◆¹ At present wealth suggests before all things what is commonly called “an independence”—something on which a man can live independently of his own exertions. But the moment a whole nation possessed it in equal quantities this power of giving an independence would go from it suddenly and for ever. If a workman who at present makes _seventy pounds_ a year, would receive, by an equal division, an additional _forty pounds_, it is indeed true that no additional work could be entailed on him. The work which at present gets him _seventy pounds_, would in that case get him _a hundred and ten_. But he would never be able, if he preferred leisure to wealth, to forego the _seventy pounds_ and live in idleness on the _forty pounds_; as he would be able to do now if the additional _forty pounds_ were the interest of a legacy left him by his maiden aunt. Unless he continued to work, as he had worked hitherto, he would lose not only the first sum, but the second. [Sidenote ◆1 Every one would have to work as hard as he does now;] This is self-evident, when we consider what is the essence of such a situation, namely that the position of everybody is identical. For if everybody preferred to be idle, no wealth could be produced at all. However great nominally might be the value of our national property, it is perfectly clear that everybody could not live at leisure in it: and from the very nature of the case, in a nation where all are equal, what cannot be done by all, could not be done by anybody. ◆¹ If, therefore, we estimate the income possible for each individual as an equal fraction of the present income of the nation, it must be remembered that, to produce the total out of which these fractions are to come, everybody would have to work as hard as he does now. And more than that, it would be the concern of all to see that his share of work was not being shirked by anybody. This is at present the concern of the employer only: but under the conditions we are now considering, everybody would be directly interested in becoming his neighbour’s taskmaster. [Sidenote ◆1 And be even more under the dominion of the employer than he is now;]