W E WiER A 
 
 A SOOAUST ROMANCE 
 
 EDWARD O.HERBERT.aSc.
 
 ;_ ■? 
 
 XVI/'fl 1 ■ ( 
 
 * '3,- 
 
 THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 LOS ANGELES
 
 ■ 
 
 ' 
 
 NEW/ERA 
 
 A Socialist Romance 
 
 WITH A CHAPTER ON VACCINATION 
 
 BY 
 
 EDWARD G. HERBERT, B.Sc 
 
 LONDON 
 
 P. S. KING & SON 
 
 ORCHARD HOUSE 
 
 WESTMINSTER 
 
 1910 

 
 25 OCT. 1920 
 
 i n 1 
 
 ■ • • • 
 
 i • • • • 
 
 • » i i « ■
 
 fix 
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 PART I 
 The Discussion 
 
 PAGE 
 
 3 
 
 GO 
 
 
 
 c: 
 cn 
 
 O 
 
 UJ 
 
 PART II 
 The Preparations 
 
 CHAPTER 
 
 I. THE WILL 
 
 39 
 
 II. THE CONSTITUTION 42 
 
 III. ICE CREAM 56 
 
 IV. THE APPLICANTS 62 
 
 V. THE ELECTION 68 
 
 PART III 
 
 Realization 
 
 I. THE FETE ..... 
 
 II. WORK AND WAGES 
 
 III. ARISTOCRACY OF LABOUR 
 
 IV. snook's COW .... 
 V. TO EACH ACCORDING TO HIS NEEDS 
 
 VI. THE COUNCIL CHAMBER 
 
 VII. THE WILL OF THE WHOLE PEOPLE 
 
 VIII. MIRA ...... 
 
 IX. FREEDOM ..... 
 
 X. VACCINATION .... 
 
 XI. ADDRESSED TO THE READER 
 
 75 
 79 
 
 87 
 I06 
 Il8 
 I46 
 170 
 183 
 190 
 194 
 200 

 
 Part I 
 THE DISCUSSION 
 
 N B
 
 NEW/ERA 
 
 PART I. 
 
 THE DISCUSSION. 
 
 11 The present state of things is intolerable, and there is no 
 other remedy." 
 
 So said Frank Ledingham, as he paced the sumptuously 
 furnished dining-room of St. Michael's Hall. 
 
 The person he addressed was his father, Sir Philip 
 Ledingham, who, half-reclining in his easy chair, with cigar 
 in hand and coffee on the little table by his side, watched 
 the restless movements of his son with an expression of 
 earnest attention, tinged with sadness or even disappoint- 
 ment. Frank was indeed a trouble to him. Not that he 
 had ever indulged in any of those extravagances and foolish 
 or vicious escapades with which young men sometimes 
 sadden the hearts of rich and indulgent fathers. Frank 
 Ledingham had been a straight and clean-living youth and 
 man : generous, impulsive, an affectionate son and brother, 
 he had early shown an aptitude for his father's profession ; 
 and when Sir Philip sent him to college to get the best 
 training in the scientific and theoretical side of engineering, 
 it was with the confident anticipation that in a few years he 
 would be able to hand over the reins of the great engineer- 
 ing business which represented his own life-work, to one who 
 would start with the best intellectual equipment that money 
 could buy, added to something, perhaps, of his own natural 
 ability and strength of character. 
 
 Frank had gone to college, and in the course of three 
 strenuous years had done himself credit, rather by steady 
 
 B 2
 
 4 NEWiERA. 
 
 work than by any specially brilliant achievement. He had 
 come home a trained scientific engineer, and — a red-hot 
 socialist. That was the trouble. At first, indeed, Sir Philip 
 regarded this latest and most unexpected development with 
 something of amused equanimity. The wild ideas his son had 
 imbibed from a band of very young men with whom he had got 
 mixed up at college would soon get their corners rubbed off 
 in daily contact with the problems and responsibilities of 
 business life. But Sir Philip had seen with growing uneasi- 
 ness that the expected change did not occur. Frank's 
 generous and sympathetic impulses had only received fresh 
 stimulus from the social inequalities among which he found 
 himself in the great manufacturing city, where the extremes 
 of wealth and poverty jostled each other with seeming 
 indifference on the one hand and hopeless misery on the 
 other. His own wealth and social station, and the position 
 of deputy autocrat which he was often called upon to 
 occupy in his father's works, gave him opportunities of 
 trying experiments of a socialistic nature, and when a period 
 of slack trade brought unemployment in its wake, he had 
 initiated some socialistic schemes, both in the works and in 
 the city, on such a scale and with such results as to cause 
 his father serious anxiety. Frank himself was quite unde- 
 terred by failure, which he was too honest not to acknowledge. 
 If socialistic experiments failed, it was because the people 
 were not ready for socialism, and he set himself with 
 redoubled vigour to inculcate his own high ideals of social 
 action, giving up the whole of his income and his spare time 
 to the work. Increased contact with his less fortunate 
 fellow creatures brought an ever-increasing sense of the 
 incongruity, the injustice, of his own surroundings, in his 
 father's sumptuous suburban home, when contrasted with 
 the lot of those whose only fault was, that they had been 
 born of poor instead of wealthy parents. So much did this 
 sense of injustice weigh upon him that he had lived, for 
 nearly a year past, in a workman's cottage in the heart of 
 the city. Only his deep affection for his father and sister 
 induced him periodically to overcome the sense of repugnance
 
 THE DISCUSSION. 5 
 
 which was never entirely absent when he visited his father's 
 house in the suburbs, or his lovely island home at St. Michael's. 
 
 To such a man was Sir Philip to hand over the great 
 business which had become a part of his life. Himself of 
 humble origin, he had risen by sheer force of character and 
 will, aided by uncommon mechanical genius, to a foremost 
 place in his profession. With success had come wealth — 
 he was reputed to be a millionaire ; but money, with him, 
 had ever been rather the sign and seal of professional 
 success than the aim of even his business life. His wealth 
 he regarded as a measure of the service he had rendered to 
 the community. Stern, but just in all his relations, he was 
 respected rather than loved by those in his employ. Above 
 all, he was an individualist. Having himself achieved success 
 without extraneous aid, he had little sympathy with those who 
 cast reproaches on the state of society, the industrial system, 
 the capitalists — blaming everyone and everything but them- 
 selves and their own want of grit and energy for their failure to 
 make a good thing of life. He judged others by the standard 
 by which he himself was willing to be judged. 
 
 A man of simple tastes, with a hatred of ostentation, his 
 chief delight (after his business, which was always his 
 principal hobby) was to retire to the island of St. Michael, 
 which he had bought. In this secluded spot he had built 
 himself a house after his own heart, and here, within a day's 
 journey of London, but in a climate like that of the Riviera 
 and surrounded by almost tropical vegetation, he was wont 
 to retire from the world, not for the purpose of selfish ease, 
 but to ponder with entire freedom from distraction those 
 problems — mechanical, social, and political — which were 
 never far from his thoughts. 
 
 As his years advanced, he spent more and more of his 
 time in the island, and he looked forward to soon retiring 
 there to end his days in peace. But his retirement meant 
 the handing over of his life's work to — a socialist. Not one of 
 your socialists who preach the iniquity of wage-slavery and 
 capitalist robbery in the intervals of paying wages and 
 pocketing profits, but a socialist who believed in socialism,
 
 6 NEWiERA. 
 
 and who, when placed in the position of autocrat of a little 
 community, would certainly put his principles in practice, 
 with results that might be foreseen. 
 
 Frank and he had often had it out. They were two able 
 men who respected one another, and who were able to 
 exchange hard knocks without bad blood ; but Sir Philip felt 
 ever-greater misgivings in looking forward to that future for 
 which he had been planning and working ever since this son 
 of his was born twenty-six years ago. 
 
 Frank had run over to St. Michael's to discuss with his 
 father certain business arrangements, and, as usual, the 
 conversation had drifted into the old channel. 
 
 " The present state of things is intolerable, and there is no 
 other remedy," said Frank. 
 
 " That the present state of things is far from satisfactory I 
 freely admit ; that socialism would remedy any existing evil 
 without introducing a greater one I absolutely deny." 
 
 " Well, then, what do you propose to do about it? Leave 
 things to take their own course ? If not, what is your remedy ? " 
 
 Sir Philip smoked in silence for a minute before replying. 
 Frank flung himself into a chair opposite his father and 
 waited with an air that seemed to express " Checkmate." 
 
 " You ask me for my remedy," said Sir Philip. " Do you 
 take me for a quack doctor with pills for earthquakes in my 
 pocket ? I will answer your question by asking another. 
 You remember the burglary at Salter's house last autumn ? 
 A valuable old silver tea-set was stolen. The thief was caught 
 and is now in prison ; but he had melted down the silver. 
 His wife and children are on the parish." Then, turning 
 suddenly to Frank, " What is your remedy ? " 
 
 " Remedy for what ? " 
 
 " For the human suffering I have mentioned — that of the 
 Salters, of the burglar, and of his family ? " 
 
 " I don't know what you mean. I have no remedy for 
 that kind of suffering," 
 
 " Yet you are a socialist. If I were one I should have my 
 remedy ready. I would alter the law so that in future 
 anyone who stole should not be punished, but that the State
 
 THE DISCUSSION. 7 
 
 should make good the loss to the person stolen from. What 
 do you think of it ? " 
 
 " Socialists are not altogether fools. You would have half 
 the people stealing from the other half, and all would be 
 ruined with taxes for making good burglaries. What 
 socialist ever proposed such a thing ? " 
 
 " I don't know that anyone proposed such a thing, but that 
 is because you socialists are not consistent ; you do not carry 
 vour principles far enough. Nine-tenths of the suffering 
 which distresses your mind and mine is the result of law- 
 breaking. Now, wait a minute ; let me finish. Some of it 
 follows from breaches of the criminal law. A good deal 
 follows from breaches of the moral law. I believe socialists 
 have no remedy to propose for this suffering. But the 
 greatest part of the suffering, and the most hopeless part, 
 comes from breaches of the economic law, or strictly speaking, 
 from actions which bring the actors under the adverse 
 operation of the economic laws. Let me explain what I 
 mean. There is at present an enormous surplus of unskilled 
 labour. Perhaps there are twice as many unskilled men as 
 could possibly find permanent work. It is not the actual 
 number of workers that is at fault, but the proportion 
 between skilled and unskilled. The state of industrial Eng- 
 land resembles that of the watch factory, where there were 
 a hundred skilled men to make the watches, and a hundred 
 unskilled men to load them on to the lorry. That being so, 
 an economic law is " broken " every time a youth drifts into 
 life without a trade to his fingers, and suffering must inevit- 
 ably follow. As things are at present, the man himself 
 suffers from unemployment, his family suffers from poverty, 
 all unskilled men suffer, because his added competition keeps 
 down the wages of unskilled men ; the whole community 
 suffers by having to maintain him. There is one remedy, or 
 rather, one way of preventing this suffering, and only one — 
 the economic law must not be broken. The man must 
 learn a trade. But the socialist has his quack remedy ready. 
 Bill the burglar must not be punished, but honest folks 
 must pay for what he has stolen. The State must find or
 
 8 NEWiERA. 
 
 make work for the surplus of unskilled men, and the 
 skilled must pay for it. Take another case. A capitalist 
 manufacturer, or a group of them, push supply in excess of 
 demand. There is a shrinkage of credit and a collapse of 
 trade. Bill the burglar is punished by bankruptcy, his 
 employees suffer unemployment, the whole community suffers 
 from bad trade. The law is broken, and suffering must 
 follow. What is the socialist remedy ? Instead of the 
 private employer with everything he possesses at stake, the 
 socialist would set up a Government official with nothing at 
 stake. Is he less likely to break the economic law ? Look 
 how our Government departments are managed. The 
 economic law will be broken more flagrantly than it is at 
 present, because Bill the burglar will not be punished. 
 Honest folks will have to pay for what he has stolen. As 
 you say, half the people will turn burglar; it will be the 
 only paying business." 
 
 Frank had listened with growing impatience. At last he 
 broke in — 
 
 " Your argument is very pretty, but your facts are wrong. Do 
 you know that there are always 500,000 unemployed, even when 
 trade is at its best, and that a large part of them are skilled 
 men ? Look at the trade union returns. The capitalist sys- 
 tem needs a surplus of unemployed to keep it going, and an 
 honest workman, skilled or unskilled, cannot get work unless 
 some capitalist will be kind enough to make aprofit outof him." 
 
 " As to the proportion of unskilled men," said Sir Philip, 
 " I will give you some facts that are not wrong. I wanted 
 a manager for the works — salary £1,000 a year. I advertised 
 for a month and got thirty applications. Only two of the 
 applicants were fit for the post. I wanted a copying clerk, 
 and I got 150 applications from a single advertisement in an 
 evening paper. All of them were eager to fill the post for 
 25s. a week or less. I wanted an unskilled labourer, and on 
 inquiry I found 1 could have as many thousands as I liked 
 at 1 8s. a week. Why is it that the lower the pay one offers, 
 the greater is the number of applicants who appear? I will 
 tell you. Because when the supply of labour (or anything
 
 THE DISCUSSION. 9 
 
 else) is in excess of the demand, the price is always low. The 
 wages of unskilled men are low because there are too many 
 of them. They are not attracted by the lowness of the pay, 
 but by the occupation which requires no training. Arbitrarily 
 raise the wages of unskilled labour (as you socialists pro- 
 pose), and the surplus of unskilled labour will increase. 
 Diminish the supply of unskilled labour (as we indivi- 
 dualists propose) and the wages of unskilled labour will rise." 
 
 " Perhaps you will explain how you individualists propose 
 to do it." 
 
 " Yes ; here is one scheme. Every man in the country 
 should be liable for compulsory military service, unless at 
 the age of, say, nineteen he can show that he has prepared 
 or is preparing himself for a useful calling, in which case he 
 would be exempt. A certain standard of education would 
 be required for exemption, and all who were undergoing a 
 course of higher education would be exempt. If more 
 soldiers were wanted the standard would be raised. Recruits 
 would serve for three years, and would then be drafted into 
 Government factories, where they would be kept under 
 military discipline and taught trades. They would be 
 employed in making stores for the Army and Navy. The 
 first three years would make them into men, and the next two 
 into workmen. Then they would return to civil life. Some 
 would, no doubt, take to unskilled work, but all would have 
 the opportunity to rise." 
 
 " I see one drawback to your scheme — there are too many 
 skilled workers already. The unions never have less than 
 2 per cent, unemployed in the best of times. Your scheme 
 would make the 2 into 20." 
 
 " That objection is based on a fallacy, and contains a 
 misstatement of fact. The fallacy is the assumption that 
 there is a fixed amount of work to be done, and that an 
 increase in the proportion of skilled workers will cause an 
 increase of unemployment. The truth is that if you increase 
 the proportion of skilled workers — that is, raise the efficiency 
 of the population — you increase the production of wealth, 
 increase demand, and increase employment.
 
 io NEWiERA. 
 
 "The misstatement of fact is, that there are too many 
 skilled workers at the best of times. On that point I can 
 give you some facts. 
 
 "The year 1907 was the best the country ever had, but 
 you could not open a paper without seeing a reference to 
 unemployment. I was very much puzzled by this, and I 
 went to our head foreman and asked him, ' How many men 
 do you take on in the year, not by way of increasing the staff, 
 but merely to replace other men who have left or who have 
 been discharged ? ' He said, ' Oh, our men stop for years ; 
 we make very few changes.' I said, 'That is certainly my 
 impression, but just as a matter of interest, you might go 
 through the wages book, and see how many vacancies we 
 have had this last twelve months, not counting any that were 
 due to an increase in the number of men.' He did as I 
 asked him, and he found, as much to his surprise as mine, 
 that the number of vacancies filled during the year was 60 
 per cent, of the whole number of men in the works. Most 
 of our men stay with us for years, as he said, but when one 
 of them leaves we have to take on a constant succession of 
 men, and sack them again, before we can find one that is 
 any good. I was so struck with this result, that I asked 
 Mr. Smith, of the Globe Works, to go through his wages 
 book in the same way. His discharges were 45 per cent, of 
 the men he employed. So you may take it that in an industry 
 employing 10,000 men, there will be about 5,000 permanent 
 jobs offered during the course of the year when trade is good. 
 The figure is almost incredible, but it is correct. The truth 
 is, there are not enough efficient men to go round in a good 
 year. The percentage of permanently unemployed we hear 
 so much about consists of men who are on the way from 
 one job to another, sometimes for good reasons, but mostly 
 because they have been ' fired out.' When times are bad, 
 these migrants are simply not taken on, and, of course, when 
 times are very bad there are plenty of good workmen out. 
 That is the fault of Bill the burglar, the reckless capitalist." 
 
 " Then it seems you admit two glaring defects in the 
 present system. Bill the burglar is not punished for his
 
 THE DISCUSSION. n 
 
 recklessness ; and his innocent victims, the unemployed, are 
 punished. What do you propose to do about that ? " 
 
 " I freely admit that there is great hardship in bad times 
 through unemployment, and that the victims are not to 
 blame. I also admit that something should be done not 
 only to remove the first cause, if that is possible, but also to 
 relieve the situation that has resulted. The primary cause 
 of unemployment is a failure to adjust supply to demand. 
 The secondary cause is this — the people cannot afford to 
 buy the things they want. Therefore the makers of these 
 things have to discharge some of their men. What is the 
 remedy ? The favourite remedy is this — the Government 
 say, ' These people cannot afford to buy manufactures. They 
 have not enough money. Therefore we must take from them 
 a lot of the money they have left, in extra taxation ; we must 
 look round for something that nobody wants at all, but which 
 will cost a lot of money — digging holes, or something of that 
 kind — and we must spend this money we have raised in digging 
 these holes.' The Government does this, and then looks round 
 and says, ' Dear me, what a puzzling thing ! Unemployment is 
 worse than ever ; we shall really have to raise some more taxes 
 and dig some more holes.' Oh, most wise Government ! " 
 
 " Well, now you have had your jeer at the Government, 
 let us hear what you propose." 
 
