The Washington times., 1906-03-11
MANY WON'T WORK
UNLESS COMPELLED
TOlstOy Shows Fallacy of
Socialism.
NEGLECT FOR DlSAGREEABLE
With All Relieved of Necessity, None
Would Go Underground or Make
Unpleasant Things.
NEGLECT FOR DlSAGREEABLE
Bv COUNT LEO ToLSToY.

10nHA
are striving is that the woTkmen. hav-
ing become the masters OF ali the means
of production, are to obtain all the com
forts and pleasures now possessed by
weIl-to-do people. They viii all be well
clothed and housed and well nOurished
and will all walk on electrically lighted,
asphaIted streets and frequent concerts
and theaters and read papers and DOCKS
and ride in automobiles
But that everybody may have certain
things. the production of those Things
must be apportioned, and consequently
il must be decided how long each work
man is TO work.
Statistics Show Naught.
How is that to be decided? Statistics
may show what people require in So
ciety fettered by capital. by competition
and by want. But no statistics can
show how much is wanted and what
articles are needed TO satisfy the de-
mands in a society where the means of
production will belong TO the society
itself-that is. where the people will be
free.
The demands in such a society can
not be defined. and they will always
infinitely exceed the possibility Of salts
fving them. Everybody viii wish to
have aI that the richest now possess.
and. therefore it is quite impossible 10
define the quantity of goods that such
q society will require.
Furthermore. how are people to be
induced to work at articles which some
consider necessary and others unneces-
sary or even harmful?
If It be found necessary for every one
to work, say six hours day. III order
to satisfy the requirements OF the So
ciety. who in a free society can compel
a man to work those six hours, II he
| knows that part of the time is spent IN
producing things he considers unneces-
sary or even harmful?
Made Only by CompulsiOn.
II is undeniabIe that under the present
state of things most varied articles are
produced with great economy of eXer-
ton. thanks to machinery and thanks
| especially to the division of labor.
which has been brought to an extreme
nicely and carried to the highest per-
| fection. and that those articles are prof
| liable to the manufacturers. and that We
find them convenient and pleasant to
use. But the fact that these articles are
well made and produced with little ex-
penditure of strength. that they are
profitable to the capitalists and con-
venient for US does not prove that free
men would, without compulsion. con-
| tinue TO produce.
/ There is no doubt that Krupp's, with
| the present division of labor. makes ad-
mirable cannons very quickly and art
| fully.
N NJ very quickly and artfully pro-
duces silk goods. X, Y. and Z. produce
toilet scents, powder to preserve the
/ complexion, or glazed packs of cards,
and x produces whisky OF choice
/ flavor.
| But cannons and scents and whisky
are wanted by those who wish TO obtain
| control of the Chinese market or who
/ like to get drunk or are concerned
about their compilations, but there viii
| always be some who will consider these
articles very harmful, and who will
| refuse to make them.
| But, besides this, there is another
question.
Products of Necessity.
The now existing division of labor is
| conditioned by necessity of the work
ers. A worker only agrees to live all
his life under ground. or to make the
one-hundredth part of an article all his
| life because he VIII otherwise not have
| the means to live.
But it viii only be by compulsion that
| a workman owning the means of pro-
4