io6 



If a few of these remains of collective 

 ownership are disappearing, or if their ad- 

 ministration is bad, that cannot be an argu- 

 ment against socialism, because it is easy to 

 understand that in the present economic 

 organisation, based on absolute individualism, 

 these organisms cannot find a medium which 

 furnishes them with the conditions of a 

 possible existence.! 



It is like wishing a fish to live out of water 



a century and which took their name from St. Fiacre 

 because the first carriage was stationed under his image) ; 

 then this tariff being very high brought about a further 

 socialisation through omnibuses and tramways. One step 

 more and the socialisation will be complete. Let the 

 service of carriages, omnibuses, tramways, etc., become 

 municipal and everyone will be able to use them freely as 

 they now use the electric light. It will be the same with 

 a national public service of railways. 



But then this is the individualist objection everyone 

 will want to go in a carriage or in a tramway, and the 

 service having to satisfy all, will please none. 



That is not exact. If the transformation were to be 

 made suddenly, this consequence might take place in a 

 transitory fashion. But already a partial or complete free 

 transport exists in a certain measure on railways for 

 members of certain associations, on tramways for post- 

 men and telegraphists. 



It also seems to us that everyone will want to go in a 

 tramway because now the impossibility of enjoying this 

 mode of locomotion brings with it the desire of forbidden 

 fruit. But when there is freedom to enjoy it (and one 

 could if necessary limit the right to this) another egoisti- 

 cal impulse will come into play, the physiological need of 

 walking, especially for well-nourished persons, and after 

 sedentary work. 



And that is how individual egoism in this little example 

 of collective ownership would act in harmony with social 

 necessities. 



t I occupied myself with this problem from the socialist 

 point of view in my address to the Chamber of Deputies 

 on i3th May, 1894. Propriety colletiva e lotta di classe 

 (e polemica con M. R. Imbriani), Milan, 1894. 



