders and all ordinary workers to exert
themselves as effectively as they now do for the sake of money, is
based upon the very shallow fallacy that what is true of a few men may
very readily become true of all men. There are, indeed, persons in
every walk of life who work faithfully under the influence of the
higher motives, but they are and always have been the exceptions in
their respective classes. The great majority have been affected only
feebly, intermittently, and on the whole ineffectively by either love
of their kind or the hope of public approval.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account