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ory for themselves。
`I should like to ask the speaker' he said察 supposin' all this that 'e talks about is done ´ what's to become of the King察and the Royal Family察and all the Big Pots'
`'Ear察'ear' cried Crass察eagerly ´ and Ned Dawson and the man behind the moat both said that that was what they would like to know察too。
`I am much more concerned about what is to become of ourselves if these things are not done' replied Barrington。 `I think we should try to cultivate a little more respect of our own families and to concern ourselves a little less about ;Royal; Families。 I fail to see any reason why we should worry ourselves about those people察they're all right ´ they have all they need察and as far as I am aware察nobody wishes to harm them and they are well able to look after themselves。 They will fare the same as the other rich people。'
`I should like to ask' said Harlow察 wot's to become of all the gold and silver and copper money拭 Wouldn't it be of no use at all'
`It would be of far more use under Socialism than it is at present。 The State would of course become possessed of a large quantity of it in the early stages of the development of the Socialist system察because ´ at first ´ while the State would be paying all its officers and productive workers in paper察the rest of the community ´ those not in State employ ´ would be paying their taxes in gold as at present。 All travellers on the State railways ´ other than State employees ´ would pay their fares in metal money察and gold and silver would pour into the State Treasury from many other sources。 The State would receive gold and silver and ´ for the most part ´ pay out paper。 By the time the system of State employment was fully established察gold and silver would only be of value as metal and the State would purchase it from whoever possessed and wished to sell it ´ at so much per pound as raw material此instead of hiding it away in the vaults of banks察or locking it up in iron safes察we shall make use of it。 Some of the gold will be manufactured into articles of jewellery察to be sold for paper money and worn by the sweethearts and wives and daughters of the workers察some of it will be beaten out into gold leaf to be used in the decoration of the houses of the citizens and of public buildings。 As for the silver察it will be made into various articles of utility for domestic use。 The workers will not then察as now察have to eat their food with poisonous lead or brass spoons and forks察we shall have these things of silver and if there is not enough silver we shall probably have a non´poisonous alloy of that metal。'
`As far as I can make out' said Harlow察 the paper money will be just as valuable as gold and silver is now。 Well察wot's to prevent artful dodgers like old Misery and Rushton saving it up and buying and selling things with it察and so livin' without work'
`Of course' said Crass察scornfully。 `It would never do'
`That's a very simple matter察any man who lives without doing any useful work is living on the labour of others察he is robbing others of part of the result of their labour。 The object of Socialism is to stop this robbery察to make it impossible。 So no one will be able to hoard up or accumulate the paper money because it will be dated察and will become worthless if it is not spent within a certain time after its issue。 As for buying and selling for profit ´ from whom would they buy拭 And to whom would they sell'
`Well察they might buy some of the things the workers didn't want察for less than the workers paid for them察and then they could sell 'em again。'
`They'd have to sell them for less than the price charged at the National Stores察and if you think about it a little you'll see that it would not be very profitable。 It would be with the object of preventing any attempts at private trading that the Administration would refuse to pay compensation to private owners in a lump sum。 All such compensations would be paid察as I said察in the form of a pension of so much per year。
`Another very effective way to prevent private trading would be to make it a criminal offence against the well´being of the community。 At present many forms of business are illegal unless you take out a licence察under Socialism no one would be allowed to trade without a licence察and no licences would be issued。'
`Wouldn't a man be allowed to save up his money if he wanted to察demanded Slyme with indignation。
`There will be nothing to prevent a man going without some of the things he might have if he is foolish enough to do so察but he would never be able to save up enough to avoid doing his share of useful service。 Besides察what need would there be for anyone to save拭 One's old age would be provided for。 No one could ever be out of employment。 If one was ill the State hospitals and Medical Service would be free。 As for one's children察they would attend the State Free Schools and Colleges and when of age they would enter the State Service察their futures provided for。 Can you tell us why anyone would need or wish to save'
Slyme couldn't。
`Are there any more questions' demanded Philpot。
`While we are speaking of money' added Barrington察 I should like to remind you that even under the present system there are many things which cost money to maintain察that we enjoy without having to pay for directly。 The public roads and pavements cost money to make and maintain and light。 So do the parks察museums and bridges。 But they are free to all。 Under a Socialist Administration this principle will be extended ´ in addition to the free services we enjoy now we shall then maintain the trains and railways for the use of the public察free。 And as time goes on察this method of doing business will be adopted in many other directions。'
`I've read somewhere' said Harlow察 that whenever a Government in any country has started issuing paper money it has always led to bankruptcy。 How do you know that the same thing would not happen under a Socialist Administration'
`'Ear察'ear' said Crass。 `I was just goin' to say the same thing。'
`If the Government of a country began to issue large amounts of paper money under the present system' Barrington replied察 it would inevitably lead to bankruptcy察for the simple reason that paper money under the present system ´ bank´notes察bank drafts察postal orders察cheques or any other form ´ is merely a printed promise to pay the amount ´ in gold or silver ´ on demand or at a certain date。 Under the present system if a Government issues more paper money than it possesses gold and silver to redeem察it is of course bankrupt。 But the paper money that will be issued under a Socialist Administration will not be a promise to pay in gold or silver on demand or at any time。 It will be a promise to supply commodities to the amount specified on the note察and as there could be no dearth of those things there could be no possibility of bankruptcy。'
`I should like to know who's goin' to appoint the hofficers of this 'ere hindustrial harmy' said the man on the pail。 `We don't want to be bullied and chivied and chased about by a lot of sergeants and corporals like a lot of soldiers察you know。'
`'Ear。 'ear' said Crass。 `You must 'ave some masters。 Someone's got to be in charge of the work。'
`We don't have to put up with any bullying or chivying or chasing now察do we' said Barrington。 `So of course we could not have anything of that sort under Socialism。 We could not put up with it at all Even if it were only for four or five hours a day。 Under the present system we have no voice in appointing our masters and overseers and foremen ´ we have no choice as to what master we shall work under。 If our masters do not treat us fairly we have no remedy against them。 Under Socialism it will be different察the workers will be part of the community察the officers or managers and foremen will be the servants of the community察and if any one of these men were to abuse his position he could be promptly removed。 As for the details of the organization of the Industrial Army察the difficulty is察again察not so much to devise a way察but to decide which of many ways would be the best察and the perfect way will probably be developed only after experiment and experience。 The one thing we have to hold fast to is the fundamental principle of State employment or National service。 Production for use and not for profit。 The national organization of industry under democratic control。 One way of arranging this business would be for the community to elect a Parliament in much the same way as is done at present。 The only persons eligible for election to be veterans of the industrial Army察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察a Department of Railways and so on察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察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