266 RURAL RECONSTRUCTION 



Of late we have arrived at a new stage of progressive develop- 

 ment, which very clearly points the way to the ultimate remedy. 

 The War, with its large contracts, has imparted new edge to the 

 working men's sense of grievance. 



This is distinctly indicated in the most recent protests that have 

 come forth from the working men's side. In them a great point 

 is made of the employers' undue and excessive " profits " netted as 

 a grievance, since working men's remuneration fails to keep pace 

 with them. The working men ask for " fair do's." They see some 

 employers amassing colossal wealth. It cannot be said that at 

 the present time that is done, while labour suffers serious want, 

 because labour is known to be at the present time in veritable 

 " clover," or, among other evidences, it would not so freely 

 indulge in strikes — which cost money — utterly regardless of the 

 hardships and privations which it thereby inflicts upon millions, 

 more numerous than its own hordes, poorer, and with no part 

 whatever in the struggle, except that of suffering. But that has 

 not always been so, and, however well off labour may now be, 

 there is a visible, strong, growing disparity between the rewards 

 which, at any rate in some cases, industrial production distributes on 

 the one side and on the other, dividing them in what may be called 

 a " leonine " principle. It is, of course, the very human failing of 

 envy which first inspired a sense of grievance. Envie, say the French, 

 est tonjours en vie. For the employer's war profits made the work- 

 men no worse off. But there is also indisputable justice in it, 

 twofold justice — justice to the men and justice to the public. The 

 huge profiteering profits are burdensome to the general public, which, 

 bound by dire necessity, is helpless to resist the taking of an unjust 

 toll from it by those who temporarily have the whip hand. And 

 there is underlying justice in the workmen's plea, that the reward 

 for production should be kept within fair limits. We have long 

 since decided against monopolies. Much of the present industrial 

 production's dealing with its products — culminating, of course, in 

 the practice of trusts and syndicates — is, however, only the alterum 

 ego of monopoly, in some cases monopoly " writ large." There 

 is also undoubted justice in the plea put forward that when profits 

 are large those who have contributed to the production should 

 have their fair share in the windfall. 



For controversial purposes the working men generally lay greatest 

 stress upon the first of the two arguments here quoted, in the spirit 

 of studied advocacy, as expecting it to " go down " best with the 

 general public. Hence the claim for " nationalisation," which 



