Deville in “Socialism, Internationalism and Revolution,” says: “After
deducting from the product a portion to take the place of taxes,
a portion to replace the labor consumed, one to extend the scale
of production, one to insure against disasters, as floods, winds,
lightning, etc., one to support the incapable, one for administration,
one for sanitation, one for education, etc., the producers of both
sexes will distribute the balance among themselves in proportion of the
quantity of ordinary labor respectively furnished.”
Mrs. Besant, in “Fabian Essays” (p. 163), has very similar ideas upon
this point. She says:
“Out of the value of the communal produce must come rent of land
payable to the local authorities, rent of plant needed for working of
industries, wages advanced and fixed in the usual way, taxes, reserve
fund, accumulation fund, and the other charges necessary for the
carrying on of the communal business. All these deducted, the remaining
value should be divided among the communal workers as a ‘bonus.’”
A “bonus”? Yes, but would there be any bonus? These who are familiar
with the history of the labor movement in France will naturally recall
Louis Blanc’s unfortunate experiment with the National workshops.
In 1848 the Provisional Government issued a proclamation engaging to
guarantee work to all citizens and promising to put an end to the
sufferings of workmen by decreeing the formation of a permanent
Commission for the workers.
Louis Blanc, who was at the head of this movement to abolish all
profits of capital and to establish the perfect equality of all workers
“without considering skill or activity,” developed the National
Workshops scheme. At first the workmen threw themselves into the
project with great heartiness, even working overtime; but this was
merely a temporary condition. To aid the great tailoring workshop, the
government gave it an order to provide 25,000 uniforms for the National
Guard. The building in which the work was conducted was provided
absolutely free of cost and the government advanced all the capital
required in the experiment. The price agreed upon was to be eleven
francs per uniform. Each of the 1,500 workmen was given two francs a
day as “subsistence money,” and was promised his _pro rata_ share in
the profits.
But there were no profits. Instead, the uniforms actually cost, when
finished, sixteen francs apiece, and the government had to stand the
loss. You may read the whole story of the commercial disaster which the
attempt to introduce collective ownership brought upon France. The
experiment ended in a panic such as the nation had never known, and the
revolt of the workmen which followed was suppressed by the troops only
after 10,000 persons had been killed or wounded.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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