Outlook for Social Organization 133 



price regulation, and the arbitration of labor 

 disputes. This program of constructive reform, 

 already well advanced in other countries, has 

 been held back in the United States by the 

 unique power of the courts to block legislation. 

 In conformity with our obsession in favor of 

 private initiative, much of it is now developing 

 under the arbitrary control of the great busi- 

 ness feudatories; but even so it will be an 

 advance, and under later standardization by 

 government may accomplish the ends sought. 

 The fundamental value of such reform meas- 

 ures need hardly be urged after the survey we 

 have already made of the nature of society. 

 They constitute the logical and practicable first 

 step out of the anarchy of laissez-faire compe- 

 tition. A few of the advantages may, how- 

 ever, be briefly pointed out. 



Social legislation will do much to lessen the 

 greed for the speculative ownership of prop- 

 erty that now so inflates values and hampers 

 business by the dead weight of parasitical 

 capital. As things are now, the producer has 

 little incentive to take pleasure in his work and 

 to become an artistic workman, since his posi- 

 tion is cruelly insecure unless he can amass 

 considerable property. Safeguarded by insur- 



