Ragged Trousered Philanthropists by Robert Tressell (read novel full TXT) 📖

>as is done at present. The only persons eligible for election to be

veterans of the industrial Army, men and women who had put in their

twenty-five years of service.

 

`This Administrative Body would have control of the different State

Departments. There would be a Department of Agriculture, a Department

of Railways and so on, each with its minister and staff.

 

`All these Members of Parliament would be the relatives - in some

cases the mothers and fathers of those in the Industrial Service, and

they would be relied upon to see that the conditions of that service

were the best possible.

 

`As for the different branches of the State Service, they could be

organized on somewhat the same lines as the different branches of the

Public Service are now - like the Navy, the Post Office and as the

State Railways in some other countries, or as are the different

branches of the Military Army, with the difference that all promotions

will be from the ranks, by examinations, and by merit only. As every

recruit will have had the same class of education they will all have

absolute equality of opportunity and the men who would attain to

positions of authority would be the best men, and not as at present,

the worst.’

 

`How do you make that out?’ demanded Crass.

 

`Under the present system, the men who become masters and employers

succeed because they are cunning and selfish, not because they

understand or are capable of doing the work out of which they make

their money. Most of the employers in the building trade for instance

would be incapable of doing any skilled work. Very few of them would

be worth their salt as journeymen. The only work they do is to scheme

to reap the benefit of the labour of others.

 

`The men who now become managers and foremen are selected not because

of their ability as craftsmen, but because they are good slave-drivers

and useful producers of profit for their employers.’

 

`How are you goin’ to prevent the selfish and cunnin’, as you call

‘em, from gettin’ on top THEN as they do now?’ said Harlow.

 

`The fact that all workers will receive the same pay, no matter what

class of work they are engaged in, or what their position, will ensure

our getting the very best man to do all the higher work and to

organize our business.’

 

Crass laughed: `What! Everybody to get the same wages?’

 

`Yes: there will be such an enormous quantity of everything produced,

that their wages will enable everyone to purchase abundance of

everything they require. Even if some were paid more than others they

would not be able to spend it. There would be no need to save it, and

as there will be no starving poor, there will be no one to give it

away to. If it were possible to save and accumulate money it would

bring into being an idle class, living on their fellows: it would lead

to the downfall of our system, and a return to the same anarchy that

exists at present. Besides, if higher wages were paid to those

engaged in the higher work or occupying positions of authority it

would prevent our getting the best men. Unfit persons would try for

the positions because of the higher pay. That is what happens now.

Under the present system men intrigue for and obtain or are

pitchforked into positions for which they have no natural ability at

all; the only reason they desire these positions is because of the

salaries attached to them. These fellows get the money and the work

is done by underpaid subordinates whom the world never hears of.

Under Socialism, this money incentive will be done away with, and

consequently the only men who will try for these positions will be

those who, being naturally fitted for the work, would like to do it.

For instance a man who is a born organizer will not refuse to

undertake such work because he will not be paid more for it. Such a

man will desire to do it and will esteem it a privilege to be allowed

to do it. He will revel in it. To think out all the details of some

undertaking, to plan and scheme and organize, is not work for a man

like that. It is a pleasure. But for a man who has sought and

secured such a position, not because he liked the work, but because he

liked the salary - such work as this would be unpleasant labour.

Under Socialism the unfit man would not apply for that post but would

strive after some other for which he was fit and which he would

therefore desire and enjoy. There are some men who would rather have

charge of and organize and be responsible for work than do it with

their hands. There are others who would rather do delicate or

difficult or artistic work, than plain work. A man who is a born

artist would rather paint a frieze or a picture or carve a statue than

he would do plain work, or take charge of and direct the labour of

others. And there are another sort of men who would rather do

ordinary plain work than take charge, or attempt higher branches for

which they have neither liking or natural talent.

 

`But there is one thing - a most important point that you seem to

entirely lose sight of, and that is, that all these different kinds

and classes are equal in one respect - THEY ARE ALL EQUALLY NECESSARY.