 " I think it is fairly obvious. The Government must 
 follow the example of every sensible man who has his income 
 reduced. It must go without something that it wants, even 
 something that it needs. It must retrench, remit rates and 
 taxes, and allow the people to spend more money on things 
 they want — things that will give employment in the ordinary 
 course of trade — instead of taking it from them to squander 
 it on useless extravagances. 
 
 "Imagine the two policies carried to (quite impossible) 
 extremes. Firstly, my policy. 
 
 " About half the rates and taxes are remitted. The home 
 trade jumps up by one hundred and fifty million pounds and 
 a boom is started which may grow to any dimensions. 
 Secondly, the Government policy.
 
 12 NEWjERA. 
 
 " The rates and taxes are increased 50 per cent., and the 
 money spent in relief works. The trade of the country 
 would be at a standstill. Thousands of firms would be 
 ruined, and the most gigantic relief works would be 
 inadequate to cope with the distress." 
 
 " Well, it seems a novel way of dealing with unemploy- 
 ment, but how about Bill the burglar, the primary cause ? 
 Have you any patent scheme for dealing with him?" 
 
 " Unfortunately I have none. The organizer of industry, 
 or employer, is in the position of a master mariner steering 
 his ship, containing all he possesses, through a narrow and 
 tortuous channel. On his right are the rocks of bankruptcy 
 through rashness, on his left the rocks of bankruptcy through 
 unprogressiveness, and there are many sunken rocks between 
 them. Success may bring riches, but the passage is so difficult 
 that half those who undertake it go on the rocks. The pros- 
 perity of the country is in the hands of the men who can 
 perform this difficult feat, and I can conceive of no conditions 
 better calculated to make them careful. That they have been 
 careful on the whole is shown by the enormous advance in 
 the prosperity of all classes, an advance in the possession ot 
 everything that makes life worth living, which in a single 
 century has surpassed all the progress made by the human 
 race since the world began. No, I have no scheme for 
 making the captains more careful, but you socialists have 
 one, and a wonderful scheme it is. You would put all that 
 the nation possesses in one huge vessel, under the command 
 of a multitude of captains with conflicting ideas of naviga- 
 tion, with no reward in front of them, with no stake in the 
 cargo, with no penalty for non-success, but with a prospect 
 of getting a lion's share of the plunder if the vessel goes on 
 the rocks. I would rather be out of that vessel." 
 
 " Your metaphor is a trifle mixed," said Frank, " but I am 
 relieved to see you bring it into port without absolute ship- 
 wreck. My objection is that the lion's share of the plunder 
 does not at present go to the captain or the crew, but to a 
 handful of idle, vicious loafers who do nothing whatever for it. 
 Are you aware that out of a national income of one thousand
 
 THE DISCUSSION. 13 
 
 seven hundred and fifty million pounds these idle, vicious 
 loafers get six hundred and fifty million pounds for nothing. 
 
 " No," said Sir Philip, " I am not aware of that, and 
 should be very much surprised if anyone could make me 
 aware of it. Do you include present company among the 
 idle, vicious loafers ? " 
 
 Frank smiled. "Present company is always excepted," 
 said he. 
 
 " But I don't see why it should be. You have some 
 investments I know, and so have I. We get part of that 
 six hundred and fifty million pounds of rent and interest." 
 
 11 Yes, and do nothing for it." 
 
 " Then there is John the gardener ; he has been saving all 
 his life ; he has bought some cottages in the village besides 
 his own, and intends to live on the rent when he is past 
 work. Is he an idle, vicious loafer ? " 
 
 " My point is that he does nothing for his rent. The 
 Duke of Westminster " 
 
 " Never mind the Duke of Westminster, and let me have 
 my point first. There is your sister Blanche, she draws part 
 of that six hundred and fifty million pounds, and Dr. Fraser, 
 who is just retiring from his practice in the village, and your 
 friend Sinclair : are they idle, vicious loafers ? " 
 
 " Well, no doubt that is rather too sweeping a term " 
 
 " I think so. But about that six hundred and fifty million 
 pounds ; do you know anyone who does not get part of it ? " 
 
 " Oh, yes, plenty ; the men at the works, for instance." 
 
 " Many of the men at the works belong to their union, and 
 benefit by the union funds, which are invested at interest. 
 Very many of them have private savings invested. There are 
 some, as you say, who never saved a penny in their lives, and 
 who therefore have no share in that six hundred and fifty 
 million pounds. Do you think they are on the whole less idle 
 and vicious than the others, or more so ? Which kind would 
 you expect to find most of at the " Green Dragon " on 
 Saturday nights ? The fact is, your idle, vicious loafers 
 consist of almost the whole upper and middle classes and 
 the best part of the working class."
 
 14 NEWiERA. 
 
 " The fact that a working man gets a few shillings of 
 interest does not affect my argument that the capital of the 
 country is mainly in the hands of a small class of people, 
 who have the workers quite at their mercy, who pocket an 
 unfair share of the wealth that the workers have produced, 
 and who do nothing for it." 
 
 " They risk their money, and sometimes lose it." 
 
 " That's a fallacy. Individual capitalists run a risk, no doubt, 
 by reason of the competition of other capitalists, but the whole 
 class of capitalists run no risk whatever, as can be seen by 
 comparing the statistics of wealth in all civilized countries." 
 
 " That certainly is one way of looking at it. Next time 
 you see a man out of work, tell him to cheer up and never 
 mind, because though he may be unemployed by reason of 
 the competition of other workers, the working classes as a 
 whole are employed." 
 
 " The two cases are not analogous. The man has a right 
 to work, but the capitalist has no right to money for which he 
 has done nothing." 
 
 " It is not correct to say he has done nothing for it. In 
 all except the very best securities he runs an appreciable 
 risk of losing his money, and his rate of payment varies 
 according to the amount of risk. But the chief service for 
 which he is paid is that of saving. I suppose you will admit 
 that capital is necessary to every society above the savage 
 state, and that capital consists of accumulated savings. 
 Our society could not exist unless people had saved. What 
 do you suppose induced them to save ? " 
 
 " The miser instinct, I suppose." 
 
 " No, not the miser instinct. They saved mainly for three 
 reasons : because the interest made it worth while, because 
 they wished to provide for their old age and for their 
 dependants, and because they wished to leave their children 
 provided for. How much saving do you think there will be 
 when you have destroyed all the motives for saving ? " 
 
 " There is too much capital already. If more were wanted 
 it would be the duty of the State to save it." 
 
 " There is not too much capital already, and if there were
 
 THE DISCUSSION. 15 
 
 it would still be necessary to save, since capital is always 
 being destroyed. As to saving by the State, can you point 
 to a single State in the civilized world that has ever accumu- 
 lated anything but debts ? " 
 
 " Capitalist States ! " 
 
 " You think they would begin to save if they were managed 
 by socialists ? Have you ever heard of Poplar and West 
 Ham? Come, Frank; be reasonable! You have studied 
 economics, and you know quite well that the national 
 dividend, the whole wealth available for distribution, is 
 shared between capital and labour in a certain proportion. 
 There is only one way of altering that proportion. The 
 share of capital can only be made less, and the share of 
 labour greater, by making capital cheap; and capital can 
 only be made cheap by making it plentiful. Then the rate 
 of interest falls and the rate of wages rises. What the 
 capitalist does not get must go to the worker, because there 
 is nobody else." 
 
 11 I have heard all that, and the answer. If capital were 
 doubled to-morrow the rate of interest might fall 1 or 2 
 per cent., but the capitalists would still have their incomes 
 almost doubled. You don't suppose wages would double ? " 
 
 " I cannot pretend to say what would happen in such an 
 extreme case ; but let us suppose that there has been a 
 socialist revolution in America, and that all the rich men 
 are to bring their capital here ' to-morrow,' as you say, s 
 that the capital of the country is suddenly doubled. I do 
 not say such a thing is possible, but let us suppose it to 
 happen. Now the first thought of the Americans will be to 
 get their capital invested here — to get someone to borrow it 
 and pay them interest for it ; and in their anxiety to be 
 beforehand with each other they will offer to lend it at a very 
 low rate of interest indeed. Then all those who are now 
 paying 5 or 6 per cent, interest on the capital they have 
 borrowed will approach the lenders and say, ' Look here, I 
 am offered as much capital as I want at 1 per cent, by these 
 Americans. You must reduce your demand for interest to 
 1 per cent, or I shall borrow from the Americans and pay
 
 16 NEW.ERA. 
 
 you back what you have lent me. So the rate of interest 
 throughout the country will fall to the level at which the 
 Americans are willing to lend. But the Americans still have 
 their capital uninvested. What are they going to do with it ? 
 Evidently they cannot lend it to people who already have as 
 much as they can use. They can only invest it by starting 
 new industries, or by lending it to people who are willing 
 to extend their operations in new directions — that is, by the 
 production of more wealth by the aid of more workers. 
 And of all the wealth that is now produced the capitalists 
 will have a much smaller share, and the workers a much 
 larger share, because the rate of interest will be very low, 
 and there will not be enough workers to go round, so the 
 capitalists will be competing with each other to get workers 
 by offering high wages. 
 
 " Of course, if I double my capital I increase my income. 
 But why should you suppose the increased capital to belong 
 to existing capitalists, English or American ? Why should 
 we not have a new class of capitalists, namely, the working 
 class? Suppose they began to accumulate capital, and to 
 draw not only the increased wages, but the interest as well ? 
 
 "You were saying just now," answered Frank, "that all 
 the best part of the working class were capitalists. They do 
 what they can, no doubt, and it is wonderful what they have 
 done, considering their opportunities. Do you know that 
 the average wage of the workers is less than £1 a week ? 
 — some put it as low as 12s. — that they have to feed, clothe, 
 and house themselves and their families on this wretched 
 sum, and that they have nevertheless contrived to save no 
 less than four hundred million pounds ? How much do you 
 think it is possible to save out of an average wage of, say, 
 18s. a week ? " 
 
 " I know that it would be possible for the workers to save 
 a hundred million pounds a year, in addition to what they 
 are now saving." 
 
 " How much ? " 
 
 " A hundred million pounds a year." 
 
 " How in the world do you make that out ? "
 
 THE DISCUSSION. 17 
 
 " They spend that amount in drink." 
 
 " The working classes are not the only consumers of 
 alcohol." 
 
 " Oh, dear, no. The total drink bill is much more. It was 
 one hundred and sixty-seven million pounds in 1907. A 
 hundred millions is probably a low estimate for the workers. 
 So the savings they have accumulated since the beginning of 
 time amount to about four times as much as they spend in 
 drink each year." 
 
 " Oh, well, that may be so, but it is absurd to suggest 
 that they should all become teetotallers all at once." 
 
 " My dear Frank, I never thought of suggesting such a 
 thing. There is the very large sum they spend in betting, 
 estimated at another fifty millions, which would no doubt be 
 sufficient to pay for a moderate but not harmful amount of 
 drink. However, it is not necessary to suppose anything so 
 extreme as that they should give up all their betting or all 
 their drink. Let us suppose that only twelve years ago they 
 had reduced their weekly expenditure on drink from js., the 
 present average, to 3s. 6d. per family of five persons (including 
 women, children and teetotallers), and had invested the 
 savings at 4 per cent., allowing the interest to accumulate. 
 They would to-day have an additional seven hundred and fifty 
 milllion pounds to their credit, and thirty million pounds a 
 year would be added to their income. They would belong to 
 the capitalist class you are teaching them to hate and envy. 
 Their wages would be higher, as I have explained, and they 
 would no longer be dependent on charity or the poor law 
 in case of temporary unemployment or other misfortune." 
 
 " I see ; then your panacea for social ills is the saving of 
 capital by the workers ? " 
 
 " The people who profess to have a panacea are quacks, 
 and the socialists are the arch quacks. I have no panacea. 
 As I said before, the only way to prevent social ills is to 
 avoid breaking laws. That is a matter for the individual, 
 though he can of course be helped or hindered by the action 
 of the State." 
 
 "Then your idea is that the State should compel people to 
 
 N. C
 
 i8 NEWiERA. 
 
 obey the economic laws, and the millennium would be 
 here ? " 
 
 " No. A man who does what is good for him of his own 
 free will is worth ten men who do it because they are 
 compelled. The State could show the way and induce 
 people to follow it. It does not do so at present, but too 
 often takes the exactly opposite course of offering induce- 
 ments to law-breaking." 
 
 " The action of the State is wrong-headed enough, especially 
 in encouraging the depredations of the capitalist class, but I 
 suppose that is not what you mean ? " 
 
 " No ; I will give you an instance of what I mean. Of 
 all the evil legislation perpetrated within living memory, 
 there is probably none that will be fraught with more 
 insidious, more far - reaching, and more disastrously 
 demoralizing consequences, than the Old Age Pension Act 
 recently passed. Thriftlessness and improvidence being 
 the besetting sins of the English people, the State has 
 announced that it will give a reward of 5s. a week for life 
 to any man or woman who has reached the age of seventy 
 without saving or making any provision for old age. The 
 full reward will be given only to those who have saved 
 nothing at all, but a smaller reward will be given to those 
 who have made a very inadequate provision, while all who 
 are wrong-headed enough to disregard the Government 
 injunction to be improvident, will be fined by heavy extra 
 taxation. To make quite sure that the utmost possible 
 demoralization will result, they have laid down the wonderful 
 principle that poor relief ceases to be poor relief if you call 
 it by another name. The political foresight of the legislators 
 who perpetrated this piece of folly, is correctly represented 
 by the formula, ' Chuck the poor beggar a penny, and ask 
 him to vote for us.' " 
 
 " Both parties were in favour of it," said Frank. 
 
 "Yes; the formula of the other party was, ' Promise the 
 poor beggar a penny and ask him to vote for us.' Add that 
 those who gave the penny took it by force from their political 
 opponents, and that those who promised the penny, proposed
 
 THE DISCUSSION. 19 
 
 to take two pence from the ' poor beggar ' by taxing his food, 
 and you have a perfect picture of English statesmanship in 
 social legislation." 
 
 " I think you have very little sympathy with the poor." 
 
 " I have infinite sympathy with the poor that the next 
 generation will have to deal with, as a result of the 
 sentimental folly of this. I suppose nobody but a legislator 
 would think of reducing poverty by taxing the poor and 
 penalizing thrift." 
 
 " That is all very well, but the poor are here, and some- 
 thing must be done ; we can't leave them to starve. I have 
 my remedy, but you will not hear of it." 
 
 " No, nor any other quack remedy. Between Tariff 
 Reform and Socialism, the country is like to be poisoned 
 with quackery. That the poor are poor is largely due to the 
 quacks who started and developed the poor law. We spend 
 thirty million pounds a year in doles to the poor, and we 
 have more poor than any nation in Europe. If we spent 
 twice as much money, we should have twice as many poor, 
 or more. The two things are cause and effect." 
 
 " Oh, well, it is very easy to pour contempt on the honest 
 efforts of well-meaning people to cure terrible evils, but if 
 you offer no remedy yourself your criticism is not very 
 helpful." 
 
 " I tell you I am not a quack, and I don't deal in remedies. 
 The only way to prevent social evils is to cease violating 
 moral and economic principles. If you have a sober, 
 industrious, self-reliant people, you need not bother about 
 1 social reform ' ; none will be needed." 
 
 " But how are you going to produce your sober, self- 
 reliant people ? By stopping the thirty million pounds doles, 
 and leaving the poor to starve ? " 
 
 " No. You cannot undo the effect of centuries of 
 demoralizing treatment in a day or a year, and to attempt to 
 do so would be cruel." 
 
 " It appears to me your policy amounts to wishing for 
 the millennium, but doing nothing to bring it about." 
 
 " Doing nothing is often the most helpful course in social 
 
 c 2
 
 2o NEW^ERA. 
 
 matters, since doing something too often resolves itself into 
 protecting wrong-doing from its natural consequences. But 
 I don't advocate doing nothing. I will give you an example 
 of the kind of thing that might be done. 
 
 " The ' working classes ' spend one hundred million pounds 
 a year in drink, and an unknown sum in betting and gambling. 
 By saving a part of that sum they could provide for their old 
 age, and insure themselves against most of the misfortunes 
 to which they are liable. Why don't they save ? " 
 
 " Many of them have not enough to live on " 
 
 " Remember that hundred millions," interrupted Sir Philip. 
 
 " And they lead such wretched lives that they need some- 
 thing to cheer them up." 
 
 " That is not the reason. They don't save because, in the 
 first place, they have been diligently taught that if they get 
 into trouble, their neighbours (the State or the parish) will 
 have to help them out. In the second place, and chiefly, 
 because it does not seem worth while. Suppose a man has 
 saved a sovereign — what can he do with it ? Invest it at 
 4 per cent. ? There are no such investments for small sums, 
 and even if he could find one, the only result would be that 
 after waiting a year, he would receive in interest ninepence- 
 halfpenny — not enough for a day's beer. It is not an 
 attractive proposition. The thing to make it attractive is — 
 a lottery." 
 
 Frank burst out laughing. " Well, father, you do astonish 
 me. You have just been raging at the workers for putting 
 their money on horses, and now you advise them to put it 
 in a lottery." 
 
 " You see I am a betting man myself," said Sir Philip. 
 
 " I have never known you make a bet in my life." 
 
