SECT.

since Mill wrote. With general free-trade or free
foreign markets our population might indefinitely
increase without wages being reduced. Cairnes'
amended statement of the Wages Fund theory.
His conclusions from it as respects the future of
the labouring classes. Inconvenient consequences
of his reasoning respecting an "average rate of
wages." Criticism of his reasoning. His mistake
as to the comparative shares of the landlords,
capitalists, and the labouring classes. His reasons
why the share of the latter has not increased
in a greater proportion. His conclusions compared
with those of Mr. Giffen, as based on statistics.
Remedies on the economical side for low wages.
On the moral side. What the labourers themselves
can do to raise their condition. What the State
can do. Complete Socialism a doubtful remedy for
the low wages of unskilled labour

PAGB

• 332-342

III. The class of casual labourers, and the residuum.

Great difficulty of raising their condition, though

their numbers may be reduced. How far Socialism

I could deal with such lowest classes. As now con-

stituted their members would probably prefer the
present system to Socialism

342-346

IV. Confirmation of the conclusions reached by the ex-

amination of some proposed remedies. (1) That of

Mr Mills for unemployed labourers. Statement of

the plan. Objections

340-353

V. (2) Mr. Charles Booth's remedy for unemployed and

ill-paid labourers. Objections: Without compul-

sion, moral or physical, the plan would not work.

Injustice as well as impolicy of compulsion. Cost-

liness of the experiment. Probable good effects on

the classes just above.

353-362

CHAPTER XI.

AN EIGHT HOURS' WORKING DAY.

I. Effects of the legal limitation of the working day.
Assumption in the argument that the amount of

SECT.

work required by society is a fixed or constant

quantity: how far true. Probable results as re-

gards our staple industries, especially those in

which we compete with foreign nations. Examina-

tion of the "double shift argument in favour

of an eight hours' day. Probable general result

of the system if practicable. How far the objec-

tions to an eight hours' day would be removed

by an international understanding between our Go-

vernment and the Governments of competing coun-

tries

PAGE

362-369

II. In what kinds of industries the reduction might be

accepted without resulting in loss to employers and

with benefit to the unemployed. Effect on other

labourers in those cases, where only the State should

interfere. Probable gain by the reduction of hours

in the mining industry: as also in shops. Other

industries where hours are too long. Effects of

reduction in these cases. Recapitulation

369-376

CHAPTER XII.

PRACTICABLE STATE SOCIALISM :-(B) ADMINISTRATIVE.

I. Tendency of the State to extend its functions in the

industrial sphere. In what direction such extension

might be advantageous. Advantages as respects

the State purchase and working of the railways.

Reasons why any extension of Government manage.

ment should be slowly and tentatively made. Why

mining industry is nevertheless specially suitable

for Government management. Production and

distribution in general should be left to private

enterprise. Exceptions to this.

377-385

II. Why agricultural industry leaves no room for State

enterprise or for co-operative farming as proposed

by the Socialists, though there may be room for the

older agrarian Socialism aiming at the diffusion of

landed property
. 385-388

III. The school of Laissez-faire. The social and political
ideal of Herbert Spencer. The perfect social state
of the far future. Conditions of attaining it. Objec-

SECT.

tions to Mr. Spencer's doctrine of non-interference :

It ignores the fact that there is a Social Question, or

implies that the Government should let it alone.

Logical consequences of complete non-interference :

would leave no room for the operation of his own prin-

ciple of distribution. The State interference of recent

years just, as well as necessary. The Government

inspector a product of social evolution. Probable

results had there been no State interference. Inter-

ference a practical, as well as logical, consequence of

the "Law of Equal Freedom." Answer to the objec-

tion that Socialism lies at the end of recent Govern-

ment interferences

PAGE

388-400

CHAPTER XIII.

THE SUPPOSED SPONTANEOUS TENDENCIES TO SOCIALISM.

I. Statement of the two principal supposed tendencies—

Extension of the State's functions, and the increasing

concentration of capital. Mistake of Karl Marx and

other philosophers as to the second tendency. It is

not a tendency to concentration in few hands, but to

concentration of capital belonging to many for a

common purpose.

401-406

II. Difficulties that this peculiar concentration of capital

places in the way of Socialism. Under what con-

ditions the spread of companies and syndicates

might lead to an extension of State Socialism.

Reasons why these conditions are not likely to be

largely or early realized

407-409

III. The tendency to co-operative effort on the part of

labourers. Its relation to Socialism. The tendency

slower than that to the concentration of capital, but

the State might restrain the latter and aid the former.

The future political action of the working classes

not easily forecast, especially as the interests of the

different kinds of labourers are not identical

410-411

IV. Possible social goals in the future, according to emi-
nent writers, e.g. Karl Marx, De Tocqueville, Comte,

SECT.

Herbert Spencer, Mill, St. Simon, Carlyle. True

lesson to be gathered from the different forecasts of

the social philosophers and prophets;—the danger of

specific prophecy. Faith to be derived;—that we are

in a progress to something better. But co-operative

human efforts will be necessary

PAGE

411-416

INTRODUCTION,

I.

THE object of this book is in the first place to give an account of contemporary Socialism, its forms and aims, its origins, and the causes of its appearance and spread; secondly, to examine how far, taking the most reasonable form of it, it is desirable or practicable; thirdly, to set forth certain measures of a socialistic character that would seem both beneficial and necessary as supplements to the present system, to adopt which there is a spontaneous tendency on the part of the State, and to which the course of the industrial and social evolution seems to point.

I have devoted a certain space to the history of Socialism, in order not only to explain the particular forms it now assumes, but also to show that in its essence it is no new thing; that it has frequently appeared before, and has always been produced by like causes; that in its most frequent and recurrent form of communism the universal human experience has rejected it as unsuited to average human nature, though in primitive times groups of kindred in village communities were general; that where any species of Socialism has been found practicable and advan