Thereis,however,nofinalconflictbetweentheclaimsofpersonallibertyandthesocialorder。Eventhoughtheprocessofreadjustmentbetweentheclaimsofindustryandleisureshouldinclinegenerallyinfavourofmoreleisure,withtheprimepurposeofnourishingmorefullytheprivatepersonalityandaffordinglargerscopeforhomelifeandrecreation,societyisnottherebytheloser。Forsomeofthefinestandmostprofitableusesofleisurewillconsistofthevoluntaryrenderingofsocialservicesofanon-economicorder。Ialludeinparticulartoafullerparticipationintheactivefunctionsofcitizenship,amoreintelligentinterestinlocalandnationalpolitics,inlocaladministrationandinthenumerousformsofvoluntaryassociationwhicharegenerallysocialintheservicestheyrender。Moreleisureisaprimeessentialofdemocraticgovernment。
Therecanbenoreallyoperativesystemofpopularself-governmentsolongasthebulkofthepeopledonotpossessthesparetimeandenergytoequipthemselvesforeffectiveparticipationinpoliticsandtotakearegularpartindeliberativeandadministrativework。Thisisequallyapplicabletoothermodesofcorporateactivity,thelifeofthechurches,friendlysocieties,tradeunions,cooperativesocieties,clubs,musicalandeducationalassociations,whichgotomakeupthesociallifeandinstitutionsofacountry。Leisure,demandedprimarilyintheinterestsoftheindividualforhispersonalenjoyment,willthusyieldrichnutrimenttotheorganiclifeofsociety,becausetheindividualwillfindhimselfdrawnbythesocialneedsanddesiresembeddedinhispersonalitytodevoteportionsofhisleisuretosocialactivitieswhichcontributetothecommonwealthassurelyasdotheeconomictasksimposeduponhiminhisdailyindustry。
NOTES:
1。Times,23Dec。1912。
2。ThebestthatcanbesaidforthiseducationhasrecentlybeensaidbyMr。GeorgePeel,whowritesofLondonchildrenTheFutureofEngland,p。96:
'Theyspend28hoursaweekcontinuouslyduringnineyearsunderfairlysatisfactoryconditionsofair,warmthandlight,engagedinwholesomeandstimulatingpursuits。Consideringwhattheirhomesoftenare,thisitselfmustbereckonedanimmensebenefit。'
CHAPTERXVI:THERECONSTRUCTIONOFINDUSTRY
PartI:CAPITALANDLABOUR
§;1。Sinceindustryisagreatcooperativeprocessforthemutualaidofmembersofsociety,itiswellthatthefactshouldbeheldintheconsciousnessandwillofindividualsasclearlyaspossible。Forthisconsciousrealisationofthemeaningofindustrywillhaveahelpfulinfluenceontheirintelligenceandfeelings。
Nowtherearegeneralrelatedtendenciesinmodernindustrywhicharepowerfulobstaclestothisrealisationofthesocialmeaningofindustry。
Thefirstisthegrowingsubdivisionoflabourwiththerelatedexpansionofmarkets。Whenamanmadeawatchorapairofshoesandsoldthemtoaneighbour,orknowncustomer,hisworkhadforhimadistincthumansignificance。
For,makingthewholeofathing,herealiseditsnatureandutility,while,seeingthemanwhoworehiswatchorshoes,herealisedthehumanvalueofhiswork。Nowheperformsoneofsomeninetyprocesseswhichgotomakemanywatches,orhetrimstheheelsofinnumerableshoes。Theotherprocesseshecannotdo,anddoesnotaccuratelyknowhowtheyaredone。Hisseparatecontributionhasnoclearutility,andyetitsolelyoccupieshisattention。
Notonlydoeshethuslosegraspofthemeaningofhiswork,buthehasnoopportunityofrealisingitsconsumptiveutility。Forhecannotknoworcareanythingabouttheunknownpersoninsomedistantpartoftheworldwhoshallwearthebootsorwatchbehelpedtomake。Thesocialsympathyofcooperativeindustryisthusatrophiedbytheconditionsofhiswork。
Divisionoflabour,initsfirstintent,thusdivideseachworkerintoasectionofaproducer,andseparateseachsetofproducersfromtheconsumersoftheirproducts。
Though,therefore,thisdivisionoflabourisinitselfafinermodeofcooperation,itisnotrealisedassuchbythosewhoaresubjectedtoit。
§;2。Theseconddehumanisingandderationalisinginfluenceisthestresswhichtheoperationsofmodernindustrylayoncompetitionbetweentradeandtrade,businessandbusiness,workerandworker。Nograverinjuryhasbeeninflictedonthemindofman,inthenameofscience,thantheprepotencewhichtheearlyscienceofPoliticalEconomyassignedtothecompetitiveandcombativeaspectsofindustriallife。Torepresentcommercebetweenindividualsandnationsasa'competitivesystem',mainlydependentforitssuccessfuloperationupontheabsorptionofeachmaninseekinghisowngain,andingettingthebetterofothersinhistrade,wasanerrorofthefirstmagnitude。Norwasthiserrorsufficientlycorrectedbythequalifyingtheorythatfromthispursuitbyeachofhisseparategainsthegreatestgoodforallwouldsomehowemerge。For,bylayingthestressuponthecompetitiveaspectofindustry,thisteachingstiedthegrowthofintellectualandmoralsympathybetweenthevarioushumancentresoftheindustrialsystem,andimpairedthesenseofhumansolidaritywhich,apartfromitsspiritualvalue,isthemainspringofefficienteconomicorganisation。Thepresentationofindustryascompetitionwithattendantcooperation,insteadofascooperationwithattendantcompetition,hasgreatlycontributedtothepopularmisunderstandingofcommerce,alikeuponitsdomesticanditsinternationalscales。1
Competition,ifdefendedasasociallyusefulmethodofindustry,must,likedivisionoflabour,beprovedtocontributetocooperativeends。Thegeneralunderlyingassumption,thatitwilldoso,wehaveseentobefalse。
Equallyunjustifiedhavebeentheaccountsofactualindustrywhichassumethegeneralprevalenceoffreecompetition。Atalltimestheareaandlibertyofeffectivecompetitionbetweenbusinessandbusiness,workerandworker,havebeenlimited,andtendinrecenttimestocloserlimitation。