 " You little know your father, Frank. I have just fixed 
 up a big bet with a man in London. He offered to bet me 
 300 to 1 that my works would not be burnt down this year. 
 I took it on. My stake £100, his £30,000 If the works 
 are burnt down I get his stake ; if not, he gets my £100." 
 
 " Bah ! you mean fire insurance." 
 
 11 Exactly ; but it is betting all the same. Then I put
 
 THE DISCUSSION. 21 
 
 £1,000 on that patent pump of Thomson's, and lost it. I 
 put £1,500 on the patent suction apparatus, and have got it 
 back several times over. Every business man is constantly 
 staking money on one thing or another. It gives zest and 
 interest to life, and is a principal factor in all industrial 
 progress. But with the workman it is different. At twenty- 
 three he gets his society wage, and for the rest of his life he 
 can hope for nothing more. He is almost certain to be 
 comparatively poor all his life. His gambling instinct is 
 just as strong as yours and mine, and he indulges it in the 
 only way open to him, by betting on horses and losing his 
 money. Then he turns to socialism as a short cut to 
 someone else's money. I say, give him a lottery." 
 
 " And if he loses his money in that, will he be any better 
 off?" 
 
 " He could not lose his money. The lottery would have 
 to give guarantees of solvency, as in the case of an insurance 
 company. It would borrow money at, say, 3 per cent, in 
 sums of £1 ; 2 per cent, would be paid in interest, and 1 per 
 cent, in prizes, to be drawn for periodically. The lottery 
 company would invest the money at a higher rate of interest, 
 and so make a profit (as in the case of a bank). The bond- 
 holder cannot lose his money. He can sell his bond at any 
 time. He gets interest for his money, and he has a chance 
 of winning a prize, and becoming, comparatively, a rich man, 
 which at present is in most cases impossible. Most important 
 of all, he gets the habit of saving, and has at his command 
 a sum of money, which he is not tempted to squander, but 
 can use in case of need. In many cases he will transfer 
 some of his money to a better investment, when he has 
 accumulated enough to invest. His children will start in 
 life as capitalists, with all the advantages (and dangers) that 
 implies." 
 
 11 It would be fostering the spirit of gambling." 
 
 " Most emphatically no. The spirit of gambling is there. 
 Our wise legislators try to stamp it out by worrying the 
 bookmakers, and gambling goes on increasing year by year. 
 If legislators were not incapable of learning by experience,
 
 22 NEWiERA. 
 
 they would have found out by now that you cannot stamp 
 out a natural instinct by making laws about it ; you may 
 turn it to a healthy and beneficent use. Incidentally, of 
 course, the constant accumulation of capital would force up 
 wages, as I have explained." 
 
 " I suppose it is a scheme for getting the worker to put 
 himself into the hands of the capitalist more completely 
 than he is at present." 
 
 " My dear fellow, the Whole People would be capitalists, 
 and they would be in the hands of the Whole People. If the 
 workers preferred to invest in co-operative undertakings, 
 or start business enterprises of their own, so much the better." 
 
 " Well, it is certainly a wonderful scheme to be advocated 
 by one who has just been inveighing against quackery." 
 
 " You evidently do not know what quackery is. Suppose 
 I have a headache. It may come from a disordered liver or 
 stomach, from eye strain, from drink, or a knock on the 
 head. The quack says, ' Take my headache pills, warranted 
 to cure. 1 He treats the symptom without inquiring what 
 disease produced the symptom, and probably upsets some 
 organ that was healthy before, and makes the headache 
 worse. I go to a doctor, and he says, ' Ha ! liver ; take 
 exercise — don't eat this or that : remove the cause and the 
 cure will follow.' The doctors were not always so wise. 
 Time was when they had only one universal remedy. Was 
 it a cold or a fever ? Bleed the patient. Was it indigestion, 
 rheumatism or gout ? Bleed the patient. They gave that 
 up, but it was long before they came to realize that it is 
 beyond human skill to cure the least ;of bodily ills, even the 
 smallest scratch or bruise. The cure must come from 
 within : the body must heal itself. When they had realized 
 that, the doctors became useful members of society. 
 
 " Our social doctors, or so-called Social Reformers, are at 
 present in the first or bleeding stage of the art. Is it 
 unemployment or poverty ? Bleed the taxpayer. Is it 
 overcrowding or improvidence ? Bleed the patient. Some 
 day they may come to realize that bleeding is not a 
 strengthening or health-giving operation. The time may
 
 THE DISCUSSION. 23 
 
 even come — but this will be many centuries hence — when 
 they will learn that social ills cannot be cured by the most 
 cunningly concocted legislative nostrums : the body politic 
 must cure itself if it is to be cured. When they have 
 learnt this the Social Reformers, too, may become useful 
 members of society. 
 
 " Of course social quackery is very tempting. It seems 
 so obvious to say, ' Here are poor ; take money from the 
 rich and give it to them.' That is to treat the symptom 
 poverty without inquiring what disease produced the 
 poverty. All history, from the time of ancient Rome down 
 to the present, bears testimony to the fact that that particular 
 socialistic nostrum is the most potent means of aggravating the 
 disease. It always results in producing an army of loafers." 
 
 "So it may, when wrongly applied. But you must 
 remember that socialism could only be brought to pass when 
 the whole people was educated up to it. Do you think it 
 likely that an educated people would think it wise to encourage 
 an army of loafers ? " 
 
 " Well, as to that, one can only judge by what one sees. 
 The socialist part of the English people at the present day 
 certainly considers it wise to encourage an army of loafers. 
 This is seen in certain notorious districts of London, where 
 the socialist municipal bodies have thought it wise to attract 
 loafers from all over the kingdom, in the farm colonies, right- 
 to-work bills, and other schemes advocated by socialists, which 
 invariably lead to the same result. Generally speaking, the 
 encouragement of loafers is in direct proportion to socialist 
 influence." 
 
 " Socialists working in a capitalist society are at a dis- 
 advantage. They did not produce the loafers, but they do 
 their best to alleviate the misery of the human material 
 that the capitalist has rejected as unfit for profit-making. 
 Socialists say that profit-making is an anti-social crime ; that 
 all commodities should be produced for use, not for profit, 
 and that the only way to bring this about is to place the 
 means of production in the hands of the State," 
 
 " Confiscate them, in fact ? "
 
 24 NEWiERA. 
 
 " If you like to use that word. The so-called confiscation 
 would be accomplished without causing the slightest hardship 
 or even inconvenience to a single individual. The process 
 would be gradual, and would be so arranged that at the end of, 
 say, twenty years all the means of production would belong 
 to the State, but the former owners, and perhaps even their 
 children, would be given life annuities, equal in amount to 
 their former incomes." 
 
 " I can imagine a capitalist looking askance at a life 
 annuity guaranteed by a socialist State, which would 
 inevitably come to grief in less than five years. I think he 
 would prefer to go elsewhere, taking his capital with him, 
 and trusting to his own efforts for his life annuity." 
 
 " I wondered when that bogey of ' capital leaving the 
 country ' would come up. I wonder if you have ever thought 
 how it would be managed. Would the capitalists take their 
 property in the form of money ? There is only about one 
 hundred million pounds of money in the country, and the 
 capital of the country is one thousand one hundred million 
 pounds. You are a capitalist, and your capital consists 
 mainly of machinery. You could not sell it, because all the 
 other engineers (according to your theory) would be wanting 
 to sell their machinery, and there would be nobody to buy : 
 and even if there were, there is not nearly enough money to 
 exchange for it. I suppose you would make a big raft and put 
 the Vulcan Works on it bodily, pilot it over to the United 
 States, pay the 45 per cent, duty, and proceed to make another 
 fortune." 
 
 " Frank, Frank, I am ashamed of you. Your leaders are, 
 we know, mostly journalists. Their ideas about business 
 are the ideas of journalists, and we can make allowance for 
 them. But you are a man of business, and ought to know 
 better. Let me remind you of one or two familiar facts. 
 When we buy a machine at the works for, say, £100, we 
 make a guess at the length of time that will be required to 
 wear that machine out. Its life may be twenty years. Very 
 well, at the end of the first year we 'write off' from our 
 profits one-twentieth of the cost of that machine, that is, £5.
 
 THE DISCUSSION. 25 
 
 We do not spend that £5, but keep it. At the end of the 
 second year we put aside another £5, and so on, till at the 
 end of twenty years we have saved up £100 with which to 
 buy a new machine. We depreciate all our plant in this 
 way, as you know, and so does every business firm that 
 possesses plant of any description. Now, suppose your 
 socialist scheme were announced, what do you suppose would 
 happen ? For my part, I can promise you there would be no 
 more depreciation account at my works. It would be 
 invested in foreign securities — that is, shares in foreign under- 
 takings would be bought and paid for by goods exported, the 
 only way in which one nation does make payment to another 
 in practice. At the end of twenty years I should hand over a 
 tumble-down building full of scrap-iron to your socialist 
 Government. The works would be there, but the capital 
 would have gone abroad, and I should follow it. I would 
 sacrifice the whole of the life annuity, unless, of course, the 
 socialist State liked to post it on to me." 
 
 " Oh, well, the people of this country got on very well 
 before there was any machinery, and I daresay they would 
 do so again until they had made what they wanted. There 
 would be plenty of employment while it was making, and 
 meanwhile they would live on the land. I suppose the land- 
 owners do not have to scrap their land every twenty years, 
 and they certainly could not take it with them." 
 
 " I don't think the landowners would have much more 
 difficulty in sending their capital abroad than the engineers. 
 In some parts of the country there are men who make a profit 
 out of the land in an ingenious way. They take a farm and 
 work it for all it is worth, spending nothing on it and putting 
 nothing into it. After a few years the land is exhausted, and 
 then they move on to another farm. Your socialists would 
 find plenty of employment getting the land into working 
 condition after the owners had left it." 
 
 " Well, no doubt when the time comes it will not be 
 difficult to find a way of dealing with the capitalists. I have 
 merely mentioned one, but others have been suggested ; for 
 instance, Blatchford proposes a system of compulsory purchase,
 
 26 NEWjERA. 
 
 The means of production would be simply bought from their 
 present owners by the State. I suppose you would not 
 call that robbery if the price was fair." 
 
 "Ah, yes, I know Mr. Blatchford is a very kind-hearted 
 man. Would there were more like him. But tell me, Frank, 
 did he explain just how the State was going to buy the 
 capital of the country — what form the payment would take, 
 in short ? " 
 
 " It is some time since I read the matter up. No doubt 
 you will find it all explained in Mr. Blatchford's books. I 
 suppose a loan would have to be raised and gradually paid 
 off." 
 
 " I see ; then of course you would have to offer interest on 
 the loan ? " 
 
 " Yes, I suppose so." 
 
 " Well, there certainly does seem to be something in this 
 scheme. The State buys the capital of the country from the 
 capitalists. In order to do this it must first borrow the 
 capital of the country from the capitalists to whom it belongs. 
 The State will then hand it over to them in payment for the 
 capital of the country, which it is buying. Of course, it will 
 also pay them interest, and undertake to pay them back the 
 capital of the country which it has borrowed, in a certain 
 number of years. I am not sure that the capitalists will have 
 to leave the country after all. Tell me, Frank, do you 
 happen to know if Mr. Blatchford is a capitalist ? " 
 
 " I am sure I don't know, and I don't see what it has to 
 do with our argument. My point is that socialists will be 
 quite clever enough to find a way of acquiring the means of 
 production when the time comes. I expect they will begin 
 with the land. I suppose you won't deny that the private 
 ownership of land is an iniquity and an injustice ? " 
 
 " Well, I happen to own a small amount of land, as you 
 know, but I haven't noticed my conscience keeping me awake 
 at nights. I paid for it, you know." 
 
 " You paid for it, yes ; but did you make it ? Did you 
 create it ? " 
 
 " I think it is scarcely necessary to answer that question."
 
 THE DISCUSSION. 27 
 
 " Well then, perhaps you will answer this question. 
 Suppose you write a book. The Government gives you a 
 copyright, a monopoly, on what you have yourself created, 
 for forty-two years or your lifetime. You make an invention, 
 and the Government gives you a patent for fourteen years. 
 You buy a piece of land, and it remains the property of you 
 and your heirs for ever and ever. You created the book and 
 the invention ; you did not create the land. Can you tell 
 me any reason why the community should not treat your land 
 as it treats your book and your invention, and resume 
 possession after, say, twenty years ? " 
 
 " No, not the slightest reason. Provided, of course, the 
 community gives or sells me the land on the distinct under- 
 standing that I am only to have it for twenty years. But I 
 should not give a very big price for it, I think." 
 
 " You know very well that it is not a question of your 
 buying land from the community, but of the community 
 buying land from you and other landowners." 
 
 "Ah, now I begin to understand. Is this another of Mr. 
 Blatchford's schemes ? " 
 
 " It is advocated by him, among others." 
 
 " Do give me the details; I should so like to understand the 
 scheme." 
 
 " There is not much difficulty in understanding it. The 
 community will buy the land, and hold it for the use of the 
 community." 
 
 " I see. Do you happen to know the value of all the land ? " 
 
 " No, I don't." 
 
 " I am sorry I don't either. Suppose we put it at 
 one thousand million pounds. 1 Do you think that would be 
 unreasonable ? " 
 
 " Yes, I don't think the community should give so much, 
 seeing that the present owners have no right to it." 
 
 " Halve it, then — anything to meet you ; what do you say 
 to five hundred million pounds ? " 
 
 ■* That is more reasonable." 
 
 " Very well, we are agreed at last. The community is 
 
 1 The estimated value of the land in the United Kingdom was 
 £1,691,000,000 in i88p.
 
 28 NEW^RA. 
 
 going to buy all the land, through the community's agent, 
 the Government, for the sum of five hundred million pounds. 
 How is the Government going to raise the money ? " 
 
 " Just in the same way that it always does raise money, I 
 suppose." 
 
 " Well, I think the Government generally raises money by 
 taxes, doesn't it ? " 
 " Yes." 
 
 " Then at last I think we have got to the bottom of Mr. 
 Blatchford's scheme. The Government is going to raise 
 five hundred million pounds by taxes. The taxes will be paid 
 by the landowners, the capitalists, and the workers. As it 
 raises this large sum, it will hand it over to the landowners. 
 They will then no longer own the land, but will have to pay 
 rent for it out of the interest on the money the Government 
 has paid them. They won't like that. But how about the 
 working men and women ? They will have paid very heavy 
 taxes for a great many years ; they will have gone without 
 many things they would like to have, but at last their 
 sacrifices are rewarded by — what ? a change of landlords ! 
 Just think of it, Frank. Think of the glory of the workman's 
 wife when a real live tax-collector from a Government 
 office comes round for the rent on Monday morning ! And 
 think of the delight of getting the front parlour walls papered. 
 Shall we draw a fancy picture ? There will be no more of 
 that contemptible sending round to the landlord in the next 
 street. No, our friend will send in an application to the Home 
 Office Wall Papering Department. After a certain interval, 
 which may not be more than three weeks, he will receive by 
 post a large envelope, ' On His Majesty's Service.' Eagerly 
 tearing it open, he will find six large printed forms, foolscap 
 size, four blue and two buff. By the time he has filled up 
 these forms, with the aid of the neighbours, he will feel rather 
 as if he had turned himself inside out, but it is done at last, 
 and he posts back the forms in another envelope, ■ On His 
 Majesty's Service.' Having done this he will wait. He may 
 wait one month, or two months, or three. No matter, all 
 things come to him who waits, and one fine (or wet) 
 morning the Government will come to our friend. And
 
 THE DISCUSSION. 29 
 
 there will be no mistake about it. There will be a beautiful 
 large lorry with two horses and ten men in charge. They 
 will proceed to put our friend and his belongings into the 
 street, while they decorate his walls with a paper embodying 
 all the well-known artistic taste of the Government Official. 
 Let us draw a veil over his bliss. Did you ever see the 
 Government machine gather up its strength, and really get to 
 work to pull out a tin tack ? I have seen it, and it is a 
 sight for the gods." 
 
 " H'm ! It seems the landowners are to come off as well 
 as the capitalist. It is rather strange that they do not give 
 a more hearty welcome to the socialists who are going to 
 confer all these benefits on them." 
 
 " The socialists are not going to confer benefits on any- 
 one. All will suffer, because, whereas under the present 
 system the land and the means of production are on the 
 whole well and cheaply managed, under socialism they would 
 be badly and expensively managed, and the loss due to bad 
 management will fall on the workers. Socialism will hit 
 everyone in the country, but it will not be the landowner 
 and the capitalist who will be hardest hit." 
 
 " No doubt it will be very terrible, but at any rate it won't 
 be so bad as the present system. May I remind you that 
 out of our national income of one thousand seven hundred 
 and fifty million pounds, more than a third, or six hundred 
 million pounds, is taken by 250,000 persons, while the 
 remainder is divided over 44 million persons. That only one 
 person in go leaves property worth taxing when he dies 
 — that six hundred and fifty million pounds of the national 
 income " 
 
 " Spare me ! " interrupted Sir Philip, " I declare you 
 socialists are all alike. As soon as one tries to find out how 
 you are going to apply your wonderful system, he is deluged 
 with facts and figures about what you call ' capitalism.' You 
 socialists are a funny people. One piece of advice I would 
 like to give to all of you. Leave off discussing capitalism, 
 and turn your attention to a subject to which you appear to 
 have devoted very little thought and attention so far — I
 
 30 NEW^RA. 
 
 mean the subject of socialism. You will find it contains 
 possibilities you never dreamed of. Hullo, Blanche, are you 
 there?" 
 
