THE ANTAGONISM OF SOCIAL FOKCES. 139 



quickly become soiled, machines will rapidly wear out. To replace 

 the worn out or consumed, to repair the broken or decayed, i-equires 

 toil, and we have no evidence that we can ever be free from the 

 necessity for toil. 



But some of the scarcity values do not possess this ti-ansitory chai'- 

 acter. The value of a city lot continues as long as the population 

 clusters round that spot. It requires no effort to maintain its value, 

 for it is not subject to decay or consumption, like other utilities. To 

 allow such values to be appropriated by individuals, therefore, allows 

 them not merely to become rich without effort, but allows their 

 wealth to continue undiminished for ages. The division of society 

 into toilers and idlers is thus perpetuated. ' 



Let a di'ouglit come till water becomes a salable commodity, then 

 the j)opulace become poorer in water. If a few individvials possess 

 some unfailing springs, then the increased value of water would 

 render these persons richer. Let population increase till land 

 becomes relatively more scarce, the people are poorer in land ; but 

 vahies advance and. the holdei's become richer. Here we notice a 

 movement in society not mutually enriching, but enrichment of one 

 part accompanied by, and as the consequence of, the impoverishment 

 of the rest of society. This is a movement not harmonious, but 

 antagonistic, enriching one by impoverishing another. 



Scai'city itself is a calamity. To be cooped up in tenements^is not- 

 the kind of life that is resorted to of free choice ; a breathing space 

 would be no small fortime to many in our most congested centimes of 

 population. But by our present system this calamity is not sim})le, 

 but compounded and intensified. 



Let population become dense, and we must not only crowd each 

 other to the degree of discomfort and inconvenience, but we must 

 furnish the owner of the land with wealth, in some cases to an 

 enormous amount ; we must board, lodge, and furnish him and his 

 family, it may be in princely style. Two calamities — first, crowding ; 

 second, tiibute to idleness. First, impoverishment in space ; second, 

 imi)Overishment in surrender of product to a non-producer. The 

 calamity is compounded. 



But this is not all. The division in society is still further inten- 

 sified by another characteristic of the law of values. With increased 

 population there is diminished competition for the sale of lands, 



