The Ideal State 277 



this new departure by introducing a Bill with the 

 purpose of leasing the Italian State lands, amounting 

 to several million acres, to these co-operative societies, 

 and at the same time to establish a co-operative bank, 

 so as to give credit to the land labourers on favourable 

 terms, and encourage their collective organisations. 

 May we not join in the cry of " Wake up, England ! " 

 Surely it is time we were seeing to it that we were not 

 left behind in the path of reform. 



It will be observed that this movement is a great 

 advance ; it means the control of the industry by the 

 workers collectively, for their own advantage and that 

 of the trade concerned. What is wanting at present is 

 a further collectivism of all trades acting together, for 

 the benefit of every member of the State. This will 

 necessarily follow, and when the abolition of the gold 

 standard is an accomplished fact and the attainment 

 of individual wealth becomes impossible, each will seek 

 the other's good and find his chief happiness therein. 

 As a stage in the process of social evolution, which 

 deserves every encouragement, it must be guided so as 

 not to take up a too independent or isolated position ; 

 each trade or industry must recognise that it is part of 

 the body politic, and as it seeks its own social better- 

 ment, it is its duty to take every possible means to 

 secure better conditions for every other member of the 

 State. Already we may see a movement in this direc- 

 tion — the syndicalists desire to make the movement 

 international and universal and bring about an inter- 

 national affiliation and co-operation. The syndicalist 

 believes that his ideal society will only be attained by 

 the organised will of the working-classes. It will be 

 attained much quicker and more thoroughly, however, 

 when they come to understand that what they have 

 done has been possible only by means of the spirit of 

 love and self-abnegation, generated in men's minds by 