 " Yes, father ; I have been sitting here sewing for the last 
 half-hour. I have been listening to you and Frank, and 
 thinking what funny creatures men are. If you want to see 
 whether socialism is a good thing or not, why don't you try it ? " 
 
 " Well, you see, my dear," answered Sir Philip, " it would 
 be rather a serious thing to turn the whole of the existing 
 social and industrial arrangements upside down, in order to 
 try an experiment which, in the opinion of most people, 
 would be foredoomed to failure." 
 
 " Oh, I don't suggest that you should upset any existing 
 arrangements, though I think some of them might be upset 
 without much harm. I mean, try an experiment on a small 
 scale somewhere — where, it does not matter." 
 
 " Not at the works, please," said Sir Philip hastily. " We 
 have had enough of that." 
 
 " No ; but why not here, on St. Michael's ? The people 
 here are very decent on the whole, and many of them quite 
 poor. They will do anything for me, and I am sure they 
 would be socialists if I asked them." 
 
 "lam quite sure they would profess socialism, or Moham- 
 medanism, or anything else, to please you," said Frank, 
 smiling at his sister's well-founded boast; "but unfortunately 
 it is not merely a matter of professing socialism to please 
 someone else. People must have their social instincts 
 educated ; they must want socialism for its own sake before 
 it can succeed, and even then it will take years, and perhaps 
 generations, before a perfect socialist State can be evolved. 
 The work of socialists to-day is to educate the people ; to 
 make them see the advantages of socialism, so that they may 
 live for it and aspire to it, as we do." 
 
 " Oh, well, I suppose there are plenty of people who do 
 live for it and aspire to it, as you say. Why not bring them 
 here and see how they get on ? " 
 
 " I am afraid there might be a little difficulty in housing 
 them," said Frank; " and even if there were not, it would be
 
 THE DISCUSSION. 31 
 
 impossible to try an experiment under fair conditions, because 
 though there are plenty of socialists, it is doubtful if those 
 who have lived all their lives amid the traditions and con- 
 ventions of capitalism could shake themselves free from the 
 old degrading associations and adapt themselves to the con- 
 ditions of a perfect socialist State. Their children or grand- 
 children might." 
 
 " Well, at any rate," said Blanche, as she threw her work 
 into the basket by her side, " do come out of this stuffy, 
 smoky room. It is a perfect evening, and the sun will be 
 setting over Gannet in half an hour. Come for a stroll on 
 the cliff." 
 
 Blanche threw a light wrap round her shoulders, and the two 
 men followed her down the sloping path that led to the top of 
 the cliff. It was, as she had said, a perfect evening. The sun, 
 looking twice his natural size, was slowly sinking through a 
 cloudless sky. A light breeze scented with honeysuckle 
 refreshed the senses, and a flock of seagulls wheeled overhead 
 and far down the cliff, their mocking, laughing cries mingling 
 with the never-ending murmur of the waves. 
 
 With father and brother on either side, Blanche made her 
 way along the edge of the precipitous cliff. For awhile the 
 three strolled on in silence, which was at length broken by 
 the elder man. 
 
 " You are right, Frank, about the housing difficulty, and 
 of course such an experiment is in any case impossible, but 
 not, I think, for the reason you give. Nobody expects 
 socialists to be angels ; and if we are to wait till we can get 
 together a community of perfect human beings before we 
 can try an experiment under fair conditions, we may as well 
 give up talking about socialism altogether. You seem to 
 me to have missed this important point. The present 
 scheme of society is a continuance of the natural order of 
 evolution, according to which the best specimens tend to 
 survive, and the worst to go under, the wrong-doers (moral 
 and economic) to be punished, and the right-doers to be 
 rewarded. There are of course many and grievous exceptions, 
 but the general tendency is as I have said ; consequently the
 
 32 NEWiERA. 
 
 capitalist or competitive system contains within itself a force 
 constantly making for progress, for improvement. Man has 
 existed under a competitive system for perhaps a thousand 
 centuries. At the beginning of that time he was a brute 
 beast, and by the force of competition he has been raised to 
 his present not very advanced state of civilization. But during 
 the last century of the thousand he has existed under the 
 industrial system, with competition greatly intensified, and 
 in that short period he has made more progress than in any 
 one hundred centuries of the time that went before. There 
 has been a steady advance in the standard of life, character, 
 education, and comfort, especially among the poorer classes. 
 Taking only the last thirty years — Hyndman estimates that 
 since 1880 wages have risen 20 per cent., and the purchasing 
 power of money has increased 30 per cent., so that a man 
 who in 1880 was earning 20s. a week, now gets the equivalent 
 of 31s. 6d. a week for the same work. Short-sighted philan- 
 thropists and ' Social Reformers ' have done much to counter- 
 act the progressive force, by making the way of the transgressor 
 easy, shielding him from the result of his transgression, and 
 placing it on the shoulders of those who have not trans- 
 gressed. In this way they have retarded progress, but they 
 have not stopped it. 
 
 " That the condition of society is improving, and may be 
 expected to improve under the competitive industrial system, 
 you yourself evidently admit, since you hold that this system 
 must be allowed to continue until society has so improved 
 as to be fit for socialism. 
 
 " Now, my fundamental objection to socialism is this — that 
 it will, in my opinion, entirely counteract and actually reverse 
 the progressive principle ; that any society which came under 
 the influence of socialism, even though it were perfect to 
 begin with, would immediately begin to deteriorate, to 
 progress backwards, and that it would continue to get worse 
 until the progressive principle of competition was re-intro- 
 duced. This I do not expect you to admit ; but I think you 
 will agree that if it were possible to collect together a number 
 of socialists who are satisfactory members of society under
 
 THE DISCUSSION. 33 
 
 our present system, if these socialists were formed into a 
 community by themselves, under socialistic conditions, then 
 it would be possible to judge whether socialism has or has 
 not the self-destructive principle I attribute to it. If I am 
 right, then this experimental community would begin at once 
 to progress backwards, to deteriorate in character, and it 
 would ultimately fall to pieces. Socialism would then stand 
 condemned, since it would be proved that whereas the com- 
 petitive system produces progress, socialism destroys progress 
 and produces retrogression. If, on the other hand, you are 
 right in thinking socialism a better principle than indivi- 
 dualism and competition, then our experimental community 
 of socialists would progress as fast or faster than the indivi- 
 dualist community from which the members were drawn, and 
 socialism would be^vindicated. The question is, not whether 
 they would form a perfect society, but whether they would 
 progress forwards or backwards. Do you follow ? " 
 
 Frank walked on in silence for several minutes before 
 replying, His sister apparently found the discussion a little 
 tiresome, and amused herself by plucking a handful of the 
 wild flowers that grew in profusion beside the path. Sir 
 Philip watched the flight of a flock of seagulls that had 
 been disturbed by the intruders on their domain, and were 
 wheeling far down the cliff, filling the air with their 
 monotonous cries. At last Frank turned to his father. 
 " Yes," he said ; "I do not see anything unreasonable in 
 what you say. I would be content to let socialism stand or 
 fall by the result of such an experiment, provided it could be 
 carried out under fair conditions. As to what you say about 
 competition causing progress, I do not admit it for a moment. 
 Progress has only come as man's social instincts have 
 developed. It has come in spite of, not because of, com- 
 petition. I am convinced that under the conditions of 
 socialism a new type of mankind will evolve, which will 
 surpass the highest type which culture has produced up to 
 now. An overman if you please, not as an exception, but as 
 the rule. The idea that philanthropists and social reformers 
 have retarded progress is simply ludicrous." 
 
 N. D
 
 34 
 
 NEW^RA. 
 
 " Look at those gulls," said Sir Philip, pointing out over 
 the edge of the cliff. " What beautiful creatures they are — 
 every one of them strong, perfect, healthy, self-sufficient, 
 fulfilling its function and enjoying its life ! How many are 
 there ? Two hundred, perhaps. Take two hundred human 
 beings at random from any part of England, and what pro- 
 portion of them will you find strong, perfect, healthy, free, 
 performing a useful function and enjoying life ? And what 
 is the reason of the contrast ? In the one case the law of 
 Nature acts unimpeded — the fittest survive and reproduce. 
 In the other case, the whole effort of society is directed 
 towards enabling the unfit to survive and reproduce. Can 
 you wonder at the result ? Truly Nature is stern, but in the 
 long run kind ; man is sentimental, but in the long run cruel." 
 
 " What nonsense people talk about the survival of the 
 fittest ! " said Frank. " The fittest to survive is as often as 
 not the fittest to destroy, to cheat, to enslave his fellow 
 creatures. The survival of the fittest is a wonderful 
 principle, and of course its influence on the evolution of the 
 lower animals, and even of man himself up to a certain 
 stage, cannot be denied ; but it is too often forgotten that 
 under its influence weeds are produced as well as flowers, 
 black cormorants as well as white seagulls, dogfish as well 
 as herrings, grasping exploiters of human labour as well as 
 industrious, skilful workmen who are their victims." 
 
 " What you say is perfectly just," said Sir Philip. " Nature 
 does not discriminate between her creatures. The loath- 
 some insect, the destructive vermin, the deadly bacillus, all 
 have an equal chance with the noblest animals of creation. 
 There are no favourites with Nature. But is there any reason 
 why man should not discriminate ? Has he not shown 
 himself capable of discriminating ? Look at his dealings 
 with his domestic animals. Does he not ruthlessly destroy 
 the unfit and breed from the fit ? Not the fit to destroy 
 their fellows, but the fit as judged by man's own standard of 
 perfection. Look at a well-kept flock of sheep, cattle, 
 poultry, and tell me whether his action is in the long run 
 productive of suffering or the reverse. In his dealings with
 
 THE DISCUSSION. 35 
 
 domestic animals, man, like Nature, is stern, but kind. Only 
 in his dealings with his fellow men is he sentimental, and 
 cruel. Those who survive by violence or fraud he deals with 
 rigorously enough in his law courts, but the unfit — their 
 survival he makes his special care." 
 
 " I think what you say is simply horrible," interposed 
 Blanche. " Do you really advocate the killing off, the 
 slaughtering of men and women who are ' unfit ' according 
 to your ' ideal of perfection ' ? " 
 
 " Ah ! there you have me," said Sir Philip. " Some time 
 in the future, when the Anglo-Saxon race has sentimentalized 
 or socialized itself out of existence, there may arise a race of 
 men strong enough to deal with this matter — not indeed by 
 killing, but by milder and no less effective measures. The 
 unfit must not be allowed to reproduce. At present it cannot 
 be done, but something can and must be done. We must 
 put an end to all those demoralizing influences which have 
 been set at work by well-intentioned but short-sighted 
 people, and whose immediate aim is to shield the wrong- 
 doer from the consequences of his misdeeds, and to give the 
 unfit a special chance of survival at the expense of the fit. 
 We must learn to permit the suffering of the individual in 
 our own generation, when by so doing we can reduce the 
 suffering of the race in the next." 
 
 " Well, for my part, I don't intend to follow your advice," 
 said Blanche. " I shall do whatever I can to alleviate suffering 
 wherever I see it, no matter how it was caused." 
 
 " That I think quite possible," said her father ; " and there 
 will be many like you. All I ask you to remember is that in 
 doing so you are not acting humanely. To contemplate a 
 given amount of present suffering is more painful to you 
 than to contemplate a larger amount of suffering in the 
 future. You choose the course which causes less pain to 
 yourself, and more pain to others. Charity of this kind is 
 not humanity, but selfishness ; not the most ignoble form of 
 selfishness certainly, but still selfishness, and of all the 
 forms of selfishness, it is the one which is causing and has 
 caused the greatest amount of human misery." 
 
 d 2
 
 
 36 NEWiERA. 
 
 " You are evidently a great believer in the blessedness of 
 suffering," said Frank bitterly. " For my part, I think it 
 more unselfish to right wrongs wherever you see them, and 
 it will be the aim of my life to bring about a state of society 
 in which suffering shall be abolished. That is the aim of 
 socialism." 
 
 " I agree with you that the diminution of human suffering 
 is the noblest aim to which a man can devote his life, but if 
 you think to accomplish it by artificially abolishing suffering, 
 I am afraid you will be grievously disappointed. Let me 
 tell you a true story. A scientist once made an experiment 
 with a rabbit. He destroyed its sensory nerves and set it 
 free. The rabbit could run and play and eat, it could enjoy 
 life like its fellows, but it could not feel pain. Surely it was 
 the most fortunate rabbit in the whole world ! But in a day 
 or two the rabbit was dead. It had knocked and scratched 
 and cut itself to pieces. It did the things a rabbit ought not 
 to do, and, feeling no pain, it went on doing them. It died 
 because it could not suffer. One can conceive a society 
 whose members were not allowed to suffer for their wrong 
 and foolish acts, but that society would not be far from 
 dissolution." 
 
 The sun was setting in a glory of crimson splendour as 
 the three made their way homeward. They walked in 
 silence, occupied in thought. As they entered the house 
 Blanche murmured, " All the dreadful things you say about 
 socialism may be true — but I wish it could be tried." And 
 the two men echoed her wish. 
 
 
 V
 
 Part II 
 THE PREPARATIONS
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 THE WILL. 
 
 Letter from Frank Ledingham to Walter Sinclair. 
 
 Dear Walter, — Many thanks for your letter, and for all 
 the sympathy it expresses. My father's death has indeed 
 been a blow to me. He was a good man, and a true friend 
 to me. We differed acutely on some questions, as you know, 
 but, although such differences must always be painful, they 
 did not in the least interfere with our affection. 
 
 I have had so many things to see to during the last few 
 weeks, that I have scarcely had time to make plans for the 
 future ; but since the reading of my father's strange will, I 
 have been longing to talk things over with you. I expect 
 you have seen some account of the will in the papers, and in 
 that case you will not be surprised when I tell you that I 
 cannot yet realize what it all means. The will was made 
 about a month before his death, and soon after a long 
 discussion we had together. I think he must have been 
 largely influenced by what was said on that occasion, in 
 making these extraordinary provisions. 
 
 Briefly, it amounts to this. He leaves the whole to 
 Blanche and me, and the property is a very large one — much 
 larger than I could have expected. Blanche is to have her 
 share at once, but I cannot touch mine for three years. He 
 leaves a large sum, part of my share, to be applied in found- 
 ing a socialist colony on the island of St. Michael. 
 Knowing what an extreme individualist he was, I can 
 scarcely realize that it is true, though I see pretty clearly 
 what was his real object. As to details, I will go into these 
 fully when I see you. The main provisions are, that a 
 village with accommodation for 10,000 persons is to be built 
 at once, with all the necessary workshops and public build- 
 ings for a self-contained community or miniature State, in 
 
 !
 
 40 NEW^ERA. 
 
 which the inhabitants will produce all that is required for 
 their own use. The land is, as you know, very fertile, 
 though it has never been thoroughly cultivated. During the 
 first year, which is to be devoted to building and preparing 
 the village, a sufficient acreage of land is to be tilled 
 and sown, to produce food for the colony. The present 
 inhabitants are to be bought out, and sent to the mainland 
 with generous compensation. The new inhabitants are to 
 be picked socialists — that is to say, volunteers are to be invited 
 from all parts of the country, and their antecedents are to be 
 carefully investigated before they can be accepted. They 
 must all be people of good character, who can produce satis- 
 factory references from employers or other responsible persons. 
 They are in the first place to be nominated for membership, 
 and after nomination a list of them is to be submitted to 
 each of the nominees, who will be asked to cross out the names 
 of any persons whom they consider unsuitable for membership. 
 Any person who is vetoed by ten or more nominees will cease 
 to be eligible for membership, so that all the members will 
 have been approved by each other. The leaders of the 
 English socialist party are to be invited to join. The mem- 
 bers will be asked to sign an undertaking that they will live 
 in Newaera (that is to be the new name of St. Michael's) with 
 their families for two years, and that they will be faithful to 
 socialist principles during that time. They are to be invited, 
 but not compelled, to hand over their property to the colony. 
 I am appointed Dictator during the year of preparation, and 
 am empowered to get together a committee of socialists to 
 investigate the character of the applicants, and to advise with 
 me as to details of the management of the colony. After 
 the colony has been actually established for three months my 
 Dictatorship is to cease and my committee to be dissolved. 
 A Parliament of thirty members is then to be elected to manage 
 the colony and make the laws. There is to be a second elec- 
 tion six months later, and after that elections will be held as 
 often as the people desire. 
 
 Beyond these general provisions there is very little, except 
 that after two years' working there is to be a vote of the
 
 THE WILL. 41 
 
 whole colony on the question of continuing the experiment 
 or giving it up. If it is decided to continue, the island and all 
 it contains is to become the absolute property of the colonists. 
 If they decide not to go on, the property reverts to me. 
 
 Now, Walter, I have told you all about it, and I want you 
 to run over and help me to think it out. Don't delay, please ; 
 come on Friday, and, more than that, arrange to stay. I 
 want you to be my Chief Adviser, Prime Minister, Secretary 
 of State and Lord High Everything Else. I can't promise you 
 a big salary, and of course, when the election takes place, you 
 and I will have to take our chance with the rest. But I 
 know you will come. Just think of it — we are to be the 
 model on which the future civilization of the world will be 
 shaped. That is, if we succeed — but I know we shall succeed. 
 The responsibility is terrific. Do come, there's a good 
 fellow. I know you are more than half a socialist, and you 
 will soon be a whole one. Blanche is as excited about it as 
 I am, and she joins me in begging you to come. 
 
 Your old chum, 
 
 Frank. 
 
 Walter Sinclair to Frank Ledingham. 
 
 Dear Frank, — Allow me to commend you for a cool 
 hand. You ask a fellow to throw up his livelihood and help 
 to boss your Gilbert and Sullivan State at two days' notice. 
 What if your committee doesn't approve of my antecedents ? 
 However, I will be with you on Friday, and if you think my 
 views sufficiently advanced, I will try my luck with you. I 
 am fairly disgusted with things as they are, and I think it 
 would be a tremendously important step if we could show 
 the world how sensible people can live together without 
 cutting each other's throats. At the worst, Newsera is a 
 charming spot, and I shall have your company. I suppose 
 Miss Ledingham takes part in the experiment ? So good- 
 bye till Friday. 
 
