270 MY LIFE [Chap. 



light and power, trams, etc., by the latter. The employees 

 in these, together with all persons connected with the courts, 

 the police, the revenue, and other Government offices, with 

 their families, would comprise a population of several million 

 persons paid by and dependent on general or local govern- 

 ments. The first important step taken is the opening of 

 Government stores to supply all these persons with food, 

 clothing, and other necessaries of life at cost price, and of 

 the best quality, absolutely free from adulteration, just as 

 Robert Owen did for his people at New Lanark. As the 

 numbers to be supplied would be exactly known, as no 

 advertisements would be needed beyond simple price-lists, 

 and as there need be no attractive shops in great thorough- 

 fares at high rents, these necessaries could always be supplied 

 at 25 per cent, and often at 50 per cent, below actual retail 

 prices of the time. Robert Owen at New Lanark, with the 

 comparatively small population of 2500 people, was able to 

 supply goods of similar character at about 30 per cent, below 

 shop prices. As this would be equivalent to an increase of 

 earnings by all these employees, all other socialists, whose 

 votes had brought the Government into power, asked for 

 similar benefits, which were, of course, given them. Then an 

 extension was made to the manufacture of the most important 

 articles, such as metal goods of all kinds, china and glass, all 

 the commoner textile fabrics, furniture, house-building, etc., 

 so that in the course of a few years every necessary and 

 comfort of life would be obtainable by all socialists at the 

 Government stores, at low prices and of the very best quality. 

 At the same time, the health of all these employees would be 

 safeguarded by every available sanitary appliance and rule ; 

 hours of work would be shortened in proportion to the 

 fatigue or the monotony of the labour, and everything possible 

 would be done to make the worker's life a healthy and 

 enjoyable one. And as all these things would be done at 

 their own expense, since all the products of labour would be 

 sold at the price they cost to make and distribute, the non- 

 socialists could not possibly complain, as they would not be 

 called upon to bear any of the expense, but would have to 



