New-York tribune., 1919-05-18
Middle Glass Ten
Years Hence To BE
Strikers, Is View
Ne,c York Tribune
Eo~,iDp prose R,froo,.


Looking only ten years into the fut-
ure, w. l.. George, writing in "The
London Sunday Pictorial" sees as the
coming strikers the great middle class,
who are now the chief sufferers from
strikes, while the government and la
Dor are banded together for the sup
preston of the new "reds." Mr.. George
pictures a Rip Van Wlnkle waking in
a London hospital after ten years
sleep and telling the attendant he is
going out.
"You wouldn't get out" said the at
tendant, "if the doctors weren't Cd
strike"
doctors? Strike?" murmured Rip.
"Of course you couldn't know. About
ten years ago the middle class started
organizing. Doctors, lawyers, business
men, managers-they've all got their
trade unions now. They're on strike
to-day. Look, there goes their demon
stration."
And through Agar Street, in the
Strand, Rip saw a procession of men,
mostly in top hats, following a banner.
lie meets an old friend, an econo-
mist, who SAYS: eyes, the war stirred
things up. The middle class got tired
of being bled. Nowadays you can't
get doctor to see you under guinea,
but most of US 60 on the new panel.
The doctor has 81 600 q year from the
borough, and if we aren't we'll he gets
fined SO much head"
"You've got a standard of health
then" said Rip, laughing.
Eyes. Fact is, this is a standard
world. I'm wearing a standard suit
not bad, is it? There's even a stand
ard lunch officially guaranteed to sup
ply energy for six hours. We bulit
a lot of standard houses, too, round
about 1919. Makes things easier"
And duller?"
"Not at all. You can't standardlzc
life, you see. They tried it ten years
revolution. But labor settled down
round about 1921, and working men
don't strike now"
"But," cried Rip, "the middle class
dol"
"Ah," was the reply, "they have to,
because they're on their own. while
labor nowadays is the governments s
partner and can fix prices. We nation
allied the mines in 1919 and the rail-
ways in 1920. All the big things are
nationalized now-docks, gas, bread,
milk, water, iron, shipping. They're
being run half by the government and
half by the trade unions and
they can't strike against their own bust.
ness. What's more. we got rid of our
national debt"
"Not realy?' cried Rip.
cob, yes, we've had capital levy
of e7,50O, 100000. I've Just paid by last
instalment. BY the way, you'll have
to fill in a capital form
"a form" gaspcd Rip. "Thcn some
thinrs don't change"
"Somc do" said the economist
IThanks to that capital levy they've
knocked down my income tax. only
pay $40 year now instead of ESQ. or
course, the people who used to pay
f5 900 year tax still do
Rather hard on the capitalists" said
Rip, "if there are any"
"They'ra all right said his friend.
"They're richer than ever After you
went to sleep they started international
trusts. The dairy opposite has branches
in Peking and the same firm can be
seen tonight in London and in Cape
Town. New companies were formed to
exploit timber aud gold and tobacco,
and there was a great development III
wheat growing in Palestine, Mesopo-
tamia and Russia after Lenne fell at
the end Of 1919. There's more money
all round. Come out with me and see
the good old world"