 Your obedient Minister, 
 
 Walter. 
 
 P.S. — If you are arranging about my robes of office, 
 please don't choose purple. I hate it.
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 THE CONSTITUTION. 
 
 It was with a light heart and a bounding step that Frank 
 Ledingham went down to the jetty to meet his old friend 
 "Walter Sinclair. The arrival of the little steamer from the 
 mainland was the great daily event in the life of St. Michael's, 
 and a group of bronzed seamen and sturdy farmers, with a 
 sprinkling of old men and children, was gathered at the 
 landing place, their eyes fixed on the little boat with her trail 
 of black smoke as she laboured through the heavy sea. 
 
 Frank and Walter had first met at college, and the close 
 friendship they had formed there had been kept up during 
 the few years that had elapsed since Frank left to take his 
 place in the Vulcan Works, and Walter to take up an 
 uneventful and hitherto briefless career as a barrister in 
 London. There had been a regular correspondence between 
 the two friends, and Walter had spent more than one well- 
 remembered holiday with the Ledingham family at St. 
 Michael's. On these occasions there had been long and 
 earnest discussions as to the possibilities and prospects of 
 a higher and healthier social system. In these discussions 
 Frank's ardent advocacy of the one untried remedy for 
 social ills had been met by the searching but not unfavour- 
 able criticism of his clear-headed and less impulsive friend, 
 while Blanche was, as a rule, a silent but sympathetic 
 listener. 
 
 As the steamer hove to beside the little stone jetty, 
 Walter's tall, alert figure emerged from the little crowd on 
 her deck, and as he sprang ashore Frank met him with out- 
 stretched hand. 
 
 " Well, this is really good of you," he said, taking his 
 friend's portmanteau and making his way through the
 
 THE CONSTITUTION. 43 
 
 bustling throng. " I am afraid I have taken an unfair 
 advantage of your generosity in dragging you away from 
 your work." 
 
 " Oh, as to that, my work consisted chiefly of waiting for 
 something to turn up, which it never did ; and after all, one 
 does not get the offer of a Prime Ministership every day. 
 Have you any idea what led your father to place you in this 
 extraordinary position ? Pid he come round to your views 
 after all ? " 
 
 " No, I don't think he came round at all. You see, it was 
 like this. We were having a grand set-to on the old subject, 
 and it was suggested — by Blanche, I think — that an experi- 
 ment should be tried to show how socialism would work in 
 practice. I said, of course, that people were not ready for 
 it yet, and he replied by asking whether the socialists were 
 not ready for it. He pointed out that there are any number 
 of socialists who are very good citizens in the capitalist 
 community, and he suggested that if a number of them, all 
 picked men, were brought together with their families into a 
 socialist community, it would be easy to see whether they 
 would be equally good citizens under the new conditions." 
 
 " But what did he expect to prove by that ? Is there any 
 possible reason to suppose they would be worse citizens 
 under socialism than under capitalism ? " 
 
 " I don't think so, but he apparently did. He said there 
 v/as in socialism a self-destructive principle, which would 
 bring any such society to grief in a short time. He once 
 said that if you introduced socialism among the angels in 
 heaven, and called on them two years later, you would think 
 you had come to the wrong place. He said that under 
 capitalism society is improving — I don't see much sign of 
 improvement myself — and that if socialism is as good a 
 system, then the socialist society would improve and progress 
 at least as fast, in which case socialism would be justified ; but 
 that if it turned out that he was right about his self-destructive 
 principle, then the society of people who had been proved to 
 be good citizens would speedily become a society of bad 
 citizens, in which case socialism would be condemned. I
 
 44 NEWiERA. 
 
 could not see anything to find fault with in that argument, 
 and told him so, and I suppose that is what set his mind on 
 this scheme." 
 
 " Well," said Walter, " I only hope the capitalists will 
 acknowledge socialism to be justified by such a simple 
 experiment. If so, I think the battle is won." 
 
 " I think so too," said Frank, " but we must be very 
 careful not to make any mistakes, and that is why I want to 
 thresh out the scheme with you before broaching it to the 
 public, and to the prominent socialists, on whom we shall 
 have to depend for a good deal of assistance. But here we 
 are at the Hall, and there is Blanche waiting to welcome 
 you. A truce to business until you have had some dinner ; 
 you must be ravenous after the tossing you have had." 
 
 The meal was a cheerful one. The three young people 
 were all in good spirits, and full of the great experiment 
 which was to occupy the next three years at least, and 
 probably the rest of their lives. Many were the specula- 
 tions as to the attitude of the great world towards their 
 object-lesson in the art of living " each for all, and all for 
 each." Many were the suggestions for introducing the new 
 way of life among those who are so strangely enamoured of 
 the modern scramble for wealth, and the empty display of 
 the fruits of others' toil. 
 
 Dinner being over, the three friends retired to the cosy 
 little study, which was Frank's usual habitat when he was 
 staying on the island. Producing a copy of his father's 
 will, and a good supply of foolscap paper, on one sheet of 
 which he had set down a number of headlines for discussion, 
 Frank proceeded at once to business. 
 
 " The first matter to be settled," he said, as he took his 
 seat at the writing-table, " is the Committee of Management, 
 and under this heading I have a proposal to make. It is 
 extremely important that we shall make a fair start, and that 
 the success of the experiment shall not be endangered through 
 differences of opinion and divided counsels. The one danger 
 I see ahead of our little pilot boat is the rock of jealousy. It 
 cannot be denied that there are considerable differences of
 
 THE CONSTITUTION. 45 
 
 opinion among our leaders on several important points of 
 socialist policy, and I therefore propose that the Committee 
 of Management consist of the present company, and nobody 
 else." 
 
 " Won't that be likely to cause jealousy ? " said Walter. 
 
 " Less, I think, than any other arrangement. We shall 
 of course consult the leaders on any difficult point, and 
 follow the advice that seems the wisest, but we shall avoid 
 all quarrelling, and if any ill-feeling does arise, we can point 
 out that the management of the colony after the first three 
 months will rest entirely with the Parliament that will be 
 elected by the whole people. If any of our arrangements 
 are unacceptable, they can be altered according to the will 
 of the people." 
 
 " I hope you don't intend to include me in the Committee," 
 said Blanche. " I am quite ignorant of economics, and know 
 very little of politics or socialism, so I can't be of any use." 
 
 " Oh, nonsense ! " said Frank. " The most important 
 social and economic questions are settled in England by 
 men who are absolutely ignorant of economics and sociology. 
 Women cannot be more ignorant, so why should not they 
 help in the decision ? You are duly elected." 
 
 Blanche bowed submission. 
 
 "The next point," said Frank, "is the Selection Com- 
 mittee. We have to get together 10,000 people, and every 
 one of them is to be a socialist, or the wife or child of a 
 socialist. All must be of irreproachable character — people 
 who are living decent useful lives under the capitalist 
 system. The work of selection will be very heavy, and I 
 propose to advertise for, say, twenty volunteers." 
 
 " Paid?" said Walter. 
 
 " Yes, I think we ought to pay, and pay well. We are not 
 limited in the matter of the expenses of starting the colony. I 
 think we ought to be prepared to pay at least £4 or £5 a 
 week in order to get men of standing and capacity. Perhaps 
 some well-to-do socialists will give their services, but many 
 will not be able to afford it. 
 
 "Then as to the members themselves. The method of
 
 46 NEW^RA. 
 
 selection is laid down in the will, and seems good. I 
 propose to advertise in the principal socialist papers for 
 volunteers." 
 
 " I suppose we shall have to pay some attention to 
 occupation," said Walter. "We don't want the colony full 
 of nothing but navvies, or poets, and we must have a fair 
 proportion of women. I suppose there are plenty of women 
 socialists ? " 
 
 " Oh, plenty. I think we had better simply advertise in 
 the first place ; we shall get many more volunteers than we 
 can accept. The Selection Committee can then choose the 
 proper proportion of each occupation, using the census 
 returns as a guide, and of course eliminating all useless occu- 
 pations, such as bankers, merchants, lawyers, and domestic 
 servants. If we have 2,000 to 3,000 men of suitable occu- 
 pations, their wives and families will make up the 10,000." 
 
 " But won't you have any unmarried women whose fathers 
 are not socialists ? " put in Blanche. 
 
 "Yes, we certainly must. Let us say 1,500 married men, 
 making 7,500 with wives and families, and 1,250 each 
 unmarried men and women." 
 
 "How about accommodation?" said Walter. "You 
 wouldn't give each unmarried woman a house to herself? " 
 
 " Oh no, that will settle itself. Some of the girls will club 
 together, also some of the men. Others will lodge with 
 families. There will be a co-operative eating-hall for those 
 who like to use it." 
 
 " What about the marriage laws ? " said Walter. " Some of 
 the leaders say there should be no laws, only customs." 
 
 " I was coming to that," Frank replied. " We must be 
 careful not to create any prejudice or scandal. I think it 
 will be best, at first at any rate, simply to follow the present 
 practice. We can have a registrar authorized by the English 
 Government in the ordinary way — in fact, we shall have to 
 remain under the Head Government in all such matters, 
 nominally, at least. Of course, laws that nobody breaks are, 
 as it were, non-existent, and I expect that will be the case 
 with most of the old laws. But so much harm has been
 
 THE CONSTITUTION. 47 
 
 done to the cause by the ' free love ' that socialists are said to 
 favour, that I think we had better not interfere with the 
 present practice of civil marriage. 
 
 "Another point is the care and education of children. It 
 has been suggested that the mother is the natural and best 
 educator, and that the matter should be left to her." 
 
 " I think that is absolute nonsense," said Blanche. 
 " The teaching faculty is a rare gift, and even those who 
 possess it are generally least successful with their own 
 children." 
 
 " Well, we have plenty of schemes to choose from," said 
 Frank, " ranging from complete control by the mother to 
 complete control by the State. We can't follow all the 
 leaders, so suppose we take a middle course — provide 
 State schools, but leave the mothers free to educate their 
 own children if they wish. It will be to the interest of every 
 citizen to produce good citizens, and the mother who feels 
 herself incompetent will naturally have recourse to the 
 State school." 
 
 This course was agreed to and duly noted down. 
 " We now come to the question of payment," Frank 
 proceeded ; " and in the first place, are we to have any money 
 or not ? There is a great diversity of opinion on this point. 
 What do you think, Walter ? " 
 
 " I think it will be a great convenience to have some form 
 of coinage," Walter replied. " I know it has been suggested 
 that there should be no money, but that each citizen should 
 help himself to what he requires from the common store. 
 The first colonists will certainly not be angels, and I think 
 to adopt such a scheme would be to court disaster. Suppose 
 we had some neat checks stamped out of aluminium. Each 
 would be in fact an order on the common store for goods of 
 a definite value. The checks could be of different values, 
 corresponding to our present coinage." 
 
 " That would certainly be a convenient system," said 
 Frank, " but I foresee a danger. Some individuals might 
 save, and even lend their savings on interest, and so we 
 should have the capitalist system beginning again."
 
 4 8 NEW^ERA. 
 
 "You could get over that," suggested Blanche, "by 
 having a date stamped on each check, and providing that a 
 check issued in January, say, would cease to have any value 
 after the end of February. Nobody could save then." 
 
 " An ingenious idea," said Frank, " but there would be 
 this disadvantage. Suppose a man wanted a suit of clothes : 
 he would have to save up for it, and that would be impossible, 
 because his savings would lose their value when they were 
 a month old." 
 
 " I should be disposed to risk the danger of introducing 
 capitalism," said Walter. "All the Newserans will be 
 socialists, and sufficiently alive to the curse of capitalism. 
 Besides, socialism will change human nature. The oppor- 
 tunity makes the man. Socialism will take away the desire 
 of accumulating riches. The possession of riches will be a 
 superfluous burden, which no sane man will wish to bear." 
 
 " Well, then, we will risk it," agreed Frank. " After all, 
 we shall not be going beyond the book. Suthers, for 
 instance, says, ' Under socialism a man's savings would be 
 his own, just as now.' " 
 
 "That point being settled," said Walter, "we have to 
 decide on the amount each worker is to receive. Will all 
 incomes be equal ? " 
 
 "There is a great difference of opinion on that point," 
 Frank replied. " Personally I think when all have enough 
 all will be contented, and all the more so if all fare alike. 
 As to the amount of payment, of course that will be merely 
 a matter of arithmetic. The people will have all they 
 produce. Account will be kept of all goods produced, and 
 there will be a yearly stocktaking. The goods will be valued 
 according to the time spent in producing them. The 
 Treasury will simply ascertain the value of the goods 
 produced in a year, and divide that value by the number of 
 workers. Then each will receive weekly during the next 
 year £10 or £"15, or whatever his share may be, the wages 
 of each year being calculated on the production of the 
 preceding year." 
 
 " Will the women work ? " asked Blanche.
 
 THE CONSTITUTION. 49 
 
 " Yes, certainly. Married women will, of course, attend 
 to their household duties. Children under sixteen will attend 
 to their education. Unmarried women will work, and will 
 of course, be paid at the same rate as men." 
 
 " That will be splendid ! " said Blanche- " Then I suppose 
 I shall earn £10 or £15 a week, but I don't just know what 
 I shall work at. I never earned anything in my life. It 
 seems to me I shall be a good deal better off than a man 
 with a wife and family, if he only gets as much as I do." 
 
 " Oh, of course that would not be so," said Frank. " ' To 
 each according to his needs ' — that is the rule. Suppose a 
 single man or woman received 30s. a week, then a man with 
 a family would receive, say, £1 extra for his wife, and 10s. 
 extra for each child under sixteen. Above that age, they 
 will earn." 
 
 " On the face of it that seems fair," said Walter, " but in 
 practice I am afraid it will cause some jealousy. For 
 instance, a single man would get 30s., and the man next to 
 him, doing the same work, if he happened to have a wife and 
 six children, would get £5 10s." 
 
 " Perhaps I have put the family allowance rather high," 
 Frank admitted. " Suppose we say 30s. for the workers, 
 10s. for the wife, and 5s. for each child. Of course there 
 will be considerable difference of income, but it will only 
 correspond to the difference in necessary expenditure. I 
 propose that we start with these rates of pay. When the 
 actual production has been ascertained, they will be enor- 
 mously higher. On the average the ratio of unpaid to paid 
 labour in a country such as England is three or four to one — 
 that is to say, the worker, for every hour he works for 
 himself, works three or four for the benefit of other people 
 who may or may not do any useful work at all. If a man 
 can earn 30s. a week under such conditions, he can evidently 
 earn £4 10s. to £6 a week when he has the whole produce of 
 his labour. With production scientifically and socially 
 organized, the productivity of labour will be quintupled, and 
 the amount of wealth will be increased in proportion, so that 
 it is reasonable to expect that in the second or third year 
 
 N. E
 
 50 NEWiERA. 
 
 each worker will receive £20 to £30 a week in wages. But 
 this extra productivity may not come all at once, and we 
 had better begin on the safe side. Thirty shillings is certainly 
 a poor wage to start with, but probably the goods produced 
 will soon begin to accumulate to an enormous extent, and 
 when this happens it will be safe to make an advance without 
 waiting for the yearly balance : a sort of interim dividend 
 can be paid. 
 
 " I think that is all we need decide about payments at 
 present. Of course the sick, infirm, and old will be paid at 
 the same rate as the workers. The State will be a large 
 family. When a member of the family is ill or helpless, the 
 family go to his assistance. There will be plenty for all 
 — more than they want." 
 
 Walter appeared to be lost in thought during the latter 
 part of Frank's speech. " Don't you think," he said, "that 
 there may be some difficulty with shirking and idling ? We 
 must remember that we shall be dealing with human beings, 
 not angels, and if the State guarantees everyone a good 
 living, there will surely be some temptation to take 
 advantage." 
 
 " No," said Frank promptly. " There will be no danger 
 of that kind. There may be men who would rather go to 
 sleep in the sun like pigs than do healthy and interesting 
 work, but if there are such men, they will have sense 
 enough not to own their folly. Why, they would not be 
 respected.*' 
 
 " Well, that is no doubt true," said Walter rather doubt- 
 fully ; " but still, money is a great incentive, and I should 
 doubt whether the people will work just as well if they have 
 nothing to gain by working well. You cannot alter human 
 nature." 
 
 " I do not propose to try. It is only necessary to make 
 the best of human nature as it stands, and to do that, it is 
 only necessary to alter the conditions. Do you think that 
 Socrates, Aristotle, St. Paul, Copernicus, Caxton, Newton, 
 Darwin, Nelson, and the rest of the world's benefactors and 
 heroes worked and died for money ? What men desire and
 
 THE CONSTITUTION. 51 
 
 work for is not money, but the pleasure and ease and appro- 
 bation that money brings. In Newaera everyone will have 
 these things in abundance, and I have not the slightest fear 
 of the result. I expect it to work, as it does work now the 
 whole world over, successfully." 
 
