The house of Industry : a new estate of the realm

102 APPENDIX

and co-ordinated production of both consumable and investable wealth.

As soon as the play of common sense has put the food-value of a bushel of wheat and the warmth-value of a fleece of wool in their proper places, it will be the main function of finance to play its part in the allocation of the product. It will be an instrument of social service instead of either subtle or unashamed exploitation. There will also be the allocation of the share of the product needed by all the developed public services. The rationalised production of industry will be so ample that an easily-workable percentage of the whole will suffice to provide a revenue that will make even a Socialist Chancellor of the Exchequer very happy, and the erstwhile earned-income taxpayer happier still.

The precise relationship of the two houses is not a matter of immediate or vital concern. The common determination to organise the national resources for the national good can be relied upon to produce the twin determination to make and keep the objective paramount and the process helpfully co-operative.

All close observers of social forces in operation see that every effective instalment of social betterment spells a levelling up of family incomes. A developing and discriminating sense of justice will ensure a constant advance in that direction. Nothing can or ought to stop it.

i simple factor like the inevitable march of education will be constantly shortening the range of difference in mental fitness on the economic field, and there will be a corresponding lessening of the gap between the lower and the higher pay. For instamce, soon we shall all be glad to know that the clodhopper is a man of trained intelligence ; and we shall be ashamed to offer the new hopper the old wage. Every year added to the school age, and therefore to the alertness of the national mind, is bound to accelerate the demand for equality of opportunity ; not equality of opportunity to exploit our fellows, but equality of opportunity in participating service.