Butifdivisionoflabourandcompetition,apartfromarealisationoftheircooperativevalues,aredehumanisingandantisocial,solikewiseisthegrowinganonymityofmodernbusiness。'CompagnieAnonyme'isthesignificantFrenchnameforaJointStockCompanywithitsunknownshareholders。
Butthisdepersonalisingprocessiseverywhereinseparablefromthemagnitudeandintricacyofmodernbusinessesandmodernmarkets。Thecapitalbelongingtoacrowdofpersons,whoarestrangerstooneanother,ismassedintoaneffectiveproductiveaggregate,andissettocooperatewithmassesoflabourpowerwhoseownersaredivorcedfromalldirectcontact,eitherwiththeownersofthetoolsandmaterial,orwiththepurchasersoftheproduct。Aneffectivecomradeshipamonglargenumbersofworkers,distributedoverdiverseprocessesandoftenseveredwidelyintheirplacesofwork,isalsodifficulttomaintain。Agreatmodernbusinessisinitsstructurelesseffectivelyhumanthanwasthesmallworkshopwhichitdisplaced。
Oneeffectofthisweakerhumanityofthebusiness,especiallyintherelationsbetweencapitalandlabour,employerandemployee,hasbeentoshiftthesentimentalattachmentoftheworkerfromhisbusinesstohistrade-union。
Heislessamemberofabusinessfirm,servingsomedirectlyproductivefunction,thanamemberofalabour-groupextendingovertheareaofalocalorevenanationaltrade。
§;3。Thisconsiderationbringstothefronttheantagonismbetweencapitalandlabourwhichhasinmoderntimesassumedevergraverdimensionsandclearerconsciousness。Inconsideringtheindustrialsystemasaneffectiveeconomicharmonyitisnoteasytodeterminewhetherthecooperativeorthecompetitiveforcesaregainingground。Ontheonehand,thecompetitionbetweenbusinessesinthesametradeisinallgreatstapletradesgivingplacetocombinations,whichnotonlyunitetheformerlyconflictingbusinesses,butweldintocloseunitythecapitalofvariousrelatedtrades。Trusts,cartels,pools,conferencesandvariousexperimentsinfederalcompacts,forregulatingoutputandsellingprices,areeverywhereengagedinsubstitutingindustrialpeaceforwar。Directandconsciousharmonythusgrowsamongformerlyantagonisticcapitalistsandemployers。Theorganisationoflabourintheseveraltrades,onthebasisofastandardwageupheldbycollectivebargaining,marksasimilarthoughlesscloseharmonyonthesideoflabour。
Buttheseadvancestowardsconsciousharmonyamonghithertocompetingcapitalistsandlabourershavebeenattendedbyawideningandintensificationoftheconsciousantagonismbetweencapitalandlabourwithintheseveraltrades。Indeed,therearesignsofagrowingextensionofcombinationfordefinitelyhostilepurposes,arangingofcapitalontheoneside,labourontheother,animatedbyabroadclassconsciousnesswhichisnewinthehistoryofindustry。
Infact,ithasallalongbeeninevitablethatthecombinatoryforces,whichappearedtomakeforsocialsolidarityinindustry,shouldbebroughtupatwhatappearstobeanimpenetrablebarrier,theclasshostilitybetweentheownersofinstrumentsofproductionandtheworkers。ForthishostilityisinherentinthedistributionwhichevokesanUnproductiveSurplus。Solongaseconomicadvantagespermitsomegroupsofcapitalists,landownersandownersoforganisingpower,totakeforthemselveslargemassesofunearnedincome,whichmighthavegonetoimprovetheconditionsoftheworkers,hadtheybeenabletodivertitintowages,nofalseplatitudesabouttheharmonyofcapitalandlabourwillsecureindustrialpeace。
Forthatharmony,aswehaveseen,onlyextendstotheportionoftheproductdistributedascosts。Now,theenormouslyincreasedproductivityofmodernindustryhasresultedinanincreaseofthesizeandrelativeimportanceofthesurplus,andthelargeproportionofthatsurpluswhichisdistributedunproductivelyin'unearned'incomerepresentsagrowingelementofdiscord。
Thisrealdivergenceofeconomicinterestsbetweencapitalandlabourisnotthentobebridgedbyaneconomyofcostsbaseduponthefactthat,sinceeachfactorneedstheother,itisinterestedinitsproperremuneration。
Thecomplaintsoftheexistingsystemmadebytheworkersnotmerelytestifytoagrowingrealisationoftheireconomicweaknessandagrowingsensitivenesstotheinequitablemodesofdistribution。Theyarefoundedonthebeliefthatuponthewholedistributionisbecomingmoreinequitableandmorewasteful。Forthoughtheabsoluteshareoftheworkersandthestandardofrealwageshavebeenrisinginmostcountries,2thatrisehasnotbeencommensuratewiththeaggregateincreaseofwealth。Inotherwords,alargerproportionofthetotalispassingintounproductivesurplus,thefactorofdiscord,asmallerintocosts,thefactorofharmony。Ifthisistrue,itimpliesinevitablyaworseningoftherelationsbetweencapitalandlabour。For,solongastheownersofstrongorscarcefactorsofproductionarerewardedaccordingtotheirstrengthorscarcity,nopeaceispossible。
Theabsorptionoftheunassimilatedmassofwealthinahigherstandardoflifefortheworkersandanenlargementandimprovementofthepublicservicesisessentialtosecurethesubstanceandthesenseofsocialharmonyinindustry。
§;4。LeavingoutforthemomenttheclaimoftheStateforpublicservices,thissociallysounddistributionoftheproductcouldonlybeachievedbyarecastingofthegovernmentalstructureoftheBusiness,theTradeandindustry。Towardsthisgovernmentalreformmanydifferentexperimentsareafoot。Variousmodificationsoftheordinarywage-system,bywayofbonusesuponindividualanddepartmentalefficiencyoflabour,aretried。Moredirectattemptstoharmonisetheinterestsofcapitalandlabourwithinthebusinesstakeshapeinschemesofprofit-sharing,whicharesometimescarriedfurtherintothecloserformofco-partnership,bywhichtheworkersownashareofthecapitaland,byvirtueofthisownershipmaybeadmittedtoashareoftheadministration。
