The Labor enquirer., 1884-05-17
long as natural material upon which to
expend labor is abundant.

long as natural material upon which t
expend labor is abundant. 4
j In 1921 the wealth produced in, Britail
was valued at s261 100000. In 1871
was valued at 1884. .OOo, 900. This show
that the wealth of the country increased
lmore than three-fold in fifty years
| Within the same period population in
1 creased less than 80 per cent. Thus
experience teaches the exact reverse Q
the malthesian theory, viz; that insteat
of the population tending to increas'
| faster than the means of subsistence, th,
| means of subsistence tend to increas'
faster than the population.
| The malthusians wishing to prove
something from analogy, point out tha'
! in the lower forms of animal life, the
pressure of numbers upon the means O
subsistence is also to be observed.
But there is this important difference
between man and the lower forms o.
animal life the latter only consume and
do not create food. The lower animals
merely devour what wild nature offers
Man, by exercising his intelligence aids
nature and coaxes from her more than
she would otherwise give. 1' ~
Some of the lower forms of animal
life, such as ants and bees, may be said
to produce food. These insects live a
Communistic life, each laboring accord
ing to his abilities and receiving acc rd-
ing to his necessities. The even and
peaceful tenor of the lives of these in
telligent insects is occasionally enfivened
by revolution in which the loafers
receive rather rough handling, These
loafers are precisely like our millionaires
they would like to live without working
and fatten on the fruits of other peoples
exertions.
1t is demanded by the Socialists, that
in the coming social reconstruction
of society, class-rule and wage labor shall
be abolished. The existence of a ruling
class in politics is a badge of serfdom.
maintain that it is essential to the
welfare of society as whole, that the
material from which wealth is produced
the means of production and the means
of exchange, shall be held as the property
of the community. These three terms
will be seen to include, land, mines,
quarries, capital, credit, machinery,
wholesale and retail stores, railways and
shipping.
This of course involves that production
and exchange shall be carried on under
the direct control of the state. 1t is
said that this will diminish private en-
terprise, and retard Individual develop
ment. 1t will deprive any person from
enterprisingly making merchandise OF
his brothers. But it will give to all a
greater incentive to work because each
individual will be assured of the result
Of his exertions Personal enterprise is
fast dying out, and will soon become a
thing of the past; even under the COM
petitive system. Managers are taking
the place of the masters.
AS | remarked at the outset, the
tendency of the times is towards carry
ing on production on large scale. Large
companies are rapidly superseding small
firms, because it is found that manufac-
lures can be most quickly and efficiently
carried on where the simultaneous pro-
duction of large number of articles
permits the division of labor, and the
introduction of machinery. Agriculture
can be most proftably carried on where
large tracts of land are cultivated, because
of the facility afforded for utilizing large
machinery, which saves vast amount
of labor, and performs the work in far
more satisfactory manner. 1t is evident
that the way to produce wealth with the
least amount of labor, and the greatest
efficiency is to carry on production on
the largest possible scale. This can best
be accomplished by uniting mankind
without regard to race or nationality
into one universal brotherhood, one
great organization which will strive fo'
the benefit of all recognizing that the
individual is but the means, and thai
the species is the end.
Under a system of state-controlled
production and exchange, the hours o.
labor will be much shortened, food adul
teration will entirely disappear, and IL
the building of houses care will be takeI
that they are IN a substantial and good
sanitary condition.
The result of these precautions will .be
to greatly diminish disease and drunken
ness, and raise the morality of society
This private enterprise which we feal
to annihilate is the true cause of fooc
adulteration, and the erection of dwell
ing houses which, when viewed in tht
right light. are veritable death traps
The enterprlsing individuals who adul
terate our food and build houses, which
seem as if they were meant to breet
disease, are far worse than Nihilists
because their nefarious conspiracie
result in the death of women and chill
dren as well as men.
1 will now proceed to explain why