The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1942-12-18
BY LEVERNE HAMILTON
ERSATZ

While the period 1928 to 1889
marked as it was by the rise of the
dictators Adolph and Benito, was
freighted with serious political conse
quences for both Europe and the rest
of the world, the same period likewise
witnessed rapid advances in technical
| knowledge and discoveries which
brought headache to capital through
out the world with the clear indica-
ton of major economic upheavals
foretelling the ultimate doom of the
capitalist or profit system of ex-
change.
Markets had reached that point of
saturation pictured by Edward Bell
amy in his Parable of the Water
Tank" at which goods could not be
sodl at a profit and consumers, no
matter how greatly they desired the
good were unable to procure any
quantity because they lacked purchas-
ing power. Only the agricultural
groups, who produced large portion
of their necessities, were assured of
IL SuUSlSlcICty anu tNtl lntbt dSliCul-
tural producers burdened as they were
by debt were often unable to exchange
their products for necessities which
were produced industrially, by reason
of unemployment and consequent lack
of purchasing power on the part of
the industrial worker.
Technicians and scientists occupied
their time by intensified research dis
covering new methods of simplifying
and increasing production the effect
of which was to still further confound
the economic confusion.
During the period 1888 to 1885 the
committee for survey of the potential
productive capacity of the U. S. A. re-
leased a report (also confirmed by
the Bookings Institute to the effect
that the U. S. A. could, on the basis
of 1929 conditions, operate all indus
try on a six hour day and at eighty
per cent of capacity produce enough
to provide every family in the United
States with goods and services equal
to the value of s4,750 per year.
This report was loaded with both
economic and POLITICAL dynamite and
was hurriedly "shush-shushed" by
capitalist sympathizers, newspapers,
and Nude Eel politicians.
Shortly thereafter Technocracy
broke into print and began to attract
public attention.
Technocracy, the name chosen by
an organization of scientists, engi-
neers and technicians banded together
for purposes of research, and headed
by Howard Scott began to publicize
some of its findings.
Sensing a public demand for infor-
nation, the New Outlook edited at
the time by AL Smith (of Brown Der
by fame) contracted with Howard
Scott for a series of six articles on
the findings of Technocracy The
first two articles of the series were
published but they likewise were
loaded to the muzzle with economic
dynamite. Couched as they were in
technical terms much of their factual
was not entirely compre-
hensible to the layman but a large
portion did register, for example: We
that it was possible by a
special and inexpensive treatment of
leather to manufacture pair of shoes |
which would last the wearer a life
line. What this might do to the shoe
profits brought storm
If hornets buzzing about the ears of |
he Outlook's editors; We found that |
by simple treatment of steel a razor |
blade could be produced which would |
shave one indefinitely without strop-
ping or other attention; visions of
profits caused the manu-
acturers of blades to join the shoe
When we were in
ormed that an automobile could be
in the low price field
which would run for 100000 miles
Without any expense aside from gas,
ii and tires, the motor industry see
ng curtailment of their profits,
oined the shoe and blade manufac-
urers and when lTechnocracy told us
bout Ramie, fiber which would dis
lace and excel both wool and cotton
Or clothing the textile manufacturers
1ined the other groups and sat down
nth solid thump on the New Out
)ok." No more of the articles by