Montana labor news., 1938-06-30
HAS CAPITALISM COME
TO END OF ITS ROAD!

This title may, to some, have a
sound of Socialism but please be
assured that the Townsend move
ment is in no way interested in
changing the present profit system.
The United States of America was
built and has existed for the past
148 years on this system and, taken
by and large, has not made such a
bad job of it, the calamity howlers
Notwithstanding.
We have no quarrel with the profit
system nor with capital as a system,
but we do question the ACCESSIBILITY
of the administration Of this system
by the bankers, captains of industry
and thimble-rigging stock manipu-
lators, who have the idea that they
have, by some Divine dispensation
been authorized to own and control
the Universe and all things therein
and to dole out a meagre existence
to those who do not happen to be
in their financial class; and, regard
less of his origin or antecedents
when one does become possessed Of
a million or two, he Immediately
graduates into that class of "the Di-
vinely chosen few"
Back in the days of Feudalism the
Aristocracy owned all the land anc
material wealth and the common
people were serfs, slaves and bond
men, dependent on the whims ano
disposition of their lords and mas
tiers; we of today are no less slaves
to our Money Aristocracy' thar
were the bondmen of feudalism ex.
cept that we are more or less free
agents, we can work or starve, il
we can find a job.
Why should this be true? There
is only one reason and that is tha'
the Capitalist is only concerned witt
the amount of profit he is able t.
make, and that is not always in the
sale of his wares, he may make more
by wrecking the business and buying
the wreckage; it has been done.
Veblin says, Industry is carried
on for the sake of business, and no
conversely; the progress and activity
of industry are conditioned by thu
outlook of the market, which mean
the presumptive chance of bushes
profit. The vital factor is the venda
bility of the output, its convertibilit,
into money values, not its service
ability for the needs Of mankind"
Why then does not the Capitals
devise some means of providing tn
consumer with the opportunity o
making enough to give them tn
buying power so they may consum
more of the output. Oh, no, thi
would be heresy; and further, wheI
some plan is proposed which woul
put more money into the hands 0
the consumer there is a loud an,
persistent wall of Initiation; w
hear that term, Imitation" SO nue.
that one is almost ready to believ
that the first Commandment shout
have been, Beware of Initiation.
Germany went through the great
est period of initiation the world ha
ever known, yet she seems to b
doing fairly well.
Capitalism is necessary, and so lie
us be sensible and give vi hes
efforts to purge the unethical cap
talist from capitalism or failing tina
let us clip his wings, and that ca
be done through the medium of tn
Townsend Plan. Give the consume
purchasing power that he may cor
. sumo the products Of the countr.
let us correct the present conditio
so graphically described by "or
President" Zone third of our natio
i'll nourished, ill-clad, ill-house
now"
We can do this by the enactmel
into law of the Townsend Plan, Gel
eral Welfare Act of 1887, H.. r. 419
Give every citizen emeritus a jc
spending 5000 a month, thus elm
mating fear and distress from Il
lives of those who have given the
best years that we should be alb
to enjoy our country; in doing tn
we are making jobs for all our u
employed; we are eliminating Il
poor house; we are cutting erin
costs by go per cent or more; we a
reducing our taxes; we are doing tn
by a 'pay-as-you-go" plan and la
but not least we are going to p;
our national debt. No, not Utopi
a real practical plan to correct OF
economic ills, not just a shot in Il
arm but a permanent cure.
PARK LEA.