630 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION G (l.). 



and complex environment. As there never was anything resembling 

 modern industrial methods in the days of Aristotle, Plato, or More, 

 or Ancient Peru, and as Utopia, New Harmony, and all such schemes 

 to forestall the millenium were merely efforts by small communities 

 to live apart from society upon some plan mutually agreed upon — that 

 is, not to adjust themselves to a changing environment, but to create 

 a new one in which it would be possible to live according to some 

 scheme mutually agreed upon — references to these matters are neither 

 relevant nor interesting. 



The assertions that collectivism will destroy ambition, reduce 

 men to slavery, and prevent the elimination of the unfit deserve more 

 consideration than I can give in this place. Shortly, however, these 

 objections may be thus answered. 



Ambition can never be destroyed in a society where grades pre- 

 vail, and inequality of position and of reward for services exist. The 

 extensions of the functions of the State as an employer will not effect 

 any of these things, since the system now adopted in all State depart- 

 ments of control by independent experts will be continued. 



The Commissioner for State Railways, New South Wales, gets 

 £3,000 per annum; the newly joined porter 5s. per diem. There is 

 surely enough scope for the most ambitious where every porter is poten- 

 tially a commissioner. 



And the Public Service is a hierachy where all may rise as high 

 as they deserve. Persistent effort is not less effective in the service 

 of the State than outside, nor less necessary if a man wishes to succeed. 

 A great deal is said about the " Government stroke." No doubt there 

 was much truth in this at one time, but it is not true now. The 

 officials in the Education Department work hard, as do those in the 

 Postal and other departments. When there were but few in the 

 Public Service the community could afford to regard the manner in 

 which they performed or failed to perform their duty with indifference. 

 When a large number of the citizens are employed, the State cannot 

 afford to tolerate anything short of a fair return for its outlay. When 

 all or nearly all, are in the same position the Government stroke will 

 be obviously impossible : all cannot loaf on all. 



The present system certainly does not encourage honesty of labor. 

 The ideal of " individualism " seems to lie in the direction of avoiding 

 work. The operation of the individualist's oft-quoted law results too 

 often in the survival of the dishonest and unscrupulous and cunning. 

 Virtue is its own reward, and off the stage there does not appear to be 

 much call for it. 



Where mere wealth would not open all doors to positions and 

 power, encouragement might be given to worth. Good honest work 

 would then be regarded as the basis of the civic virtues. 



Such an environment would certainly be fatal to many of those 

 who are regarded as the " fittest " under existing conditions, but 

 society would be a gainer from the change. 



The individual would not under collectivism be less, but more in- 

 dependent. For one thing he would be able to have a voice in the 

 management of the industry in which he worked. He would be paid 



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