Regardedasmethodsofharmonisingcapitalandlabourinthebusinessstructure,mostoftheseschemesappeartobeofdubiousworth,whenweapplythepropertest,viz。,theabilitytodivertintowagesaportionoftheunproductivesurplus。For,thoughthestimulusofa'bonus'oraso-called3shareofprofitmayincreasetheabsolutewageoftheworkersinthebusiness,ifatthesametimeitproportionatelyincreasesthedividendorprofit,itdoesnothingtoreduceeithertheaggregateortheproportionofunproductivesurplus。Moreover,iftheincreasedproductivityoflabourundersuchastimulusisattendedbyenhancedintensificationofeffortinmuscleorinnerve,withaccompanyingexhaustion,thetotalutilityoftheprocesstotheworkermaybeanegativequantity,whentheincreasedhumancostofproductionhasbeensetagainsttheutilityofthehigherincome,lessadvantageouslyconsumedbyreasonoftheexhaustion。Again,thoughmanyoftheseschemesexpresslyinducetheworkerstobecomesmallshareholdersinthebusiness,byapplyingthe'bonus'or'profit'tothepurchaseofshares,nowherehasthisownershipbytheworkersbeenpermittedtogosofarastogivethemanydeterminantvoiceintheadministrationofthebusiness。Finally,manyoftheseschemesbyexpressintention,nearlyalloftheminactualtendency,weakentheattachmentoftheworkersinthesebusinessestotheirfellow-workersinotherbusinessesbelongingtothetrade。So,whateverpowerproceedsfromcollectivebargaining,forraisingwagesandimprovingtheotherconditionsofemployment,isdiminishedbytheseattemptstoharmonisethecapitalandlabourwithintheareaofthesinglebusiness。
Itissignificantthatnearlyallthebusinesseswhereco-partnershipshowssignsofenduringsuccessarelegalmonopolies,orareotherwiseprotectedfromfreecompetition,sothatthepricesforthecommoditiesorservicestheysellcontainaconsiderableelementofsurplus。Afractionofthissurplusisdivertedfromunproductiveintoproductivepurposesbyasubsidytowages。Inthecaseofgas-works,themostconspicuousexample,thisprocessisfurtheredbythefactthatlegalrestrictionsupondividendsmakewhatatfirstsightappearsapolicyofgenerositytolabour,costlesstocapital。
§;5。Thiscriticismofthedefectsoftheseprivateexperimentsinindustrialpeaceisreinforcedbytheexperienceofcooperativemovements。
Ofthecompletelyself-governingworkshoporotherbusinessinwhichthewholebodyoftheworkersaresoleownersofthewholecapitaltheyemploy,therehavebeentoofewexamplestoenableanyconclusiontobedrawn。
Butnearlyallthecaseswheretheactualfulladministrationofabusinesshasbeeninthehandsofthoseemployedhavebeensignalfailures,saveinrareinstanceswherethepossessionofsomeskillorsituationendowedwithascarcityvaluehasassistedthem。Experimentsintheself-governingworkshopmakeitevidentthatdirectgovernmentbytheworkersintheircapacityofproducersistechnicallyworsethangovernmentbytheownersofthecapital。Theselectionandtheremunerationofabilityofmanagementarealwaysfounddefective,andtheemployeesareoftenunwillingtosubmittoproperdiscipline,evenwhentheyhaveelectedthepersonswhoshallexerciseit。Afewsuccessfulexperimentsconductedinfavourablecircumstances,i。e。,whereaspecialmarketisavailable,orwhereonlyasectionoftheemployeeswieldthepowerofadministration,affordnoconsiderablegroundsofhopeforthismodeofcooperativesettlement。
Thusthereseemsnogroundforholdingthatanyreallysatisfactorysettlementoftheconflictsbetweencapitalandlabourcanbegotbyprivatearrangementsofaprofit-sharingoracooperativecharacter。
PartII:PRODUCERANDCONSUMER
§;6。Beforeconsideringmoredefinitely'socialistic'remedies,itisbest,however,toopenouttheotherconflictofinterest,betweenproducerandconsumer。Itis,ofcourse,oftenheld,evenbythosewhorecognisesomerealityintheoppositionbetweencapitalandlabour,thatthesupposedoppositionbetweenproducerandconsumerhasnorealfoundation。
Whenproducerscompete,thegainsofsuchcompetitioninlowerprices,betterquality,etc。,dropintotheconsumer'slap。Evenwhereproducerscombine,orasinglebusinessholdsthemarket,itissupposedthatthemonopolistwillgenerallyfinditmostprofitabletofurnishasoundarticleatamoderateprice。
Butthisnaturalharmonybetweenproducerandconsumerissubjecttopreciselythesamequalificationasthatbetweencapitalandlabour。Producerandconsumerarenecessarytooneanother,thereiscommunityofinterestsuptoalimit。Butbeyondthatlimitthereisanequallynaturalconflict。
Itistruethatwhereproducerscompetefreelypricesarecutdownfortheconsumer。Butitisbynomeanstruethathetendstogetthecheapestgoodswhichcurrentartsofproductionrenderpossible。Fortheexpensesofcompetition,whichareenormous,aredefrayedbyhiminthepricehepays。Nordoesfreecompetitionsecurequalityofproduct。Itstimulatestheartsofadulterationanddeceit,andsetsthecunningoftheskilledproduceragainstthesimplicityoftheunskilledpurchaser。While,therefore,itmaybeurgedthatwherecompetitionofproducersiseffective,comparativelylittle'surplus'passesintotheirhands,thewasteofindustrialpowerthroughthemaintenanceofexcessivemachineryofproductionandofdistributionisagravesocialloss。
