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public to appreciate their work until too late。 The better paid work is only
open to those who have been able to afford an expensive training； and
these men are selected in the main not by merit but by luck。 The wage
earner is not paid for his willingness to work； but only for his utility to the
employer。 Consequently； he may be plunged into destitution by causes
over which he has no control。 Such destitution is a constant fear； and when
it occurs it produces undeserved suffering； and often deterioration in the
social value of the sufferer。 These are a few among the evils of our
existing system from the standpoint of production。 All these evils we
might expect to see remedied under any system of Socialism。
There are two questions which need to be considered when we are
discussing how far work requires the economic motive。 The first question
is： Must society give higher pay for the more skilled or socially more
valuable work； if such work is to be done in sufficient quantities？ The
second question is： Could work be made so attractive that enough of it
would be done even if idlers received just as much of the produce of work？
The first of these questions concerns the division between two schools of
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Socialists： the more moderate Socialists sometimes concede that even
under Socialism it would be well to retain unequal pay for different kinds
of work； while the more thoroughgoing Socialists advocate equal incomes
for all workers。 The second question； on the other hand； forms a division
between Socialists and Anarchists； the latter would not deprive a man of
commodities if he did not work； while the former in general would。
Our second question is so much more fundamental than our first that it
must be discussed at once； and in the course of this discussion what needs
to be said on our first question will find its place naturally。
Wages or Free Sharing？‘‘Abolition of the wages system'' is one of
the watchwords common to Anarchists and advanced Socialists。 But in its
most natural sense it is a watchword to which only the Anarchists have a
right。 In the Anarchist conception of society all the commoner
commodities will be available to everyone without stint； in the kind of
way in which water is available at present。＇41＇ Advo… cates of this system
point out that it applies already to many things which formerly had to be
paid for； e。g。； roads and bridges。 They point out that it might very easily be
extended to trams and local trains。 They proceed to argueas Kropotkin
does by means of his proofs that the soil might be made indefinitely more
productivethat all the commoner kinds of food could be given away to
all who demanded them； since it would be easy to produce them in
quantities adequate to any possible demand。 If this system were extended
to all the necessaries of life； everyone's bare livelihood would be secured；
quite regardless of the way in which he might choose to spend his time。 As
for commodities which cannot be produced in indefinite quantities； such
as luxuries and delicacies； they also； according to the Anarchists； are to be
distributed without payment； but on a system of rations； the amount
available being divided equally among the population。 No doubt； though
this is not said； something like a price will have to be put upon these
luxuries； so that a man may be free to choose how he will take his share：
one man will prefer good wine； another the finest Havana cigars； another
pictures or beautiful furniture。 Presumably； every man will be allowed to
take such luxuries as are his due in whatever form he prefers； the relative
prices being fixed so as to equalize the demand。 In such a world as this；
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the economic stimulus to production will have wholly disappeared； and if
work is to continue it must be from other motives。＇42＇
＇41＇ ‘‘Notwithstanding the egotistic turn given to the public mind by
the merchant…production of our century； the Communist tendency is
continually reasserting itself and trying to make its way into public life。
The penny bridge disappears before the public bridge； and the turnpike
road before the free road。 The same spirit pervades thousands of other
institutions。 Museums； free libraries； and free public schools； parks and
pleasure grounds； paved and lighted streets； free for everybody's use；
water supplied to private dwellings； with a growing tendency towards
disregarding the exact amount of it used by the individual； tramways and
railways which have already begun to introduce the season ticket or the
uniform tax； and will surely go much further on this line when they are no
longer private property： all these are tokens showing in what direction
further progress is to be expected。''Kropotkin； ‘‘Anarchist Communism。''
＇42＇ An able discussion of this question； at of various others； from the
standpoint of reasoned and temperate opposition to Anarchism； will be
found in Alfred Naquet's ‘‘L'Anarchie et le Collectivisme；'' Paris； 1904。
Is such a system possible？ First； is it technically possible to provide
the necessaries of life in such large quantities as would be needed if every
man and woman could take as much of them from the public stores as he
or she might desire？
The idea of purchase and payment is so familiar that the proposal to do
away with it must be thought at first fantastic。 Yet I do not believe it is
nearly so fantastic as it seems。 Even if we could all have bread for nothing；
we should not want more than a quite limited amount。 As things are； the
cost of bread to the rich is so small a proportion of their income as to
afford practically no check upon their consumption； yet the amount of
bread that they consume could easily be supplied to the whole population
by improved methods of agriculture （I am not speaking of war…time）。 The
amount of food that people desire has natural limits； and the waste that
would be incurred would probably not be very great。 As the Anarchists
point out； people at present enjoy an unlimited water supply but very few
leave the taps running when they are not using them。 And one may assume
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that public opinion would be opposed to excessive waste。 We may lay it
down； I think； that the principle of unlimited supply could be adopted in
regard to all commodities for which the demand has limits that fall short
of what can be easily produced。 And this would be the case； if production
were efficiently organized； with the necessaries of life； including not only
commodities； but also such things as education。 Even if all education were
free up to the highest； young people； unless they were radically
transformed by the Anarchist regime； would not want more than a certain
amount of it。 And the same applies to plain foods； plain clothes； and the
rest of the things that supply o