The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-12
Holland and State Socialism.


The economic and political conse-
ouences Of the passage of the Anti-Strike
bill by the Dutch Parliament seem likely
to reach beyond the country immedi-
ately concerned This will be evident
II we look somewhat carefully at the new
legislation. promising that in Holland
one of the principal aims OF the Socialists
has been attained. the railways being
owned and operated by the State.
The bill which will now become law
makes it penal offence for any employee
of any Dutch railway to quit work with
out leave, and, IL the act is the outcome
of a conspiracy or strike, it is still more
heavily punished. Henceforth II an in
dividual employee is dissatisfied with the
wages paid or the hours OF labor he will
be at liberty to resign, and his resignation
will be Immediately accepted II the in
tereets Of tho railway and Of the COM
munity will permit. Otherwise the ac-
ceptance Of the resignation will be post
poned to q day named. In no event
will the employee be suffered to subject
his employer to possible embarrassment
by quitting work before his resignation
has been accepted. A concerted resg-
nation on the part Of several employees
win be regarded az proof presumptive
Of conspiracy, and will subject them to
arrest and trial under the new law.
One of two things will follow the pas
sage Of the Anti-Strike bill. Either the
vehement agitation provoked by it among
Dutch workingmeD will presently sub
side, or the Hague Government will
prove incapable of .suppressing 1t with
the police and military forces at its dis
poeal In the first event, the method OF
ayerting strikes successfully applied In
Holland will be adopted in other coun-
tries where railways are owned and
operated by the State. In the second
event, the Hague Government may feel
constrained to accept the offer already
made by Kaiser WILHELM II. to cooper
ate in the maintenance OF order and the
enforcement Of the laws. The offer was
based upon the ground that a considera-
BILE fraction Of Germany depends upon
Holland for ite commercial outlet, and
that several German railways are con-
nected at the frontier with Dutch lines.
II is obvious that II the protest Of the
Dutch proletariat against the Anti
Strike law prove abortive, and order is
restored either by the Hague Govern
ment unaided or with German assist
amor, the future transfer OF railways from
private corporations TO the State will be
violently opposed by workingmen in all
countries. They will rather bear the i'll.
they have than fly to others Of which they
now know by report. In the United
States, for instance. we shall be likely to
hear no more about the Federal Govern-
ment's going into the railroad or the
! telegraph business. In France. where
the railways At certain dates in the pres
ent century are to become the property
Of the State. the workingmen may be
expeceed to demand that, instead Of being
| operated by the Government, they shall
be leased to private companies. Every
where the drift toward State and munici.
pal ownership and toward municipal
| TRADING viii b checked. What has been
known a. State Socialism will be re-
pudiatsd BY Social Democrats. who will
SEQ In It . step not toward tbs fruition
but toward the extinction, Of their hopes
They viii recognize that individualism
has some advantages, after all. and that
short of the social Utopia dreamed Of By
KARL MARX. it % the best practicable
4 system.
In case the Hague Government should
be compelled 10 accept the military sup-
por rendered by ths German Empsror