 "There is a good deal in what you say," Walter assented. 
 " At any rate, we can try the experiment. What is the 
 next item on your programme ? " 
 
 " The next heading is, division and organization of labour. 
 But before we deal with that, it will be well to decide what 
 classes of work shall be done. Newaera will, of course, 
 produce goods for the consumption of the Newasrans ; but 
 there will be some things which must be imported — raw 
 cotton, tea, cocoa, some drugs, and minerals. Fortunately 
 we have coal on the island, though it has never been 
 efficiently worked. Now, in order to get supplies of the 
 things we cannot produce, we shall have to export some of 
 our surplus products to the mainland in exchange. We 
 shall certainly grow much more corn than we can possibly 
 eat, and with the aid of modern machinery there will be a 
 great surplus of manufactured goods produced. Four men 
 in West America produce food for 1,000 persons, and one 
 woman produces cloth in twelve months to clothe 100 
 people. We shall have to carry on a certain amount of 
 export and import business, not for profit of course, but by 
 way of exchanging our surplus products for things we cannot 
 produce. We shall open an account with a London bank 
 for convenience, but as far as Newaera is concerned, there 
 will be no money transactions, simply an exchange of goods. 
 We shall have to employ some Newasrans on the mainland, 
 selling our goods, and buying others." 
 
 " But according to that," objected Blanche, "you will be 
 introducing the industrial system again, with its whirring and 
 grinding machinery, its monotonous uninteresting toil, its 
 poisonous fumes and soul-destroying noise and dirt. I 
 thought socialists were supposed to make their own furniture, 
 paint their own pictures, build their own houses with bricks 
 of their own making from clay that they have themselves dug 
 
 e 2
 
 52 NEWiERA. 
 
 and carried. I am sure I have read that in some of the 
 books." 
 
 " Oh, }*es, no doubt you have," said Frank smiling. 
 " You see there are socialists who are fond of painting fancy 
 pictures, and sometimes they say rather foolish things. We 
 are not setting up one of the usual socialist Utopias, where 
 all the women are beautiful, all the men athletic, all the 
 thorn bushes always covered with peach blossom, and where 
 the people do nothing but talk about capitalism all day long. 
 We have actually to set up a State and make it work, and 
 we have only two alternatives to choose from. Either we 
 must teach all the people the art of making wigwams and 
 living in them — living, in fact, the life of the very few and 
 very degraded savages who actually do all their own work, 
 without division of labour — or, we must take advantage of all 
 the inventions and resources of modern civilization, and keep 
 to the modern system of manufacture. Of course there 
 would be no objection to any of the people making their own 
 furniture and clothes, and building their own houses, but we 
 cannot count on getting together a whole nation of skilful 
 cabinetmaker-bricksetter-weaver-tailors ; and even if we 
 could, each man would have to have a whole city of factories 
 and thousands of pounds' worth of machinery to make the 
 ordinary everyday articles that one finds in a modern house. 
 I see nothing for it but to adopt the factory system." 
 
 " Well, that seems to bring us to your next heading," said 
 Walter. " Of course there will be no masters and servants, 
 but there must be a good deal of organization of labour. In 
 such a small State as Newaera, I suppose there will be only 
 one factory of each kind, with a superintendent in charge, 
 and in the case of large factories, a foreman to each fifty or 
 one hundred workers, as the case may be, and the foremen 
 and superintendents will be paid at the same rate as the 
 workers under them." 
 
 " We have decided on equal pay," said Frank, " and there 
 will be no under or over. All will be equal. Some of the 
 leaders say every man will be free to do the work he chooses, 
 but obviously that would not work. To suppose that the
 
 THE CONSTITUTION. 53 
 
 industrial affairs of a complicated industrial State can be run 
 without strict subordination and discipline, and without 
 obedience to orders, is to dream, not of socialism, but of 
 anarchism. At the same time there will certainly be much 
 less superintendence required than in capitalist industry, 
 because everyone will be working for himself. A very small 
 share of the profits arising from associated labour acts as a 
 tremendous stimulus to each individual producer. I do not 
 suppose we shall require more than one superintendent for 
 each of our factories, but of course there will have to be 
 superintendents of superintendents, who will be controlled by 
 a sort of Board of Industry, whose function it will be to 
 decide the kind and quantity of goods produced." 
 
 " But who will appoint all these superintendents ? " asked 
 Blanche. "If we three have to appoint them all, it will 
 mean a good deal of rather delicate work for us." 
 
 " We shall only appoint the first lot of officials, and we 
 shall have the help of the Selection Committee. Afterwards 
 appointments will be made from below. In the Post Office 
 Department, for example, the letter carriers will elect their 
 immediate superiors, these, we will say, the postmasters, and 
 these in their turn the Postmaster-General. Of course we 
 shall not want a big post office staff, but that is the principle 
 of the thing." 
 
 " I know that has been advocated by some of the leaders," 
 said Walter, " but, — do you think it is likely to be a very 
 satisfactory arrangement ? " 
 
 " It seems to me to be the only arrangement consistent 
 with complete freedom of the people, — the only truly 
 democratic arrangement." 
 
 "Well, yes, I suppose it is. Do you propose that the 
 workers shall also have power to discharge their super- 
 intendents ? " 
 
 " Yes, I think the faculties of appointing and discharging 
 must go together." 
 
 " Very well," agreed Walter, " let us settle it as you 
 suggest. Of course these arrangements will only be pro- 
 visional, and subject to any modification that the people may
 
 54 NEWjERA. 
 
 decide to effect through their Parliament. I say, Frank, I 
 think your sister has gone to sleep. We ought not to have 
 kept her at it so long. It is quite late. Are there any more 
 headings ? " 
 
 " No, I think we have settled the most important matters. 
 I only have left Expenses of Government, Taxation, and 
 Rent. They will be quite simply arranged." 
 
 " Yes, I suppose we can ascertain the expenses of Govern- 
 ment, and send in a bill to each member quarterly, or 
 something of that kind." 
 
 " Oh no, that is not the scheme. The land will all belong 
 to the State of course, and the expenses of Government will 
 be paid by the rent." 
 
 " I don't quite see that. The houses will be all alike, and 
 therefore worth the same rent, say ios. a week. According 
 to your arrangement the State would pay each worker 30s., 
 and the worker would pay the State back ios. Wouldn't it 
 be simpler to make the wages 20s. and the houses rent 
 free ? " 
 
 " Yes, now you mention it I think it would. But where 
 are the expenses of Government to come from ? " 
 
 " I don't see what expenses of Government there will be. 
 All the Government officials will have the worker's wage like 
 everybody else. They will draw their supplies from the 
 common store, and if any materials have to be imported for 
 Government use, payment will be made with goods from the 
 same store. There could be no other expenses of Govern- 
 ment. When you come to think of it, it would be foolish to 
 ask the workers to pay rent or taxes to the State in aluminium 
 checks. The State can make as many of these as it likes." 
 
 " Yes, so it would," agreed Frank, as he gently aroused 
 his sleeping sister. " There will be no taxes to the mainland, 
 because none of the members will have, at first at any rate, 
 an income large enough to be taxed, so we can dispense with 
 rent, taxation and Government expenses entirely. Now, 
 good-night, both of you. I shall want to go through a list of 
 trades with you to-morrow, so that we can settle which we 
 can dispense with, and I can arrange for factories being built
 
 THE CONSTITUTION. 55 
 
 for the others. Then on Monday we will cross : I will see 
 my architect about the buildings, and arrange about the 
 advertisements for Selection Committee and members. You, 
 Walter, might call on all the leaders in the country and 
 persuade them to join us. There will be no difficulty about 
 that I feel sure."
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 ICE CREAM. 
 
 Three days after the conversation recorded in the last 
 chapter, Walter Sinclair was ushered into the editorial 
 sanctum of the great socialist organ, the Millennium. 
 
 Mr. Simkins, the editor of the paper, and one of the 
 leading lights of British socialism, was a middle-aged 
 gentleman of portly figure. He had a round good-natured 
 face, whose expression made one feel that its possessor was 
 pleased with himself and all the world. In short he was a 
 man who appeared to find life worth living. 
 
 Mr. Simkins rose as Walter entered, and, extending him 
 a friendly hand, bade him be seated. 
 
 " And what can I do for you, Mr. Sinclair ? " said the great 
 man, glancing at the card on the desk before him. " I 
 understand that you are one of the organizers of this great 
 Newsera scheme which has given us such a shock of delightful 
 surprise. We are inserting a full-page advertisement in our 
 next issue on Mr. Ledingham's instructions." 
 
 " Yes," said Walter, " I have been asked by my friend 
 Ledingham to assist him in the starting of the Colony, and 
 he and I both felt it our most pleasant duty to invite the 
 co-operation and advice of the great leaders of the socialist 
 movement. It is on this errand that I am here this 
 morning." 
 
 " I am greatly flattered by your invitation," replied the 
 editor, smiling benignantly, " and I shall be most happy 
 to assist you to the utmost of my ability. In fact, I was 
 engaged when you were announced, in the preparation of a 
 leader in which I intend to comment in the most favourable 
 manner on the far-seeing generosity of that great socialist, 
 Sir Philip Ledingham."
 
 ICE CREAM. 57 
 
 Walter could scarcely suppress a smile at the description, 
 but did not think it necessary to enter into explanations. 
 
 " Then I may tell my friend that we may count on your 
 assistance, Mr. Simkins ? " 
 
 " With the greatest pleasure, I am sure. You may count 
 on the support of the Millennium, and I shall be happy to 
 advise you personally on any difficult point of policy on which 
 you may wish to consult me." 
 
 " Your support and advice will be most valuable, I am 
 sure ; but what I specially wished to ask was whether we 
 might count on you as a member of the Colony ? " 
 
 " A member ? Well, that is rather a different matter and 
 will have to be considered. I imagine there will be some 
 sort of Council or Committee to manage the Colony ? " 
 
 " The Committee of Management consists at present of 
 Mr. Frank Ledingham, his sister, and myself; but there will 
 be an election of Councillors three months after the inaugu- 
 ration of the Colony, and it is hoped that a number of the 
 prominent leaders of the movement, such as yourself, will be 
 elected." 
 
 " I see. Might I ask what other leaders will be taking part ? 
 You are not having that ass Bletheringham, for instance ? " 
 
 " Mr. Bletheringham has promised to join us — or rather, 
 I should say, he declined ; but his wife informed me afterwards 
 that he had thought better of his decision." 
 
 Mr. Simkins gave a sudden short laugh. 
 
 " His wife, eh ? You may count on Bletheringham. And 
 who else ? Sansome of the Thunderer ? " 
 
 " I have not yet seen Mr. Sansome, or any of the other 
 leaders, but I hope to persuade them to join." 
 
 " Then let me give you a bit of advice. Keep clear of 
 Sansome and his clan. They are utterly impracticable. As 
 to Bletheringham, he is a fool, and will ruin any enterprise 
 he is mixed up in." 
 
 " Oh, I have no doubt you will find these gentlemen very 
 reasonable when you come to work with them in the 
 furtherance of the cause. I may put your name down, 
 Mr. Simkins?"
 
 58 NEW/ERA. 
 
 " Well, no, I am afraid I shall be obliged to decline. You 
 see I have to consider my responsibility to my shareholders. 
 I have made the Millennium a financial success, and they look 
 to me to keep it going." 
 
 " Your shareholders ? Do I understand then that the 
 Millennium is a dividend-paying concern ? " 
 
 " Yes, certainly. A great many of my readers hold 
 shares." 
 
 " But surely your readers must be socialists ? They 
 cannot surely bring themselves to accept money for which 
 they have done nothing at all ? " 
 
 " Oh, yes, and only too glad to get it. Preference share- 
 holders of course. I myself hold the ordinary shares." 
 
 " Really, you surprise me, Mr. Simkins. I feel sure I 
 remember reading in your last issue that all profits and 
 dividends are robbed from the workers, who are entitled to 
 the whole of the produce of their labour. Excuse my 
 request for enlightenment on this point. It has an important 
 bearing on the policy we shall have to pursue in Newsera." 
 
 " Well, you see, a paper like this cannot be run without 
 capital, and all the shareholders, including myself, are mainly 
 interested in helping forward the cause." 
 
 " Exactly ; I appreciate the motive for supplying the 
 capital, but I understood that socialists were always willing 
 to lend money without interest, and they should be doubly 
 willing when it is to further the cause. ' Lend, hoping for 
 nothing again,' is not that the rule ? " 
 
 " Well, you see, we are living in a capitalist society, and 
 we have to play the capitalist game. When we get socialism 
 it will be different. One man can't make socialism." 
 
 " No doubt that is true ; but I should have thought it 
 extremely important to set a correct example. If socialists 
 accept dividends how can they carry on a war against 
 dividend hunters ? As to the profits which presumably come 
 to you as ordinary shareholder, it would surely be only just 
 to share them equally with the writers, printers, and com- 
 positors, the workers in short who have produced them, and 
 to whom they belong. I hope you will not think I am
 
 ICE CREAM. 59 
 
 interfering unduly in your private affairs. My friends and I 
 will have to deal with a large amount of capital in connection 
 with Newaera, and I naturally look to you for guidance on 
 this important point." 
 
 Mr. Simkins rose and paced slowly from the door to the 
 window and back again. Then he resumed his seat. 
 
 " My dear Mr. Sinclair, as you evidently take an interest 
 in the affairs of the Millennium, I think it will be best to be 
 frank with you. Might I trouble you to look out of that 
 window ? " 
 
 Walter was rather surprised at this request, but complied 
 without hesitation. 
 
 " What do you see ? " said Mr. Simkins. 
 
 " Nothing but a rather dismal street." 
 
 " Is there nobody in sight ? " 
 
 " Only a man with a barrow, and a small boy." 
 
 " Ah, will you tell me what the man is doing ? " 
 
 " He appears to be selling ice cream." 
 
 " Thank you. Now, Mr. Sinclair, I want to ask you a 
 question. Do you suppose that man lives on ice cream ? " 
 
 " Well, no : I think it very unlikely." 
 
 "And so do I, very unlikely. I imagine he finds that 
 there are certain people who are glad to exchange pennies 
 for ice cream. He likes pennies better than ice cream, so he 
 makes the exchange. It does not do them any harm if they 
 don't take too much. In short, he sells ice cream to other 
 people, but he doesn't live on it himself. Do you take 
 me?" 
 
 "But do 3'ou mean to suggest ? " 
 
 " Precisely. I am like our friend in the street. I sell 
 socialism to certain persons who are glad to give me pennies 
 for it. It does them no harm, — in moderation of course, — 
 and the pennies do me a lot of good. I sell it, — but I don't 
 live on it." 
 
 " But do you mean me to understand that you, the editor 
 of a socialist newspaper, do not believe in socialism ? " 
 
 " Believe in it ? That's another matter. Ask our friend 
 there if he doesn't believe in ice cream. Of course I believe
 
 60 NEW^ERA. 
 
 in it, but I don't take it, — internally as one may say. It 
 doesn't agree with me." 
 
 " Well, I must say this appears to me a very strange 
 attitude, but I can imagine that one holding your views 
 would not be attracted by the idea of living in a socialist 
 colony." 
 
 " That is certainly the case. I am sorry to have shocked 
 your feelings Mr. Sinclair, but I feel sure you will come to 
 see the reasonableness of our attitude very soon. I expect 
 you have seen a good many references to the ' Zionist move- 
 ment ' ? Yes ? Well, did you never wonder why it is that 
 the Jews are always threatening to go to Palestine, — nobody 
 raises any objection, but they don't go. Shall I tell you the 
 reason? If they got to Palestine, they would have to make 
 their money out of Jews : it suits them a lot better to make it 
 out of Gentiles. You see ? It comes easier. Just the same 
 principle applies in our case. To be a socialist in a capitalist 
 community is all right, there is plenty to fire at. But to be 
 
 a socialist in a socialist community, is ." Mr. Simkins 
 
 ended with a gesture, very expressive, but quite inde- 
 scribable. 
 
 " Well, I sincerely trust you do the socialist party an 
 injustice, otherwise it is a poor lookout for Newsera. But I 
 feel confident that the views you expressed are not the usual 
 ones. I have never seen a sign of such an attitude among 
 influential socialists." 
 
 " You have not ? What about Australia ? They have a 
 socialist Government there. Have they brought in socialism ? 
 Not a bit of it. They believe in the nationalization of the 
 land, like all good socialists, but if you want a square mile or 
 so of land for your own exclusive property, you can have it 
 free gratis for nothing from the Australian Government, and 
 if they see you coming, they will go out to meet you, and 
 press you to take it and call it your own. I have not heard 
 of many socialists applying though. Undeveloped land is 
 not much in our line. No doubt our turn will come later," 
 and Mr. Simkins gave an expressive wink. 
 
 " Well, Mr. Simkins. I see it is useless to press you to
 
 ICE CREAM. 61 
 
 become a Newaeran. I will thank you for your courtesy, 
 and say good morning." 
 
 " Good morning, my dear Sir, and let me give you a 
 parting piece of advice. Don't run your head into a noose. 
 Take warning by what I have said, and above all keep clear 
 of the Sansome lot." 
 
 Letter from Walter Sinclair to Frank Ledingham. 
 
 Dear Frank, — I have called on all the leaders whose 
 names you gave me, and I must say the result is disappoint- 
 ing. Mr. Alexander Bletheringham was the first I saw. He 
 was rather scornful at the idea of an experiment which, he 
 said, could not possibly succeed, and he declined to have 
 anything to do with it. When I had left, Mrs. Bletheringham 
 came running after me, and said she and the children would 
 be delighted to join, and that Mr. B. had decided to come 
 too. There seems to be some joke about Mrs. B., but I can't 
 tell what it is. She does not strike me as a comic person 
 at all. 
 
 I then saw Mr. Simkins, who said he could not possibly 
 ioin because of his engagements to his shareholders. I don't 
 think we shall lose much by his absence. He warned me to 
 have nothing to do with Sansome or Bletheringham. Never- 
 theless I went to see Sansome at the Thunderer office. He 
 was very emphatic that we should keep clear of Simkins and 
 the " Fabian crew." He will not join himself because he 
 feels he can serve the cause better in his present sphere of 
 action. He also objects to living in the country. Says he 
 " likes a bit of life." I afterwards saw Marshall and Hill, 
 and Sanderson, but the result was the same in each case. 
 They all offered to give any amount of advice, and Sanderson 
 said he would come if he might run the show on his own 
 lines. Evidently we shall have to get on as best we can 
 without the leaders. I will be at the office on Thursday as 
 arranged. There should be some applications in by then, 
 
 Yours as ever, 
 
 Walter.
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 THE APPLICANTS. 
 
