Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1912-04-18

naQ f6celFeu on an average Ol Lie IdSs
10 or is years, to be continued to their
living heirs. Just in thes anne way the
vast national debt would be automa-
tically extinguished by the dying out
of existing fundholders and their
direct heirs, thus again furnishing
ample funds for carrying on any under
takings which the general interest
rendered necessary.
Increase Of Civil Servants.
Having thus endeagored to fore
cast what should be, and might prob,
ably be, the position Of Socisdst
government when for the first time II
came into power. will proceed to
point out how such a government
might begin its work SO as to fulfill
the conditions stated in the first para
graph of this article, and in doing SO
I shall follow the general lines of Mr.,
Bellamy's forecast.
As a result of the various under
takings already under government
control. there would now be a consid.
cradle army of civil servants, which
with their families would probably
amount to four or i've million indivi-
dua1s, and the very first step of So
Fcialist government would be to give to
these the benefits oforganized produc-
tive labor. For this purpose public
service stores would be established for
the supply of all the necessaries and
comforts of life, of the best quality,
and at cost price. At first these goods
would be purchased wholesale; but
this would be quickly followed by the
establishment of government or NUM-
cipal farms and factories, in which all
the more important necessaries would
be produced. AS the quantities an
nualIy required would soon be ascer-
tanned, there would be mo- loss from
surplus stocks; the whole enormous
expense of advertising would be saved
the cost of distribution would be
greatly reduced; while the large pro-
fits now absorbed by the manufacturer
the middleman and the retailer would
all 60 to reduce prices to such an ex-
tent that the bulk of goods consumed
would cost from 20 to so per cent. less
than under the competitive and large
" monopolistie system of production.
Domestic Drudeery Ended.
When these centers of production
and distribution were in full working
order, another useful class of services
would be established in the form OF
cookign, laundry and homework agen-
eies. by means of which all the heavier
and more troublesome kinds OF house
hold labor would be saved, and food
of all kinds prepared in the best and
most wholesome manner at far less
cost than the majority of individuals
had before paid for greatly inferior
food and service. The meals would
he supplied either at numerous central
restaurants or at the home, as desired
in the latter case at fratcionally higher
rates.
Hiuh Wages and Low Prices.
It must be kept in mind that the
various preliminary reforms ] have al
luded to as certain to precede the es-
tablishment of a Socialist government
would already have greatly raised the
rate Of wages of all kinds of labor
through the acquisition of land by
local authorities and the absorption
of all the unemployed in self-support
ing colonies. The result would be thai
when SO much additional labor was
absorbed BY these various public under
takings, the supply of labor Tor private