Socialism as it is : $b a survey of the world-wide revolutionary movementWalling, William English
History
Socialism as it is : $b a survey of the world-wide revolutionary movement
Walling, William English
Socialism
A third way in which the new and vastly increased incomes of the
national and local governments can be expended is the communistic way,
as in developing commercial and technical education, in protecting the
public health, in building model tenements, in decreasing the cost of
traveling for health or business, and in promoting all measures that are
likely to increase industrial efficiency and profits without too great
cost.
A fourth way in which the new revenue may be expended, before the
Socialists are in actual or practical control, would be in somewhat
increasing the wages and somewhat shortening the hours of the State and
municipal employees, who will soon constitute a very large proportion of
the community. Here again it is impossible to expect any but a Socialist
government to go very far. As I have shown, it is to be questioned
whether any capitalistic administration, however advanced, would
increase real wages (wages measured by their purchasing power), except
in so far as the higher wages will result in a corresponding or greater
increase in efficiency, and so in the profits made from labor. And the
same law applies to most other governmental (or private) expenditures on
behalf of labor, whether in shortened hours, insurance, improved
conditions, or any other form.
The very essence of capitalist collectivism is that the share of the
total profits which goes to the ruling class should not be decreased,
and if possible should be augmented. In spite of material improvements
the economic gulf between the classes, during the period it dominates,
will either remain as it is, or become wider and deeper than before. On
the ground of the health and ultimate working efficiency of the present
and future generation, hours may be considerably shortened, and the
labor of women and children considerably curtailed. Insurance against
death, old age, sickness, and accident will doubtless be taken over by
the government. Mothers who are unable to take care of their children
will probably be pensioned, as now proposed in France, and many children
will be publicly fed in school, as in a number of the British and
Continental places. The most complete code of labor legislation is
practically assured; for, as government ownership extends, the State
will become to some extent the model employer.
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