 Frank and Walter were seated at opposite sides of the 
 table in the office which had been hastily taken in the city. 
 The office bore signs that the time had been well occupied 
 since the outlines of the Newaera scheme were settled. 
 Pinned on the walls were plans and elevations of " model 
 dwellings " extracted from various architectural journals. 
 A set of shelves was crammed with Blue-books, almanacs, 
 census returns, and standard works on socialism, every- 
 thing that seemed likely to contain information or suggestions 
 bearing on the formation of a colony of socialists. On the 
 table between the two friends was a large pile of unopened 
 letters. A similar pile was on another table by the door, and 
 a veritable stack of letters was seen in one corner of the 
 office on the floor. 
 
 " Well," said Walter, " several of the eminent gentlemen I 
 have been calling on prophesied that we should get nobody 
 to come to Newaera. I wish they could see this office." 
 
 " We must not let ourselves be discouraged by people who 
 evidently want an excuse for standing out of the scheme," 
 said Frank, as he took a handful of letters, and proceeded to 
 rip them open and glance at the contents. " What have we 
 here ? Emily Warburton, typist, would like to become a 
 member if wages are as stated. Alice Green, milliner ditto. 
 Annie Swain — good paper this — thinks it would be lovely to be 
 a socialist and earn men's wages. Ethel Green, machinist, 
 always believed socialism would come : four pages of her 
 views on socialism. (Mrs.) J. Hodgson writes for husband, 
 who has a cold — nine children — feels sure the place will suit. 
 Susie Crampton, — I say, Walter, they are all women !
 
 THE APPLICANTS. 63 
 
 What does it mean ? Ah, here is a man, an old one by the 
 writing — been out of work for years, would like particulars of 
 employment. Mary Ann Smith, Susan Billingham — I am 
 afraid this is not a very hopeful lot." 
 
 " No, and this is not either. What did you put in the 
 advertisement ? " 
 
 " I gave very brief particulars of the scheme, applications for 
 membership invited — equal payment for men and women — 
 starting at 30s., and probably increased later on. Perhaps it 
 was a mistake to mention wages — too much like an appeal to 
 cupidity. Hullo, here is one at last, two in fact. Joe 
 Deacon, decent chap that he is, and his son Sam. They are 
 the right sort at any rate. Joe is one of the best foremen at 
 the Vulcan, a sound socialist and a thorough engineer. He 
 helped me with my experiments at the works : just like him 
 to apply as an ordinary member, and he offers to put his 
 savings into the scheme." 
 
 " He is evidently one of the sort we want, and there must 
 be plenty more like him. The question is how to get at 
 them. I think we shall have to organize meetings all over 
 the country, and explain what the scheme really is." 
 
 " Yes," said Frank, putting another handful of letters from 
 lady applicants on the growing pile. " I expected we should 
 have to hold some meetings, but in the meantime we must alter 
 that advertisement. I see, there is a sprinkling of applications 
 from men, and one or two of them might be suitable, but most 
 of those I have opened so far seem to be from people whose 
 idea is to get something out of socialism, not to do something 
 for it. We don't want people who take that attitude." 
 
 " I think it is a very common one, and not confined 
 to socialists." 
 
 " Not by any means, and it is likely to be common, so 
 long as the cry of every politician is, ' We will give you this 
 at someone else's expense.' If they would appeal to higher 
 motives than that of greed, if they would say, ' we ask you to 
 make this sacrifice for the good of your country,' they would 
 meet with quite as hearty a response, and would do more 
 credit to themselves and their cause."
 
 64 NEWiERA. 
 
 " I agree with all that, but I don't see how we are to 
 apply it. What sacrifice should we ask them to make ? " 
 
 " Well, I think we might do worse than take a suggestion 
 from Joe Deacon's spontaneous offer of his savings. Suppose 
 we ask each member to contribute, say, £20 towards the 
 expenses of the Colony." 
 
 " You mean as a loan, bearing interest ? " 
 
 " No, certainly not. Socialists have nothing to do with 
 interest. I mean a simple contribution towards expenses. 
 It will serve as a guarantee of good faith. A man who has 
 put by some money, and is willing to make a sacrifice for the 
 good of the cause, is pretty sure to be the sort we are 
 looking for." 
 
 " I think £10 would be more reasonable than £20, and 
 even that would keep out a lot of people who might be useful 
 members. For instance, we shall want some single women 
 to make our community complete, and £10 is a good deal for a 
 working woman to find." 
 
 " I don't think so. You must remember that we are 
 going to pay the women as much as the men. A woman 
 who puts down £10, and gets a situation for two years at 
 30s. a week, is not making a very great sacrifice. We shall 
 probably find more than we have room for." 
 
 " Possibly, but we shall not be giving assistance to those 
 who need it most." 
 
 " Of course not, but we are not starting a relief works. 
 My father's idea was to get together the pick of the socialists 
 of the country ; people who are, every one of them, useful 
 and successful members of the present society. If they 
 prove to be not less useful and successful under socialism, 
 then we shall have proved that a socialist society is a 
 possibility, which he and others have denied." 
 
 " Yes, I think that is reasonable. Suppose then we make 
 a rule that each adult member, that is each head of a family, 
 and each single man and woman who joins independently, is 
 to contribute at least £10 to the Colony, as a guarantee of 
 good faith." 
 
 At this point a clerk entered from the outer office. " There
 
 THE APPLICANTS. 65 
 
 is a man here named James Walsh, who would like to see 
 someone about membership." 
 
 " Is he the first to apply personally ? " 
 
 " Oh, no, sir. We had a crowd here when I opened the 
 office. They seemed to think it was a relief works. I told 
 them work would not be commenced for about a year, and 
 they said it was a ' frost,' and went away." 
 
 " Well, show Mr. Walsh in, please." 
 
 Mr. Walsh was ushered in, cap in hand, a typical, sturdy 
 English working-man in his working clothes — a man who 
 looked like business. 
 
 " Please sit down, Mr. Walsh," said Frank. " I under- 
 stand you wish to become a member of Newsera ? " 
 
 " Well, yes, sir, if the conditions are suitable, and if I am 
 considered suitable. I saw your notice in the paper, and I 
 just thought I would look in and inquire." 
 
 " Quite right. You are a socialist, I presume ? " 
 
 " Yes, sir." 
 
 " Have you any reference with you ? " 
 
 Mr. Walsh handed a letter to Frank. 
 
 " This seems all right. Are you working at present ? " 
 
 " No, sir. I'm out of a job at present, but I'm hoping to 
 get one on Monday." 
 
 " Very good. I hope you will be successful. Now you 
 will want to know the conditions of membership. Some 
 particulars are given in the advertisement, but there is one 
 condition that was not mentioned. It has been decided that 
 each member must make a contribution of £10 as a sort of 
 guarantee of good faith. The money will go towards the 
 expenses of the colony, which are, of course, very heavy." 
 
 Mr. Walsh considered for a minute. " Ten pounds is a 
 big sum for a man like me, sir. I don't say I mightn't be 
 able to raise it, but what I wanted to know about was the 
 wages. I think 30s. was mentioned." 
 
 " Yes, we think of starting at 30s., with something 
 additional for a wife and for each child. Are you a married 
 man, Mr. Walsh ? " 
 
 " No, sir. You see, sir, what I look at is this. I am a 
 n. F
 
 66 NEWiERA. 
 
 joiner by trade, and a clubman, and my club won't let me 
 work for less than club wages, which is 38s." 
 
 " I understand your position, but I don't think your club 
 need stand in your way. At present your employer pays you 
 38s. for a week's work, charges £4 or £5 for it, and puts the 
 difference in his pocket. In Newaera the whole product of 
 your labour will belong to yourself — that is, the whole product 
 of the labour of the colony will be divided among the workers, 
 so you will certainty be better off than you are at present." 
 
 " Well, that may be as you say; but I don't see where that 
 30s. comes in. My club won't let me work for that. Couldn't 
 you make it £4 or £5 like you say ? " 
 
 " You see, Mr. Walsh, we want to be on the safe side at 
 the beginning. It is likely that labour will not be fully 
 productive just at first, before we have got into the swing, but 
 at the end of the first year, or perhaps sooner, an estimate 
 will be made of the value of goods produced, and this value 
 will be the basis of the new rate of wages. As production 
 increases, the shares of all the workers will increase." 
 
 "Well, I can't say but what that's fair, only my club 
 won't let me take less than club wages, not for a week ; if I 
 do, I lose my membership, and then I shall get no benefit — 
 me that has been paying in regular these ten years. You 
 see, sir, this Newaera may not go on for more than two 
 years, and maybe not so long, and then where shall I be 
 without a job, and no out-of-work benefit ? " 
 
 " Very well, Mr. Walsh, I will consider your point. If you 
 will kindly fill in this form, which does not bind you in any 
 way, I will place your application before the Committee, and 
 communicate with you later." 
 
 Mr. Walsh filled in the application form, and took his leave. 
 
 " That seems one of the right sort," said Frank, placing 
 the form on a file. " I think this matter of union wages will 
 be a difficulty, though, unless we start at a higher figure, 
 and even if we put the wages at, say, £2, which would cover 
 most of the union rates, we shall still be underpaying 
 professional men, and we must have some — doctors, for 
 instance — if our State is to be a representative one."
 
 THE APPLICANTS. 67 
 
 "As for that," replied Walter, "there must be plenty of 
 doctors who are not earning £2 a week, and in any case we 
 must assume that socialists believe in socialism, and if they 
 believe in it they will be willing to stake something on it and 
 make some sacrifice. After all, the arrangement we make 
 now is only temporary, and if the community decides that 
 doctors should be paid more than joiners, it will be done. 
 The will of the people is supreme." 
 
 "Very well, then. Let us put the wages at £2, and keep 
 clear of the trade union difficulty. Of course, we shall have 
 this point to consider. The £2 we give a man in our 
 aluminium currency will be merely an order on the State 
 stores for a certain quantity of food, clothing, etc., and the 
 quantity he can get in exchange for his £2 will depend on 
 the prices we fix. How do you think we should fix the 
 prices of all the various articles ? " 
 
 " I think the simplest plan will be to take the English 
 market prices of all articles as they stand when the colony is 
 started, and let these be the permanent prices in Newsera. 
 We can't be always altering prices according to demand and 
 supply. When the time comes for raising wages all round, 
 it can be done by paying more money, or by lowering all 
 prices, whichever seems more convenient ; the result will be 
 the same in either case. I think there is one point we have 
 overlooked, though. Shall we pay young persons at the same 
 rates as experienced workers ? " 
 
 Frank took a minute for consideration. " Yes, I think 
 so," he said. "Apart from wife and family, for which we 
 are making special provision, the expenses of each individual 
 will be about the same ; indeed, the young man is likely to 
 eat more food and wear out more clothes than the old one. 
 I think the worker will accept the arrangement as a fair one, 
 whatever his age. He will be habituated to regard his 
 wages, not as a quid pro quo, but as the provision made by 
 society to enable him to carry out his labour. In practice I 
 expect this question of wages will give very little difficulty, 
 because everyone will have as much as he can possibly want 
 to spend." 
 
 f 2
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 THE ELECTION. 
 
 The year of preparation was a busy time for all the 
 members of the Selection and Management Committees. 
 Frank Ledingham devoted himself to superintending the 
 preparation of the Island of Newaera for its future popula- 
 tion, and his sister gave invaluable assistance, chiefly in the 
 way of suggestions for the comfort and convenience of the 
 houses and public buildings. A town of corrugated iron 
 houses first made its appearance, and served for the 
 accommodation of the workmen engaged in the building 
 operations. It was found possible to utilize only a few of 
 the buildings of the original village of St. Michael's, the 
 inhabitants of which had been bought out on very generous 
 terms. It was therefore necessary to provide practically the 
 whole of the buildings and equipment for a self-supporting 
 and self-governing community of 10,000 souls. The new 
 town of Newaera was erected on the site of the old village, 
 and comprised a Government building or town hall, with 
 council chamber, numerous offices, and mint ; a public hall 
 for meetings and entertainments, with library and recreation 
 rooms attached ; three churches ; a public eating-house ; a 
 school ; three large works, in each of which a number of 
 different trades were to be carried on, and ten smaller work- 
 shops for separate trades (all workshops equipped with 
 modern machinery for producing almost everything the 
 community would require) ; five large stores or shops, for the 
 distribution of the articles produced ; a general warehouse 
 for storage purposes, and 2,500 houses of different designs, 
 but all having about the same accommodation. Several 
 existing farmhouses were available, and more were provided, 
 togetherwith.houses for farm labourers. Almost the whole
 
 THE ELECTION. 69 
 
 of the undeveloped land in the island was at once put under 
 cultivation, so as to be ready, when the time came, to 
 produce all the food for the colonists, and the coal mine 
 was got into working order. All the work was of a plain, 
 substantial character, though architectural effects were 
 by no means neglected. The operations were carried out 
 by contractors, working under Frank's instructions and 
 supervision. 
 
 Meanwhile Walter Sinclair was busy on the mainland, 
 beating up and examining recruits, with the assistance of 
 the Selection Committee. The scheme was extensively 
 advertised, and public meetings were held in the principal 
 centres. The scheme was favoured with plenty of comment 
 and advice, and not a little ridicule by the general Press. 
 The socialist organs were especially free with their advice, 
 but by no means unanimous ; indeed, a bitter controversy 
 was waged between the Millennium and the Thunderer on 
 the question of wages, education, and the appointment of 
 officials. The view of the Thunderer was, that any com- 
 munity which admitted the mammon of unrighteousness, in 
 the form of money and wages payments, was doomed to 
 failure ; but very warm approval was given to the system of 
 appointment and discharge of officials by those under their 
 authority. The Millennium, on the other hand, considered 
 that any community which adopted such a system of 
 appointments was doomed to failure, but strongly approved 
 of the system of equal money payments. Simultaneously 
 with this exchange of thunderbolts there were minor skir- 
 mishes proceeding in all parts of the field. Bletheringham 
 and his school were strong in condemnation of the system of 
 prices based on those obtaining on the mainland. They 
 considered it essential to success that the price of each 
 article should be based on the time required to produce it ; 
 while the Sanderson school was opposed to the introduction 
 of money, wages, officials, Parliament, and the factory 
 system, any one of which was considered sufficient to doom 
 the scheme to failure. In short, it became evident that, 
 in the event of failure, every leading socialist in the country
 
 70 NEWiERA. 
 
 would be able truthfully to say that he had predicted the 
 result, though it seemed probable that no two leaders would 
 attribute failure to the same cause. 
 
 Among the general public the scheme was discussed with 
 lively interest. There were some who regarded it as an 
 injudicious advertisement of a noxious cult ; but as the details 
 of the scheme became known, there was a growing tendency 
 to regard it as a crucial experiment, by which socialism 
 was to stand or fall, and both socialists and anti-socialists 
 showed equal confidence in predicting the result which each 
 desired. 
 
 Among a certain class of the population, a good deal of 
 bitterness was caused by the £10 entrance fee, and the 
 vigorous inquiries of the Selection Committee ; indeed, there 
 was something approaching a riot in one North Country 
 town on the occasion of one of the public meetings. A 
 demonstration was organized among the unemployed, and 
 there was an unsuccessful attempt to break up the meeting 
 and mob the speakers. 
 
 The three friends who had undertaken the initial responsi- 
 bility of the colony were very little influenced by these 
 various demonstrations, though they congratulated them- 
 selves on having avoided the danger of divided counsels on 
 the Committee of Management. Their sole aim was to 
 establish the colony on sound, practical lines. They recog- 
 nized that mistakes would certainly be made, but were 
 content to trust to the good sense of the whole people of 
 the colony to rectify any blunders into which they might 
 unwittingly fall. 
 
 As the great day of inauguration approached the prospects 
 of the colony looked increasingly hopeful. The preparations 
 on the island were very far advanced. Applications for 
 membership were received in ample numbers, and more than 
 10,000 men, women and children had been accepted by the 
 Selection Committee, and nominated for membership. They 
 were drawn from all classes, and comprised parsons, doctors, 
 clerks, artizans, and labourers, with a fair proportion of 
 women workers. One month before the inauguration day
 
 THE ELECTION. 71 
 
 the final election of members took place. A full list of 
 nominated persons was printed and distributed among the 
 candidates themselves. Each candidate was required to 
 return his list to the central office, after having crossed off 
 the names of any candidates whom he might consider 
 undesirable. The result of the election caused some amuse- 
 ment. The names of the twenty-seven socialist parsons who 
 had been nominated were crossed off more than 2,000 of the 
 papers. All the other candidates were elected.
 
 Part III 
 REALIZATION
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 THE FfiTE. 
 
 Inauguration day had arrived. For a fortnight past, 
 Newserans, singly and in family parties, had been converging 
 from all parts of the kingdom to the port of embarkation, 
 whence they were conveyed in specially chartered steamers 
 to the shores of their promised land. Each steamer-load of 
 emigrants was welcomed on arrival by the three friends who 
 had made themselves responsible for the comfort and well- 
 being of the colonists, and the newcomers were personally 
 conducted to the houses that had been allotted to them. 
 
