The Next Step: A Plan for Economic World FederationNearing, Scott
History
The Next Step: A Plan for Economic World Federation
Nearing, Scott
Economic history
The most elemental of the federations would be the local producers'
federation, which would correspond, quite accurately, to the town or the
city of the present day, save that its size and character would of
necessity be much better regulated than the character and size of the
present-day town or city. The modern city has been built as a
profiteer's paradise. From the construction of houses to the erection of
office buildings, the one foremost question: "What per cent will it
yield?" has been the guiding principle behind city construction. The
local industrial federation will have, as its chief task, the provision
of a living and working place for people, hence the character of the
industrial community will be determined with a view to the well-being of
the inhabitants rather than to the profit of landlords.
The local federation would be under the control of a local council, the
members of which would be elected by the producing units or groups
composing the local federation, very much as the modern city is managed
by a council elected by wards or aldermanic districts. Except for the
choice of representatives on the council by occupational groups, rather
than by geographic divisions, the local federation would closely
resemble the municipal government of the present day. In addition to its
present functions, however, it would assume the task of dealing with
issues arising between two or more of the local producing groups. That
is, it would have economic as well as political functions, although it
would not necessarily carry on any more productive enterprises (gas,
water, house-construction, abbatoirs) than do municipalities at the
present time.
The local producers' federation would be responsible for two chief
lines of activity. On the one hand, it would seek to maintain working
relations between the various local economic groups by adjudicating
those local questions that affected two or more of the groups. On the
other hand, it would take charge of, and administer, those matters of
common concern, such as the water supply, the local educational
institutions, and so on. This second group of functions would be similar
to those now performed by the city council, the board of health, the
board of education.
There would be a local producers' federation wherever a number of local
industrial units agreed to function together. Counties, cities,
boroughs, and school districts are, at the present time, organized very
much in that way.
The local producers' federation would therefore differ little from the
existing local groups, such as towns and cities, save that its
constituent elements would be occupational groups rather than geographic
divisions, and that it would be functioning in the economic as well as
in the political field.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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