The Washington herald., 1908-03-09
WOULD CREATE WORK
Unemployed Problem Solved
by Dutch Communist.
VAN EEDEN EXPLAINS THEORY
LabOr-SaIvafiOn Army Is His Plan
for an Economic Commonwealth.
UnempIoyment MethOdfcaIly Pre-
vented--BuSiness Organization Pro-
ducing Only for Fixed Market.

New York, March s--Dr. Frederik van
Eeden. of Bussum. Holland. addressed
the Civic Forum in Carnegie Hall last
night on Practical Communism: or Work
and Bread
The audience was representative OF New
York. Representatives from all political
parties. bankers. lawyers. and repre-
sentatives Of business leaders and of
labor were present
Hamilton Holt, editor of the Inde-
pendent. presided. and introduced DR..
van Eeden.
Dr. van Eeden brings a brand-new
theory of socialism 70 America, and has
the advantage Of speaking from life
long, practical experience along his own
lines. He is the leader of the ''co-opera-
tive movement in Holland. the founder
of the famous communistic settlement OF
Walden, and Of a cooperative store at
Amsterdam which has branches in every
large town OF Holland
He calls himself a communist. but not
a socialist
AT least. not a doctrinaire socialist" he
century of socialism, but beyond the day
when socialism is realized lie the real
problems of human life, and II is there
that my theories will come to fulhllment."
Theories OF Dutch RefOrmer.
Theories Of Dr. van Eeden for the cure
Of the unemployed:
On the one hand. We see the capacity for lAbcI
threatened by demoralizing eItraTaganoe.
On the other hand. We see thousands Of men who
arc able and willing 70 work. starring and hungry,
spending their time IN enforced idleDess in meetings
and demonstrations imbittered by their use
lessness spreading discomfort and disturbing the
peace Of the community.
And all this for want Of organization.
70 call this evil unavoidable would be a shame fo'
human intelligence Where thousands Of hands an
ready 70 work there ought 10 be bread. there must
lie bread. The only thing wanted Is the brain &c
guide these thousands Of hands
a former speaker, asked about unemployment,
said: God knows, I see no help"
In the first place. no help for the question Of the
unemployed can begin with the unemployed them
selves Any business man here Will understand me.
Those WOrkmen who get first out Of work never
the most capable. They may be good. honest. use
ful. average workers. they never the best OF
theiT set Employers are shrewd enough 70 keer
the best for the last Any new scheme started with
those uiddlins forces is bound 10 fail
Labor Salvation Army"
40. the only way Of definitely dealing with the
great chi is 10 start business organization wherein
unemployment Is methodically prevented An Or
ganizatioa that never makes unempioyed-a Labor
salvation Army.
And this is possible If that organization produces
only or principally for the fixed market Of its own
consumers, II IL starts trades speculation. but
alone for real use and II It combines such diheren,
trades as to secure employment for all rs mem
bers BY shifting the unskllled hands OF adjusting
the haf-skiled for different Work. according 70
seasons or temporal want
And this sort OF organization of commercial body.
is u that shall forv the real commonwealth OF the
futureY This is the complete form Of co-opeation
as Owen had IL in his mind in England seVeuIy-hFs
years ago.
This shau be the economical commonwealth tha.
shan slowly outgTow and finally supplant the poht-
lcal one
know it is difficult for most people 10 accept this
possibility, because II demand an efcrt OF the
Imagination. and most people have little or no
Imagination. But all new ideas have wanted that
effort and suffered from the absence Of IL
In Likeness Of Great Order.
This is why l bring before you the image Of that
widespread and powerful organization. the Salvation
Army.
The Salvation Army is not localized here there.
in small communities as people expect the new so
ea1 form OF life 70 be. 1t is spread everywhere in
the midst Of the active world
So the organization Of honest and righteous workers
and business has TO be. working everywhere Ia the
midst Of the old society. growing up amongst it un-
til it outgr0ws and oyerspreads II, ike young,
strong fast growing tree outgrows and oFerspreads
the underwood
We don't want TO cut down; we simply want to
grow. The rest viii come by itself
And like the Salvation Army. we have 70 start
and c--orr gloIVlv in he hegiu ka fha
SEED Of the coming tree
We need not be destructive; We can only be con
strnetive.
BY growing The healthy tree We KIN the tbo-ns
ard poisonous underwood. and posterity Will rest in
its shade and bless those that conhded the seed 10
earth.
Objects 20 He Attained
Such a salyRtion Army is far more wanted than
the existing one.
A Salvation Army which saved mankind from the
wholesale destruction Of good character and capac.
ties Of morals and intellect by unbounded private
wealth and its consequences extravsSAsee, idleness,
and luxury,
A salvation Army which did business. hard, seri-
ous business without falling into the snare Of self
destruction which now awaits every prosperous busi-
ness man.
Salvation Army which Accumulated unbounded
capital BY trade and commerce. but never allowed
It % be squandered by private individuals. turned
into fools by too much liberty and power.
Salvation Amy which. By a few strict. simple
~7lles excluded the and the parasite allowing
no one Of its members. still NJ for work, 20 spend
his time IN idlsuess or the common goods in insipid
amuafmeuts
A Salvation Army which suffered neither speod-
thrifts in It's organization capable starving
for want Of work, which took of its old work
ers and invslids in an honorable not humiiating
manner. encouraging art and science with IN
bounded lberality the great uplifting factors Of
mankind taking care with broad minded generosity
a. III "a