New-York tribune., 1901-04-08
WORK AS 1T MIGHT BE.
PRINCE KRoPoTKINs LECTURE BEFORE
THE LEAGUE FOR POLITI-
CAL EDUCATION.
CAL EDUCATION.

The solution OF the social problems that
trout this century Will have been approached when
people cease to feel IF jump into Fifth-ave.
let the others live IN Brooklyn, If I can get a
seat in a let all the others stand" was one
OF the wise End witty sayings OF Prince Kropot-
kin IN his lecture Saturday before the League for
Political Education.
The lecture was on Work It Might Be-" al
though much Of It a review Of work as II IS.
The two ideas that We're bequeathed 10 the nire-
teenth century, he said, that all citizens
must be equal, serfdom being allowed 10 exist
and that absolutism in monarchy must be abol-
ished and more nearly democratic rule take its
place. These ideas were crystaIlized in the French
and American revolutions the end OF the eigh-
teerth century. and the nineteenth has done
much 10 establish them in the social code. The
feudal relations Of the past have disappeared in
Europe. and even in the Balkan Peninsula serr-
dom has been abolished. while only IN Russia does
absolute monarchy exist.
But the nineteenth century, while solving the
problems beeueathed by the eighteenth gave rise
10 a principle-a problem-which is the
inheritance OF the twentieth century," said the
prince Men have seen that under the existing
Industrial system a inequality has grown up
between the employer and the workman. in
OF the millionaire homes Of England I asked the
owner how he acquired his wealth. He replied
In every branch placed a man at the head who
knew his business, and gave him absolute freedom
In its management Oh ] said then you do not
direct the work yourself% He said: No Of course
not Then I asked If he had invented the i'm
provernents in machinery that had contributed so
largely 70 his wealth. He answered that he had
not. Many Of them were the inventions Of his
workmen. which he purchased for q few guineas.
So il seemed that not his genius but that OF the
Rim,~ Rs9 paid so measreIy had won "eal'h-an for
The lecturer said that the industrial system
should be 50 organized that old age should be com
rtable through the savings Of earlier years, which
= practically impossible for the masses That
the prince affirmed. And you must help TO solve
l. You n0sI assume some atatude toward II.
hind the noise and disorder of a strike is some
# shall be lived. / was in woolIen factory a
short time ago, and IN one room the temperature
terrible that the women al work in II were
uncothed above the waist, and every few minutes
rsasa gasping 70 ~be0" % 20 st9nq aP ns5an!
into the stun. that il might appear heavier than
The speaker said that in the textile manufactures
OF England three hundred thousand men, six hun,
cred thousand women ana one hundred thousand
children are employed yet not not one Of these knows
don 5af emnovs man ali the best years of his
lfe in tying knots. for instance, what can be ex-
strangled by circumstances?' he asked. Even the
savages teach their children 70 hunt 10 make
dren even The trades of their fathers We teach
them 10 tie knots in yarn! Work Is not merely
work. II is grinding monotony
most Of the labor is done by machinery. so that
9Fsf Of e nnT enoned t T adh fsc
tory England. where the girls who dip the
70 eat their luncheon. but stand by the vats in
haaing the poison with every bite They contract
dreadful diseases in this way in few months
san the speaker and die at twsnty.two or rwenty-
e sne Their places are aeq ame 6e7e IN turn de
at is the experience OF employers who have in:
shorter hours produce a better quality and larger
quantity Of work" the speaker asserted He said
IErther that American inventiVensss mlght reIneqy
some Of the harder work. The stokeT is me
vo m & oI rsd me sfesrsiP Pis invent mechanica
stoker in a fortnight"