Stilllesscanitbeadmitted,thatwherecombinationhasdisplacedcompetition,theconsumer'sinterestsaresafe。Onthecontrary,itisrecognisedbyalleconomiststhatwhereanyeffectivemonopolyisestablished,thesellingpricestoconsumerswillalwaysbesuchastosecureasurplusprofittotheproducer。Pricesmaynotalwaysbeashighas,orhigherthan,theywouldhavebeenifawastefulcompetitionweremaintained,buttheywillalwaysbesuchastoextractahigherprofitthanisneededfortheremunerationofcapitalandability。Wherethearticlessoldarenecessariesorprimeconveniencesoflife,anddonotadmitofeffectivesubstitutes,thepriceswillbeindefinitelyhigherthanundercompetition,andtheconflictbetweenproducerandconsumermoreacute。Sinceundermoderncapitalismanever-increasingnumberof'routine'requirements,coveringthechiefnecessariesoflargepopulations,arepassingundersomeformorotherofeffectivecombination,itisclearthattheproblemofindustrialpeacemustcometoconcernitselfmoreandmorewiththeconflictsofproducerandconsumer。Atpresenttheconsumer,atanyrateinEngland,largelyrealisesthisconflictasaby-productofthestrugglebetweencapitalandlabour。Thoughthestrikesandlock-outs,whichexpressthatstruggle,disastrouslyaffecthiswelfare,heistoldthattheyarenothisbusiness,andhehasnorighttointerfere。Whereasettlementhastakenplacebetweencapitalandlabouronabasisofhigherwagesorshorterhours,hefindsthecostofthissettlementisusuallypassedontohiminhigherratesorprices。
Asjoint-agreementsbetweenemployers,federationsandtradeunionsbecomemorecommonandmoreeffective,asmethodsofconciliationandarbitrationreceivelegalsanctionandassistance,aswage-boardsextendtonewfieldsofindustry,thefalsehoodandthesocialwrongwhichunderliethemaxim'caveatemptor'becomemoremanifest。Theconsumerwillbecomeincreasinglymoreimpotenttoprotecthimselfagainstthedepredationsoforganisedgroupsofproducers。Indeed,experienceprovesthatevenwherecombinationsaresubjecttothesanctionandcontroloftheState,whichtheoreticallyisdedicatedtotheserviceofthepublicasawhole,andmightatleastbeexpectedtoholdthebalanceevenbetweenproducerandconsumer,producers,interestsarepreferred。InthepresentpolicyofstatecontrolofRailways,andinthevariousschemesfortheextensionofWageBoardlegislation,thereisnoproperrecognitionoftheinterestsoftheconsumer。Anill-devisedlopsidedSocialismisspringingup,thelikelyresultofwhichappearstobetosetupgroupsofselectedandpreferredemployments,whosehigherwage-billwillinrealitybedefrayednotoutofrents,surplusprofitsoranyotherunearnedincome,butinlargemeasureoutofthereductionofrealwageswhicharbitraryrisesofconsumers,priceswillimposeuponotherwage-earners。Aflagrantinstanceofthisdefectivesocialpolicyissuppliedbytherecentarrangementbywhichtherailwaysofthiscountryhavebeenempoweredbygovernmenttoraisethewagesoftheiremployeesbyreducingtherealwagesofthegeneralbodyofthewage-earners,whoarecalledupontobearalargepartofthecostinthehigherpricesofcommoditieswhichfollowsupontheriseofrailwayrates。
§;7。Now,admitting,aswemust,thatarealdivergenceofinterestsbetweenproducersandconsumersmayandmustariseintheordinarycourseofindustry,whatremedyispossible?
Thereisonelargeworking-classmovementwhichseemsexpresslydesignedfortheprotectionoftheconsumingpublic。IalludeofcoursetothegreatCooperativeMovementontheRochdaleplan,inwhichthesupremecontrolisvestedintheconsumersandtheirrepresentatives。Howfardoesthisschemerepresentatruereconcilementofproducers'andconsumers,interests?
Averylittleinvestigationwillshowthat,howeverexcellenttheotherservicesitrenderstotheworking-classes,itsconductofbusinessaffordsnocompleteharmonyoftheinterestsoftheseveralfactors。
Foritsentirestructureandworkingaremotivedbytheintentiontoabsorbinrealwagesbymeansofdividendsonpurchasesthe'profits'
towhichinordinarytrademostoftheunproductivesurplusseemstoadhere。
Bydispensingwiththeprofitsofvariousgradesofmiddlemen,byreducingtheexpensesofmanagement,bysavingmostofthecostsofadvertisingandotherincidentalcostsofdistribution,muchsurplusisdivertedintorealwages。But,regardingthisschemefromthestandpointwhichimmediatelyconcernsus,asareconcilementofcapitalandlabourwithinthebusiness,wefindanobviousdefect。Thereisnothinginthetheory,orcommonlyinthepractice,ofthecooperativestoreorworkshop,toevokefromtheemployeesanyspecialinterestinitssuccessfulconduct。Iftheyaremembers,theydoindeedgetinthiscapacityagainequaltothatenjoyedbyothermembersnotemployedinthebusiness。But,asemployees,theyhavenovoiceintheadministrationandnoshareinthegains。Where,asintheScottishWholesale,aprofit-sharingschemeisattached,thisschemeisexposedtothesamecriticismthatwehaveappliedtootherprofit-sharingschemes。
Thereisnosecurityaffordedbythiscooperativeformofbusinessforthefullreconcilementoftheclaimsofcapitalandlabourwithinthebusiness。
But,afterall,itmightbeobjected,thatdoesnotreallymatter。For,iftheworkerinacooperativemillorstoreisalsoacooperativeconsumer,hewill,assuch,enjoyacollectivegainasgreatashecouldhopetogainifhewereassignedaspeciallienuponthesurplusthatemergedfromthesuccessfulconductoftheparticularbusinessinwhichheworked。Itwillbehisintelligentinterest,asconsumer,tohelptoelectandtomaintainaneffectiveadministrationinallthevariousproductiveanddistributivebusinessesfromwhicharederivedthehalf-yearlydividendonpurchaseswhichhereceives。
Nowiftheworking-classesofthenationmadealltheirpurchasesthroughcooperativestores,andifthesestores,intheirturn,boughtwhattheysellexclusivelyfromcooperativeproductivebusinesses,andifallworking-classconsumerswereemployedinthesecooperativebusinesses,asolutionofthesocialproblemoncooperativelinesmightbeplausible。Foranysurplusmadeatanystagewouldflowintheordinarycourseofeventsintoconsumers'