Each is a necessary and indispensable part of the whole; therefore

everyone who has done his full share of necessary work is justly

entitled to a full share of the results. The men who put the slates

on are just as indispensable as the men who lay the foundations. The

work of the men who build the walls and make the doors is just as

necessary as the work of the men who decorate the cornice. None of

them would be of much use without the architect, and the plans of the

architect would come to nothing, his building would be a mere castle

in the air, if it were not for the other workers. Each part of the

work is equally necessary, useful and indispensable if the building is

to he perfected. Some of these men work harder with their brains than

with their hands and some work harder with their hands than with their

brains, BUT EACH ONE DOES HIS FULL SHARE OF THE WORK. This truth will

be recognized and acted upon by those who build up and maintain the

fabric of our Co-operative Commonwealth. Every man who does his full

share of the useful and necessary work according to his abilities

shall have his full share of the total result. Herein will be its

great difference from the present system, under which it is possible

for the cunning and selfish ones to take advantage of the simplicity

of others and rob them of part of the fruits of their labour. As for

those who will be engaged in the higher branches, they will be

sufficiently rewarded by being privileged to do the work they are

fitted for and enjoy. The only men and women who are capable of good

and great work of any kind are those who, being naturally fit for it,

love the work for its own sake and not for the money it brings them.

Under the present system, many men who have no need of money produce

great works, not for gain but for pleasure: their wealth enables them

to follow their natural inclinations. Under the present system many

men and women capable of great works are prevented from giving

expression to their powers by poverty and lack of opportunity: they

live in sorrow and die heartbroken, and the community is the loser.

These are the men and women who will be our artists, sculptors,

architects, engineers and captains of industry.

 

`Under the present system there are men at the head of affairs whose

only object is the accumulation of money. Some of them possess great

abilities and the system has practically compelled them to employ

those abilities for their own selfish ends to the hurt of the

community. Some of them have built up great fortunes out of the sweat

and blood and tears of men and women and little children. For those

who delight in such work as this, there will be no place in our

Co-operative Commonwealth.’

 

`Is there any more questions?’ demanded Philpot.

 

`Yes,’ said Harlow. `If there won’t be no extry pay and if anybody

will have all they need for just doing their part of the work, what

encouragement will there be for anyone to worry his brains out trying

to invent some new machine, or make some new discovery?’

 

`Well,’ said Barrington, `I think that’s covered by the last answer,

but if it were found necessary - which is highly improbable - to offer

some material reward in addition to the respect, esteem or honour that

would be enjoyed by the author of an invention that was a boon to the

community, it could be arranged by allowing him to retire before the

expiration of his twenty-five years service. The boon he had

conferred on the community by the invention, would be considered

equivalent to so many years work. But a man like that would not

desire to cease working; that sort go on working all their lives, for

love. There’s Edison for instance. He is one of the very few

inventors who have made money out of their work; he is a rich man, but

the only use his wealth seems to be to him is to procure himself

facilities for going on with his work; his life is a round of what

some people would call painful labour: but it is not painful labour to

him; it’s just pleasure, he works for the love of it. Another way

would be to absolve a man of that sort from the necessity of ordinary

work, so as to give him a chance to get on with other inventions. It

would be to the interests of the community to encourage him in every

way and to place materials and facilities at his disposal.

 

`But you must remember that even under the present system, Honour and

Praise are held to be greater than money. How many soldiers would

prefer money to the honour of wearing the intrinsically valueless

Victoria Cross?

 

`Even now men think less of money than they do of the respect, esteem

or honour they are able to procure with it. Many men spend the

greater part of their lives striving to accumulate money, and when

they have succeeded, they proceed to spend it to obtain the respect of

their fellow-men. Some of them spend thousands of pounds for the

honour of being able to write “MP” after their names. Others buy

titles. Others pay huge sums to gain admission to exclusive circles

of society. Others give the money away in charity, or found libraries

or universities. The reason they do these things is that they desire

to be applauded and honoured by their fellow-men.

 

`This desire is strongest in the most capable men - the men of genius.

Therefore, under Socialism the principal incentive to great work will

be the same as now - Honour and Praise. But, under the present

system, Honour and Praise can be bought with money, and it does not

matter much how the money was obtained.

 

`Under Socialism it will be different. The Cross of Honour and the

Laurel Crown will not be bought and sold for filthy lucre. They will

be the supreme rewards of Virtue and of Talent.’

 

`Anyone