"The people are not required to know everything. All the food is watched and tested by specialists; what goes into the market is good--all of it." "By impeccable angelic specialists--like my niece?" She shook her head at me. "If they were not, the purchaser would spot them at once. You see, our food supply is not at the mercy of the millions of ignorant housewives any more. Food is bought and prepared by people who know how--and they have all the means--and knowledge--for expert tests." "And if the purchaser too was humanly fallible?--" She cast a pitying glance on me, and her father took the floor for a moment. "You see, John, in the old time the dealers were mostly poor, and sold cheap and bad stuff to make a little money. The buyers were mostly poor, and had to buy the cheap and nasty stuff. Even large manufacturers were under pressure, and had to cheat to make a profit--or thought they had to. Then when we got to inspectors and such like they were under the harrow, too, and were by no means impeccable. Our big change is this: Nobody is poor now." "I hear you say that," I answered, "but I can't seem to get it through my head. Have you really divided all the property?" "John Robertson, I'm ashamed of you!" cried Nellie. "Even in 1910 people knew better than that--people who knew anything!" "That wasn't necessary," said Owen, "nor desirable. What we have done is this: First, we have raised the productive capacity of the population; second, we have secured their right to our natural resources; third, we have learned to administer business without waste. The wealth of the world grows enormously. It is not what you call 'equally distributed,' but every one has enough. There is no economic danger any more; there is economic peace." "And economic freedom?" asked I sharply. "And economic freedom. People choose the work they like best, and work--freely, more than they have to." I pondered on this. "Ah, but they _have to_--labor is compulsory." Owen grinned. "Yes, labor is compulsory--always was. It is compulsory on everyone now. We used to have two sets who wouldn't work--paupers and the idle rich; no such classes left--all busy." "But, the freedom of the individual----" I persisted. "Come, come, brother; society always played hob with the freedom of the individuals whenever it saw fit. It killed, imprisoned, fined; it had compulsory laws and regulations; it required people to wear clothes and furnished no clothes for them to wear. If society has a right to take human life, why has it not a right to improve it? No, my dear man," continued Owen (he was evidently launched on _his_ specialty now) "society is not somebody else domineering over us! Society is us--taking care of ourselves."