dividends,forminganadditiontotherealwageswhichtheyearnedasproducers。
Norneeditmatterthatthecooperativeconsumerswerenotfullownersofallthecapitaltheyneededtoemploy,providedtheycouldborrowitinafreemarket。Iftheagriculturalandmininglands,whoseproducetheyrequired,didnotbelongtothem,therewouldindeedremainalargeleakageintheshapeofeconomicrent。Butthenatureoftheso-calledlandmonopolyisnotsuchastopreventthecooperativeconsumersfromtakinginrealwagesthegreatbulkofthesurpluswhichotherwisewouldhavegonetocapitalistsandentrepreneursinunearnedincome。
Unfortunately,largeandimportantasisthisCooperativeMovement,itfallsfarshortofthefullconditionsherelaiddown。Themajorityofthewage-earnersarenotmembersofCooperativeStores:thosewhoaremembersonlypurchasecertainsortsofgoodsatthestore:owingtotheslighterdevelopmentofproductivecooperation,alargeproportionofthegoodssoldinthestoresareboughtintheordinarymarkets:comparativelyfewofthecooperativeconsumersareemployedincooperativebusinesses。
Therearelargetractsofindustry,suchasagriculture,mining,transport,building,4metal-workingandmachine-making,whichtheCooperativeMovementhashardlytouched,noraretheresignsofanyrapidextensioninthesefieldsofenterprise。Inpointoffact,cooperationhasalmostentirelyconfineditselftotradesandindustrieswherecompetitionisnormallyfree,andwheretheobjectofcooperationhasratherbeentosaveandsecureas'divi'certainordinaryexpensesofcompetitivebusinessesthantoinvadethestrongholdsofhighlyprofitablecapitalismwhereunearnedsurplusesarelarge。While,then,aconsiderableproportionofthetotalworking-classincomeisexpendeduponarticlesboughtinthestores5andvaluableeconomiesareaffected,onlyasmallproportionoftheelevenmillionspaidindividendsandinteresttoconsumerscanbetakentorepresentunproductivesurplusabsorbedintowages。While,therefore,theadvanceoftheCooperativeMovementinrecentyears,alikeinmembership,involumeoftradeandinprofits,hasbeenrapid,acarefulexaminationofthefieldofcooperativeprogressdoesnotindicateanysolutionofthemainproblemofdistributionalongtheselines。TheareasofreallyprofitableprivateenterprisearetoallappearanceunassailablebytheCooperativeMovement。
§;8。ButwefindwithintheCooperativeMovementsomeexperienceswhichshedlightupontheproblemofbusinessadministration。Ifthetrulysocialnatureofthe'business'istobeexpressedinitsgovernment,theRochdaleplan,uponwhichthemaincooperativestructurehasbeenerected,contributesanelementofreallyvitalimportance。Itassertsthatabusinessexists,nottofurnishprofittothecapitalistemployerorwagestotheworkers,butcommoditiestoconsumers。Theconsumer,beingtheendandfurnishingbyhispurchase-powerthestimulus,shouldholdthereinsofgovernment。Heistheowner,heshallrule,heshallreceivethewholegain。Thisisacompletereversaloftheordinaryideaofthebusinessworld,towhichabusinessexiststosecureprofitstobusinessmen,theworkerandthemarketconsumerbeingmereinstrumentsinprofit-making。
Hardlylessdoesitcounterworktheordinaryideasandfeelingsoftheworking-man,forwhomthebusinessexistsmerelyasameansofremunerativeemployment,andwhosesoleideaofreformistosecureinhigherwagesandimprovedconditionsoflabourasmuchoftheprofitsaspossible。Toneitherdoesitforonemomentseemreasonablethattheconsumershouldinterfereintheadministrationofthebusiness,ortakeanyshareinitsgains,savesuchasmustcometohimintheordinarycourseoftrade。
ThusthesuccessoftheRochdaleplanisadramaticassertionofarevolutionaryideaintheorganisationofbusiness。Itisprovedthatlargenumbersofroutinebusinessescanbeconductedbyandforconsumers。Butitcannotbeassumedthatthisconcentrationofthemeaning,theutilityandthegovernmentofindustryintheconsumer,hascompletevalidity。
Itmaybecalledconsumers,socialism,asdistinguishedfromthesortofproducers,socialismwhichprevailsamongtradeunionists。Asthelatteraimsatcontrollingbusinessesinordertodivertdirectlyintowagesallsurplusprofit,sotheformeraimsatcontrollingbusinessesinordertodivertthesamefundintoconsumers'dividends。Now,iftheproducersandtheconsumersofthegoodsproducedinanybusinesswerethesame,itmightseemamatterofindifferenceinwhichcapacitytheytookthegain。Buttheyarenot。Theworkersinaparticularmillorstorebuyfortheirownuseaveryminutefractionofthegoodsthereproduced。Eveniftheworkers,bymeansoftheirunionsortheircooperativesocieties,couldcapturethewholeindustrialmachinery,itwouldstillremainamatterofimportancehowfartheypaidthemselvesinhigherwages,howfarinconsumers,dividends。
Forunlesstheirclaimsasproducersandasconsumerswereproperlyadjustedinthecontroloftheseveralbusinesses,therewouldbelittleornothingtodistribute。
Fewthoughtfulcooperatorswillclaimfinalityandall-sufficiencyforthecooperativeideaasembodiedinthepresentmovement。
Thepersistentstrugglesinthemovementitselftotempertheabsolutismoftheconsumerbytheassertionofcooperativeemployeestoahigherrateofpaythanobtainsintheoutsidelabourmarketandtoashareoftheprofits,isaninterestingcommentaryontheproblemofsocialadministrationofthebusiness。Itiswidelyfeltthattheviewthatabusinessexistsinordertosupplyutilitiestoconsumersisdefectiveasaprincipleofbusinessgovernment。Theclaimoftheownersofthefactorsofproductionemployedinthebusinesstosomevoiceintheconductofthatbusinessisnotlightlytobesetasidebyassertingthatthefactorsofproductionaremeremeanstotheconsumer'send。Iftheconsumersthemselvesowntheshare-capitalorborrowothercapitalatmarketrateswithgoodsecurity,theissueofthecontrolofcapitalneednotarise。Butthelabouremployedinacooperativebusinesshasahumaninterestintheconductofthebusinessseparatefromthatoftheconsumers。Invirtueofthishumaninterest,theseworkersimpugnthedoctrinethatthebusinessexistssolelyfortheconsumers,andinsistthattheirhumaninterestshallbeadequatelyrepresentedintheconductofthebusinessandthedistributionofitsgains。
