168 FIELDS, FACTORIES AND WORKSHOP 



As to combinations in the villages, co-operation 

 and the like, one must never forget how jealously the 

 German, the French, the Russian and the Austrian Gov- 

 ernments have hitherto prevented the workers, and 

 especially the village workers, from entering into any 

 sorts of combinations for economical purposes. To keep 

 the peasant at the lowest possible level, by means of 

 taxation, serfdom, and the like, has been, and is still, the 

 policy of most continental states. It was only fourteen 

 years ago that some extension of the association rights 

 was granted in Germany, and even now a mere co- 

 operative association for the sale of the artisans' work 

 is soon reported as a " political association " and sub- 

 mitted as such to the usual limitations, such as the ex- 

 clusion of women arid the like. A striking example of 

 that policy as regards a village association is given by 

 Prof. Issaieff, who also mentions the severe measures 

 taken by the wholesale buyers in the toy trade to prevent 

 the workers from entering into direct intercourse with 

 foreign buyers. 



.When one examines with more than a superficial 

 attention the life of the small industries and their 

 struggles for life, one sees that when they perish, they 

 perish not because " an economy can be realised by 

 using a hundred horse-power motor, instead of a hun- 

 dred small motors " this inconveniency never fails to 

 be mentioned, although it is easily obviated in Sheffield, 

 in Paris, and many other places by hiring workshops 

 with' steam-power, and, still more, as was so truly ob- 

 served by Prof. W. Unwin, by the electric transmission 

 of power. They do not perish because a substantial 

 economy can be realised in the factory production in 

 many more cases than is usually supposed, the fact is 

 even the reverse but because the capitalist who estab- 

 lishes a factory emancipates himself from the wholesale 

 and retail dealers in raw materials; and especially, 

 because he emancipates himself from the buyers of his 



