A B C of modern socialism

4

dominating their minds and hearts. Mr. Dalton’s dithyrambics notwithstanding, the real enemy is not a ‘‘tired and timid’ government, but official Labour’s mild and gentlemanly acceptance of capitalist philosophy and methods. Thus, whilst gently toying with theory—even Montague Norman does that—to discuss the wage system as a blot on civilisation is not good form. As for ““workers’ control” or industrial democracy—such ideas are positively indecent.

The Futility of Wagery

However much our pastors and masters may shrink from these fundamental issues, there is not an intelligent trade union official, constantly occupied with wage negotiations, who does not know in his heart that, in treading the wheel, the corn he is supposed to be grinding is tragic illusion. It is said that we are enjoying a trade boom. Enjoying! This month’s returns disclose 1,300,000 unemployed. That is bad enough, but there is worse to tell: compared with this week last year, October 2nd, real wages have fallen £2,000,000, or {100,000,000 a year. Wage increases have been counterbalanced by price increases; worse, 7,000,000 wage earners have had to meet the rise in the cost of living without a single farthing added to their wages. And they are the worst paid at that. The oft-repeated claim that prosperity is reflected in wages is thus seen to be a shameless mystification. With well over a million unemployed to bear down wages, with an addition to profits out of nominal wages of £100,000,000, the employers,