§;9。Thosewhohavefollowedandacceptthegeneralprinciplesofouranalysisofindustryintohumancostsofproductionandhumanutilitiesofconsumptionwillbedisposedaprioritoaccepttheviewthat,intheequitablecontrolofeverybusiness,theinterestsoftheworkeraswellasoftheconsumersshouldberepresented。Regardedfromthesocialstandpoint,itisasimportantthatgoodconditionsofemploymentshallprevailinabusiness,asthatgoodarticlesshallbefurnishedcheaplytoconsumers。
Nor,aswerecognise,canweassumethatanenlightenedbusinessgovernmentbyconsumers,anymorethanbycapitalists,willnecessarilysecurethesegoodconditionsforemployees。Definiteandnotinconsiderableinstancesofsweatinginsidethecooperativemovementitselftestifytotherealityofthisneed。Butitisurgednotmerelyongroundsofequity,asaprotectionagainstpossibleabusesofpowerbyconsumersortheirrepresentatives,butongroundsofsoundeconomy。Forifitbeadmittedthattheemployeesinacooperativebusinesshaveaspecialhumaninterest,itisidletoarguethatitissociallyadvantageoustoleavethisinterestwithoutrepresentationintheconductofthebusiness。
Thecooperationwhichassignsallpowerandallgaintotheconsumerisinfactvitiatedbythesamesocialfallacyasthesyndicalismwhichwouldassignthesamemonopolytotheemployee,orasthecapitalismwhichdoesassignittotheprofit-monger。Equityandeconomyalikedemandthattheinterestsofallthreeshallbeadequatelyrepresented。Socialremunerationinitsapplicationtothebusinessunitmustproceeduponthisfundamentalprinciple。Abusinessconsistsofcapital,labour,andthemarket。Toplaceunlimitedcontrolinthehandsofanyofthosefactorsiswastefulanddangerous。Thehumandefectsofuncontrolledcapitalismhavebeenmadesufficientlyapparent。Anyadequateexperimentinuncontrolledtrade-unionismorinsyndicalismwoulddisclosesimilarabuses。Theideaoftheminersrunningthemine,orthefactory-handsthefactory,therailwayworkerstherailway,isnotsomuchunsoundinthesensethattheymustfailtorunitproperly。Forthoughunlikely,itisatleastconceivablethattheymighthaveenoughintelligenceandcharactertobuycompetentmanagersandcarryouttheirdetailedinstructions。Itsfundamentalviceconsistsinignoringthefactorofthemarket,andinbuildingupanumberofseparateindustrialstructuresinwhichtheconsumers,interestsareunrepresented。
Itmayappearplausibletoarguethatthecontrolofeachprocessofproductionshouldbelefttotheproducerswhomaybepresumedtoknowitbest。Butitbecomesevident,eventothesyndicalist,thatnobusinesscouldbeconducteduponthispolicyunmodified。Nohouse-buildingcouldproceed,iftheplasterers,thebricklayers,thecarpenters,hadeachfullpowertodeterminewhentheywouldwork,atwhatpacetheywouldwork,andwhatremunerationtheyshouldexact。Theremustbeadefinitearrangementbetweenthegroupsofworkersintheseveralprocesseswithineachbusiness,whichwillqualifythecontrolofplasteringbytheplasterers,bricklayingbythebricklayers,byawidercontrolthatrepresentsthecommon。Interestsofthebusiness。Notmerelydoesthesyndicalistidearecognisethiscooperationoftheprocesseswithinabusiness,butitextendsthecooperativecharacterofthecontroltothetradeasawhole。Undersyndicalismthebuildingtradewouldnotbebrokenintoanumberofbusinessesineachofwhichwouldbemadeaseparatearrangementbetweenthecarpenters,bricklayers,etc。,employedinit。Thearrangementsastohoursandpaceandremuneration,etc。,wouldbedeterminedbyrepresentativesofthevariouscraftsonatradebasis。andwouldbethesameforallbusinessesandalljobs。Buttheorganisationofproducerscouldnotstopthere。Eachtradecouldnomorebeentirelyself-governingthaneachbusinessoreachprocessinabusiness。Thetrade-organisationoftheminerscouldnot,havingregardtotheinterestsandneedsofothertrades,besafelyentrustedwiththeabsolutecontrolofmining,ortherailwayworkerswiththeabsolutecontroloftherailways。Theremustbesomepowertopreventtheminersreducingtheiramountofworkandtheiroutputtoanextentwhichwillcrippletheothertradeswhichneedcoal,andtocompeltherailwayworkerstoaffordreasonablefacilitiesoftransportonreasonabletermstoshippersandtravellers。For,otherwise,therewouldbesubstitutedfortheconflictofcapitalandlabourwithineachbusinessoreachtrade,aconflictoftrades,eachstrivingtodoaslittleandtogetasmuchaspossibleoutoftheaggregatewealth。Norcanitbeassumedthattheintelligentself-interestorsocialsympathyoftheminers,orrailwaymen,orothertrades,wouldbeadequatesafeguardsagainstsuchabuses。Thisisevidentwhenwebearinmindthecentralconcreteproblembeforeus,thesocialdistributionandutilisationofthesurplus。Foritwillbetechnicallypossibleforanystrongly-placedspecialgroupofworkers,suchastheminersorrailwayworkers,totaketothemselves,inremunerationorinleisure,anexcessiveproportionofthissurplus,leavingverylittleforanyothergroupofworkers。Theguild-feeling,uponwhichsyndicalismmainlyrelies,notmerelysuppliesnosafeguardagainstthisabuseofpower,butwouldalmostcertainlyevokeit,unlessapotentcontrol,representingindustryingeneral,wereestablishedovertheindividualtradesorguilds。Experienceofcaseswherelocaltrade-unionsareoccasionallyplacedinapositionoftyrannyshowsthattheywillplayfortheirownhandwithadisregardtotheinterestsoftheirfellow-workersinothertradesascallousasisdisplayedbyanytrustofcapitalists。Assuming,then,thatitwerepossibleforguild-societiestodeveloptothepointthattheworkersineachtradewereinpossessionofalltheinstrumentsofproduction,andwereabletoconducttheprocessesefficiently,theproblemofdistributingthe'surplus'amongtheseveraltradesorguilds,intheshapeofpayorleisure,wouldstillremainunsolved。
Amongthegroupsofproducers,inaword,therewouldremaindivergenciesofinterest,whichwouldbeincapable,uponaproducers'policy,ofsolution。
Syndicalists,confrontedwiththisphaseoftheirproblem,plungeintovagueassurancesthattheprocessofagreementwhichhadtakenplacebetweentheworkersintheseveralprocessesandtheseveralbusinessesinatrade,couldbeextendedtotheworkersgroupedinthelargertrade-units,andthattherealsolidarityofworking-classinterestswouldsomehowinstinctivelyexpressitselfinequitableanddurablearrangements。Butthemomentonepassesfromtheregionofphrasestothatofconcretefactsthedifficultiesthicken。Anelectedcouncilofnationalworkerswouldhavetodevisesomepracticablemethodofcomparingunitsofrailwayservicewithunitsofmining,bricklaying,doctoring,acting,waiting,etc。,soastoapplytoeachproductiveprocessthesupportandstimulusneededtoinducetheworkersengagedinittodotheirshareofworkandtoreceivetheirshareofwealth。
Nomeretimebasisforsuchcompetitionwouldbepracticable。Itwouldbenecessarytoinduceabodyoflabourandcapitaltoapplyitselftoeachprocessofeachoccupation,sufficientinquantityandinefficiencytosupplytherequirementsoftheworkingcommunityasawhole,andtodeviseamodeofremuneration,ordistributionofproducts,whichwouldsatisfythisrequirement。
Itisquiteevidentthatallthisadjustmentoftheclaimsandneedsofindividualswithinaprocessinabusiness,ofbusinessesinatrade,oftradesinindustry,wouldneedanelaboratehierachyofrepresentativegovernment,withasupremelegislatureandexecutive,whosewillmustover-rulethewillofthenationalorlocalgroupswithintheseveraltrades,astothequantityandmethodofworktobedoneineachconcreteprocess,andastotheremunerationofeachsortofwork。Inotherwords,society,asawhole,wouldhaveimposeditsfinalcontroluponeachgroupofworkers,diminishingtothatextenttheirpowertodeterminetheconditionsunderwhichtheywouldwork,andtheireffectiveseparateownershipoftheinstrumentsofproduction。Theidealoftheself-governingmine,orfactory,orrailwaywouldthusbeover-riddenbythesuperioridealofaself-governingsociety。
Butthatself-governmentbysociety,thesupremelegislationofindustry,couldnotperformitsworkbyconfiningitsattentiontothevariousproductiveprocesses,andthebusinessesandtradesinwhichtheywereconducted。
Itwouldbecompelledtostudythewantsandwilloftheconsumers,or,ifitbepreferred,oftheworkersintheircapacityofconsumers。For,onlybythestudyoftheconsumer,orthemarket,couldtheworkofadjustingtheapplicationofproductivepoweratthedifferentproductivepoints,andtheprocessofremunerationbywhichthatdistributionwasachieved,possiblybeaccomplished。Thus,althoughthewholebodyofthissyndicalistlegislaturemighthavebeenelectedtorepresenttheinterestsofseparategroupsofproducers,ortrades,itwouldbecompelledtogiveequalattentiontothewantsandthewilloftheconsumingpublic。Butitwoulddiscoverthat,justinproportionasitwasaccuratelyrepresentativeoftheseparateinterestsofgroupsofproducers,tothatextentwasitdisqualifiedforsafe-guardingtheinterestsoftheconsumingpublic,whichineachconcreteproblemwouldbeliabletocutacrosstheinterestsofspecialgroupsofproducers。Inotherwords,itwouldbeimpossibleproperlytoregulatetherailwayservicewithoutdirectregardtotheinterestsofthetravellingandtradingpublicasawhole,toregulatetheminingindustrywithoutregardtothelocal,seasonalandotherneedsofcoalconsumers。Buttheseconsumers,interestscouldnotbeproperlyconsideredinalegislaturechosenentirelybyseparategroupsofproducers,withtheobjectofpromotingthespecialinterestsofthesegroups。Theimpossibilityofsyndicalismthusturnsuponignoringinthecontrolofbusinessthewilloftheconsumer。
§;10。Thuswearecompelledtorecognisethatinasoundsocialorganisationoftheindustrialsystem,andofeachpartofit,thebusiness,thetrade,orthegroupoftradesandtheconsumerormarketmustbeintroducedasintegralfactorsofgovernment。Wecannotcontentourselveswiththeviewthataproducer,oranycompositebodyofproducers,isnecessarilyimpelledbyitsself-interesttosafeguardtheinterestsoftheconsumer。
Norcantheconsumersafeguardhisinterestsadequatelythroughtheguidanceorstimulushebringstobearthroughhisseparateindividualactsofdemand。
Heisincapableofprotectinghimselfproperly,evenwhenproducersarenotcombinedbutarecompeting。Whentheyarecombinedheishelpless。
Thecleavagesofimmediateeconomicinterestbetweentheworkerandtheconsumeraresonumerousthatnoabstractidentityofinterestsinacommunitywhereallconsumerswerealsoworkers,allparasitesbeingexcluded,wouldsufficetosecuretherequisiteeconomyandharmony。Thiseconomyandharmonycanonlybesecuredbygivingtheconsumeradirectvoiceinthegovernmentofindustry。
SyndicalismisinlargemeasureareactionagainstformsofstatesocialismwhicharevitiatedbyadefectsimilartothatwhichwefindintheRochdalecooperativeplan。Sofarasthepublicservicesarehonestlyandefficientlyadministeredbypublicofficials,thepublicwhichtheseofficialsrepresentisprimarilythecitizeninhiscapacityofconsumer。Themunicipalservicesarerun,eithertogivehimcheaptransportorlightingofsoundstandardquality,orelsetoenablehimtogetpolice,street-cleaningorsomeotherservicewhichhecouldnototherwisehavegot。Butthisbureaucraticsocialismisapttoneglectortoignoretheinterestsofitsemployees,andtodenythemanyinfluenceindeterminingtheconditionsoftheiremployment,otherthanthatwhichtheycanbringtobearascitizen-consumers。Thusarefoundcaseswherepublicdepartments,orthecontractorstheyemploy,areallowedtopaywagessolowortooffersuchirregularemployment,astocontributetothatinefficiencyanddestitutionforwhichthesamepublicissubsequentlycalledupontomakefinancialandadministrativeprovision。Thisisaninevitabledefectofaone-sidedorconsumers,socialism。Norisitlikelytoberemediedbyanygeneralperfunctoryrecognitionofthedutyofthepublicemployertoobservestandardconditions。Forinmostcasespublicemploymentwill,byvirtueofitsmonopolisticcharacter,containfeaturesthathavenopreciseanalogyintheoutsidebusinessworld,sothatsomeseparatemethodofdeterminingtheapplicationofstandardconditionsisnecessary。Unlessthatmethodadmitsdirectrepresentationoftheinterestsoftheemployees,therecanbenosufficientsecuritythattheseinterestsshallreceiveproperconsideration。
Thisisnotademandthattheemployeesshall'interfere'withthepublicmanagement,or'dictate'thetermsoftheiremployment。Onthecontrary,itisclearthattheofficialmanagersmust,intheordinarycourseofbusiness,securetheexecutionoftheirorders。But,consideringthattheirstandpointmustalwaysbebiassedtowardsaspecialinterpretationofthepublicinterestinthesenseofefficiencyandeconomyofaparticularoutput,thisnarrowerpublicinterestmustbecheckedbyreferencetoawiderpublicinterestinwhichthehumancostsofproductionshallberepresented。Anaccumulatingweightofrecentexperienceinvariouscountriesmakesitevidentthatstate-socialismmustfailunlessadequateprovisionismadeforsafe-guardingtheinterestofparticulargroupsofpublicemployees。Thissafeguardcannot,ofcourse,begivenbyanymereconcessionoftherightofcombinationandofcollectivebargaining。
Forwhilecollectivebargainingmayenabletheemployeestosecurefairtermswheretheyaredealingwithcompetingprivatebusinesses,itcannotwherethesoleemployeristheStateorMunicipality。Thelatteristechnicallyabletoimposeitstermsuponanygroupofworkerswhoarespecialisedfortheworkitoffers。RecognitionoftheUnion,andanadmissionbythemanagementoftherightofunion-officialstoconsultationanddiscussionofconditionsofemployment,donotreallyfurnishanybasisofsettlement,thoughtheymayofteneaseadifficultyandremovemisunderstanding。
Whatisrequiredisastatutoryrightofappealtoapublicauthority,outsideofandindependentoftheparticulardepartment,competenttotakethatwiderviewofpublicinterestfromwhichthedepartmentalpublicofficialis,bythenecessityofhissituation,precluded。Thatclaimofthepublicemployeeisfrequentlymisunderstood。Itdoesnotarisefromanyrealorpretendedoppositionofinterestsbetweenthepublicandagroupofitsemployees,andaclaimonthepartofthelatterthatthepublicshallmakesomeconcessionorsacrificetotheirparticulargroupinterest。Thereisnosuchrealoppositionofinterests。Thevalidclaimforanappealfromthearbitrarydecisionsofthepublicdepartmentalmanagersisbaseduponthefactthatthelatteraredisqualifiedforafullimpartialviewofthepublicinterest,sofarasthatpublicinterestisaffectedbytheconditionsofemploymentoftheemployeesunderthem。Thefactthattheemployeesareoftenlikelytomakeunreasonabledemandsandtoclaiminwages,hoursandotherconditions,anexcessiveshareofthepublicrevenue,doesnotaffectthevalidityofthiscontention。Forpracticalconvenienceofficialdepartmentalismexists。Butthisdepartmentalisminvolvesabusinessmanagementessentiallydefectivefromthestandpointofpublicwelfare,inasmuchasittendstodepreciateoroverlooktheinterestwhichthepublichasinthetotalwelfareofthatsectionofthepublicwhichisinitsdirectemployment。
§;11。Ofcourse,intreatingtheissueofapublicbusinessasifitconsistedsimplyinreconcilingtheimmediateinterestsoftheconsumingpublicwiththoseofthepublicemployees,wehaveintentionallyexcludedanotherviewwhichmayoftenbemoreimportant。Statesocialismmayberunprimarilyintheinterests,neitherofthecitizen-consumernoroftheemployer,butofthebureaucracy,whohereoccupytheplaceofthecapitalist-managersunderprivateenterprise。Theofficialmaybeheldtobenaturallydisposedtomagnifyhisofficeandtoabuseanypowerwhichcanbemadetosubservehispersonalorclassinterests。Practicalpermanencyoftenureofhisoffice,andthespecialknowledgewhichitbrings,enablehim,withsafety,eithertoneglecthispublicduties,ortoencroachuponthelibertiesofcitizens,accordingasheislethargicorself-assertive。
Hemaysquandertheresourcesofthepublicuponill-consideredprojects,orinservingtheprivateinterestsofhisfriends。Or,hemaypracticeatyrannicaloraniggardlypolicytowardshisemployees,notthroughanarrowinterpretationofpubliceconomy,butfromsheercarelessnessorfromdefectivesympathy。Thesechargesagainstofficialismaretoofamiliartoneedexpansionhere。Howevercarefullythepublicserviceisrecruited,suchabuseswillbeliablefrequentlytooccur,andthestructureofgovernmentshouldbesuchastosupplyeffectivechecksandremedies。