 In every home a welcome had been prepared. Blanche 
 Ledingham had made this her especial care. Every house 
 was surrounded by a garden gay with flowers. Each had a 
 well-stocked kitchen garden behind. In the living-room was 
 a meal ready laid, and in the centre of the table a great bowl 
 of flowers. The rooms were furnished with simple, artistic 
 taste, and fitted with every appliance that could add to the 
 comfort and convenience of the home — everywhere were 
 those little touches which only a woman can impart. In 
 this work, Blanche had been assisted by an army of willing 
 helpers. Over a thousand of the women and girls had been 
 landed in advance, and had busied themselves under her 
 supervision in giving the final touches to the homes of those 
 who were to follow. It was now nearly a week since the 
 last batch of colonists had arrived, with such of their 
 personal property as they cared to bring with them, and they 
 had spent the intervening days in unpacking, arranging, and 
 settling in their new quarters. 
 
 Inauguration day dawned bright and clear. The village 
 was awakened early by the pealing of bells from the three 
 churches (not for service, though it was Sunday), and a band
 
 76 NEWjERA. 
 
 of young men and women was soon parading the village 
 street, with voices joined in songs from the " Socialist Song 
 Book." Very soon the whole village was astir, and the street 
 was thronged with happy colonists in holiday dress, laugh- 
 ing, singing, and exchanging greetings and congratulations 
 on the dawn of a new era of peaceful co-operation. 
 
 The morning was devoted to an exchange of visits, and to 
 viewing the public buildings, now thrown open for the first 
 time. First, there was the town hall, with the Parliament 
 room, in which the chosen representatives of the people were 
 to meet and discuss the best means for giving effect to the 
 people's will — the long suite of offices in which the business 
 of the colony was to be transacted ; the mint, with its engine 
 and coining press, and its boxes of shining aluminium tokens 
 — shillings, half-crowns, and sovereigns — which were to be 
 paid to all in fair proportion, and were to be exchanged for the 
 articles the colonists would themselves make for their own 
 consumption and not for the profit of the greedy taskmaster. 
 
 Then there was the spacious public hall, with its polished 
 floor, its platform and galleries. On either side were read- 
 ing-rooms, billiard-rooms, playing-rooms for children, a 
 library with well-filled shelves, and a large room for social 
 intercourse, with a plentiful supply of easy chairs, and little 
 tables for quiet games — chess, cards, dominoes, and so forth. 
 
 There was the printing house, where the Newara Record 
 was to be produced, and the works of the Newsera poets and 
 authors published. The school, the churches (for which 
 some secular use would have to be found), the factories, 
 where work had been begun by bands of workmen brought 
 from the mainland and left in readiness for the colonists to 
 take up — all had to be inspected and admired, for all were 
 the common property of the people themselves, to be used 
 by themselves, for their own pleasure and convenience, to 
 satisfy their own wants. 
 
 At midday the town hall bell was heard, and the people 
 gathered on the village green and seated themselves in 
 groups under the trees. Volunteers were called to the 
 eating-house close by, and soon a stream of willing helpers
 
 THE FETE. 77 
 
 was seen to issue with trays of smoking viands, to be partaken 
 of, picnic fashion, on the grass, while those of the older folks 
 who preferred to have their meal within doors were seated 
 in the large hall of the public eating-house. 
 
 As Blanche and Walter and Frank threaded their way 
 among the various groups on the green, greeting newly-made 
 acquaintances and stopping now and again to give a word 
 of welcome to some veteran of the cause or to discuss some 
 point of Newaeran policy, their hearts were gladdened by the 
 charming scene around them — the sunlit green, dappled with 
 shade from the fine old elms that had been the pride of 
 St. Michael's village, lighted up by the bright dresses of the 
 women and children, and by the happy faces on every side. 
 Music was not wanting to add gaiety to the picnic, for a band 
 of musicians had been got together, and was playing a lively 
 air on the verandah of the eating-house : and now all talk 
 was hushed, as the clear voice of a factory lass rang out in 
 a stirring song of the North Country. 
 
 Dinner being over, there was a shifting of the groups — on 
 one side a party of youths and maidens were playing rounders 
 among the trees ; here two good-natured giants, Walter 
 Grimshaw, a mechanic from the Vulcan Works, and Sam 
 Wallis, the master baker, formed the centre of a group, 
 whose frequent bursts of laughter greeted each fresh sally of 
 wit and repartee. Merry children were everywhere ; under 
 a giant elm, Joe Deacon and a dozen or so of the elder men 
 were earnestly discussing knotty points of socialist policy. 
 Not far away Mr. Bletheringham, the socialist orator, stood 
 with hand uplifted in the midst of a ring of seated listeners, 
 holding forth on the new era that had dawned that day. 
 " My friends," he was saying as the three passed by — "My 
 friends, you ask me what is socialism ? Well may you ask. 
 I bid you go to the machine workers of our great northern 
 towns, who are chained for eleven hours a day to a 
 monotonous toil, with the eye of the overseer and the fear of 
 dismissal spurring them on to an exertion which leaves them 
 at the end of the day physical wrecks, with no ambition but 
 to restore their wasted energies at the nearest public-house.
 
 78 NEWjERA. 
 
 I bid you go to the pottery and chemical workers, whose 
 systems are poisoned, whose sight is destroyed. Go to the 
 sweater's victims, living, eating, working, dying in one room, 
 for which a vampire landlord will take in rent one half of all 
 the family can earn by working day and night. You ask me 
 
 what is socialism ? Goto the " Mr. Bletheringham was 
 
 seen to stagger and suddenly subside on the grass. Several 
 of his hearers started to their feet in alarm for his safety, but 
 soon their fears were allayed. His faithful spouse, seated 
 behind him with her nine young hopefuls, had exercised a 
 gentle persuasion on his coat tails, and he had lost his 
 balance. His oration was cut short, but his question was 
 answered. Socialism had come. It was here around him. 
 
 So passed the afternoon, and gradually the groups melted, 
 and the happy colonists took their way homeward to the 
 evening meal. But the great day was not yet ended. Again 
 the town hall bell rang forth, and the people flocked to the 
 public hall, where a social gathering was to be held, and 
 Frank Ledingham, the chief servant of the little common- 
 wealth, was to give an account of his stewardship, to explain 
 the policy of the State, and to answer questions. The 
 business being over, refreshments were handed round, and 
 the company was entertained with song and recitation. 
 Meanwhile, in one of the churches near by the chairs had 
 been pushed aside, and the floor cleared for a dance. Here 
 the younger people were assembled, with Blanche to give 
 introductions and set them at their ease ; but this indeed was 
 scarcely necessary : it was difficult to realize that most of 
 the assembled guests were strangers only a week ago. 
 
 The morrow was to be the first day of regular work, and 
 the festivities were not carried far into the night. The 
 town hall bell was sounded once more, and the tired and 
 happy Newaerans escorted each other home under the stars.
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 WORK AND WAGES. 
 
 " Sorry I have nothing better to offer you," said Blanche, 
 as she handed round a tray containing a large plate of 
 biscuits and some glasses of water. " I was helping Miss 
 Perkins, the laundry superintendent, all the morning, and 
 when I went out to do my shopping this afternoon, I found 
 all the stores were closed." 
 
 It was the Saturday evening following on the Sunday 
 inauguration day. The three friends were assembled in the 
 cosy living-room of No. 27, Liberty Street, the cottage which 
 they shared with Joe Deacon and his son Sam. Newasra 
 had done a week's work, and it had been a busy week for the 
 Management Committee. It had been arranged that Frank 
 should act as General Superintendent of Production, and 
 Walter as General Superintendent of Distribution. Blanche 
 had not assumed any official title, but she had found ample 
 employment in visiting the school, the laundry, the weaving 
 shed — all the places where women's work was carried on, and 
 where her advice and assistance might be required by the 
 women whom she had appointed to take charge. 
 
 " Doesn't it seem rather an awkward arrangement to have 
 the stores closed on Saturday afternoon and evening ? " said 
 Walter, eyeing the biscuits doubttully. " Is it to be a regular 
 arrangement ? " 
 
 " I don't think it is a very good one," replied Frank. " I 
 met Simkins, of store No. 1 just now, and asked him about it. 
 He said he supposed he was to work the same hours as all 
 the rest — 8 to 12 and 1 to 5 ; Saturdays 8 to 12 and — anyway, 
 he and his assistants had to go to the town hall at 12 for 
 their wages, so they shut up the store. I know some of them 
 had to wait till nearly 2 o'clock before they were paid, so I 
 could not grumble."
 
 80 NEWiERA. 
 
 " Do you think we should let the arrangement stand, 
 then ? " 
 
 " No. I said he must fetch all his people's wages himself, 
 or send someone for them, and arrange for the store to be 
 open Saturday afternoon and evening. It is the only time 
 many of the workers have for shopping." 
 
 " He had no objection ? " 
 
 " Well, he asked if he was to be paid extra for working 
 longer hours than the rest. Of course I couldn't agree to 
 that, so I told him to open at 9 instead of 8 each morning. 
 He consented to try it, though, as he said quite truly, it is 
 not quite the same thing as Saturday afternoon, and he 
 thought some of the assistants might be a little upset about 
 it. You were at the town hall at paying time, weren't you ? 
 How did it go off ? " 
 
 " Oh, fairly well, I think. We were short-handed at the 
 town hall, and it took much too long. The work has been 
 behind all the week, and I shall have to take a few men from 
 the printing office, and perhaps a few girls from the weaving 
 shed and dressmaking to help. We have only 120 workers 
 at the town hall, and I propose to instal ten more on 
 Monday." 
 
 " How did they like the new coinage ? " 
 
 " I think it was rather admired. Some of the workers 
 seemed in rather a hurry to get to the stores to see whether 
 an aluminium shilling would work as well as a silver one. 
 That reminds me," Walter went on with a laugh; "there 
 was one exception. Simple Ab wouldn't have anything to 
 do with aluminium money." 
 
 " Who is Simple Ab ? " asked Blanche. 
 
 " Oh, haven't you heard ? Why, Bletheringham. He has 
 got himself nicknamed ' Simple Ab ' by his habit of talking 
 about ' Simple Abstract Necessary Social Human Labour,' on 
 every possible occasion. They say he never gets beyond 
 ' Simple Ab' now before something is thrown at him. Anyway, 
 he would not have his wages in aluminium : he said he had 
 looked in at the mint, and seen one man making aluminium 
 sovereigns 100 a minute, and there was not enough
 
 WORK AND WAGES. 81 
 
 simple abstract necessary social human labour expended to 
 
 make them worth a sovereign, so he insisted on being paid in 
 
 gold and silver." 
 
 " But I suppose they had not any to give him ? " 
 
 " No, of course not, but I happened to have some of the 
 
 old money in my office, so I gave him his wages in gold and 
 
 silver, and he went off chuckling." 
 
 " Do you know what the week's wages come to ? " 
 
 " Yes," said Walter, taking a slip of paper from his pocket. 
 
 " I asked the head cashier, and made a note of the figures. 
 
 Here they are : — 
 
 1,543 married men at £2 - 
 i,53° wives at 10s. - 
 3,057 children under 16 at 5s. - 
 1,983 single women workers at £2 
 1,930 single men at £2 
 
 £ 
 
 s. 
 
 d. 
 
 3,086 
 
 
 
 
 
 765 
 
 
 
 
 
 764 
 
 5 
 
 
 
 3,966 
 
 
 
 
 
 3,860 
 
 
 
 
 
 10,043 £12,441 5 o 
 
 We shall have to raise our £12,000 a week to pay wages 
 with." 
 
 "What an awful lot of money!" said Blanche, as she 
 cleared away the remains of the frugal meal. " Do you 
 think the mint will be able to keep up with it ? " 
 
 " It is not a question of the mint," said Frank, with a 
 smile. " Most of the money will be paid in every week at 
 the stores in exchange for food and clothing and other things, 
 and of course it will be paid out again on the Saturday, and 
 so on, over and over again." 
 
 "That is so," said Walter, "but the question does arise 
 whether the colony will be able to produce £12,000 worth of 
 goods every week, so that the things will be there for the 
 people to buy. What do you think about that ? " 
 
 " I see no reason to expect that supplies will run short. 
 Of course we are consuming wheat, and not producing any 
 at present, but the harvest will be ready in two months or 
 so. In the meantime we have a fair stock of corn — not 
 
 n. g
 
 82 NEWiERA. 
 
 quite enough to last us till our own comes in, perhaps ; 
 but we have a balance at the bank in London, and of 
 course we shall have to look to our export trade to supply 
 deficiencies." 
 
 " Yes, no doubt we shall be able to manufacture far more 
 than we can consume. Do you happen to know what the 
 cash balance is ? " 
 
 " Yes, it amounts to just about what we received in 
 entrance fees — something over £"40,000. All that remained 
 of my father's bequest was laid out in stores. Well, Joe, 
 how are things in the village ? " 
 
 Joe Deacon and his son came in laden with parcels, which 
 they deposited on the table. 
 
 " Everything is going on very nicely," said Joe, throwing 
 himself into a chair. " Sam and I have been round to the 
 reading-room. When we came out I noticed the stores were 
 open, so I did a bit of shopping for Miss Blanche." 
 
 " Thank you, Joe, that is a great help," said Blanche, 
 inspecting the purchases. " But you have forgotten the 
 sugar, and there are one or two things I want for the house. 
 I will just run out and get them. How is it the stores have 
 opened again ? " 
 
 " Well, from what I can hear there was a bit of a row 
 about it. The farm folks and miners had their wages sent 
 out to them, and they came trooping in this afternoon to do 
 their shopping for the week-end. Some of them were hungry, 
 and they were a bit upset to find the restaurant and all the 
 stores closed. They routed out some of the assistants, and 
 made them take down their shutters. There was a bit of 
 grumbling about working overtime." 
 
 Blanche left the room to put on her things, and Joe turned 
 to Frank. 
 
 "Talking of overtime, Mr. Frank, I think your sister is 
 overdoing it. She is working as hard as any of us all day, all 
 over the village, and when she comes home there is a lot to 
 be done in the house. Of course we four men do what we 
 can to help, but men are not much good at these things. 
 Don't you think we could get someone to help her ? "
 
 WORK AND WAGES. 83 
 
 As Blanche came in with her basket on her arm, Frank 
 put the case to her. 
 
 "Joe has been suggesting that you should have some help 
 in the house, Blanche. He is afraid you are doing too much 
 overtime. What do you say ? " 
 
 Blanche stood with her basket resting on the table, and 
 her cloak thrown back. The hard work and responsibility 
 of the past year had left their mark upon her. She was 
 more womanly, and not less charming, but, looking at her 
 critically, Frank saw with some concern that there were 
 signs of undue strain about her eyes, and he inwardly 
 reproached himself for having allowed her in her enthusiasm 
 to overtax her strength. " Yes," she said, " I have thought 
 of that myself; not that I should not be very glad to go on 
 as we are at present, but I am afraid I can't make you as 
 comfortable as I should like unless I have some help. But 
 I don't know how to go about getting any. You see, all the 
 married women have their own houses to look after. I could 
 easily get a girl, but — should I offer her wages ? They are 
 all getting £2 a week, and I could not offer her less." 
 
 "You certainly must not make any such arrangement," 
 said Frank decidedly. "We must not begin introducing 
 wage-slavery. She will be doing useful work, and the State 
 will have to pay her, just as before." 
 
 " Yes, I thought you would say that ; in fact, I spoke to a 
 girl, who would be very glad to come, as she does not care 
 for the factory work ; but she naturally thinks of the £2 a 
 week she is earning, and she says she can only get it if the 
 superintendent gives her a signed wage certificate to take to 
 the town hall. If she came here we could not pay her 
 wages as you say, and who would give her her certificate ? " 
 
 " Why, you would, of course. She would be working 
 under your instructions, and you would be her superin- 
 tendent." 
 
 " Oh, well, that's all right if I can do it. You might 
 get me some of the certificate forms from the town hall. I 
 suppose in that case anybody can give a wage certificate ? " 
 
 Frank hesitated a little. " Well, yes," he said at last, ** I 
 
 g 2
 
 84 NEW.ERA. 
 
 suppose it does practically come to that. Of course we are 
 all equal, and what applies to you would apply equally to 
 anyone else who wanted help — a nurse, for instance, or a 
 gardener," 
 
 "I say, Frank," put in Walter, "we must be a little 
 careful. If anyone can give a wage certificate to anyone 
 else, we may as well dispense with them altogether. We 
 have got as decent a lot of people as one could possibly get 
 together, but still — we are all human." 
 
 " Yes, I see that point," said Frank, and he considered a 
 minute. " I think I see how to manage it. I will appoint 
 a Superintendent of Private Employment. I have the very 
 man in my eye. He is superintending the paper mill, doing 
 splendid work. I will establish him at the town hall, and 
 anyone who wants help of this kind will apply to him for a 
 licence to give wage certificates. He will want, say, half a 
 dozen inspectors under him to see that genuine work is 
 being done for the wages. You can spare six of your men 
 for inspectors, Joe ? " 
 
 " Well, Mr. Frank, the export department are pressing 
 us to get on with a set of pumps for shipment, but I suppose 
 I shall have to spare some men if they are wanted at the 
 town hall." 
 
 The matter of domestic help being settled, Blanche took 
 her departure, and Walter volunteered to accompany her, 
 to carry her parcels. 
 
 When they had gone, the three men lighted their pipes, 
 and Sam buried himself in the first number of the Newcera 
 Record. 
 
 "There is one thing I wanted to consult you about, 
 Mr. Frank," said Joe, leaning forward in his easy chair. 
 " We had a little trouble at the workshop the other day, and 
 I am not sure if I acted right. You know Grimshaw, from 
 the Vulcan Works ? " 
 
 " Yes, I think so ; a powerful man with reddish hair, 
 isn't he?" 
 
 "Yes, that's the man. Well, he was under me at the 
 Vulcan, and I always got on pretty well with him, though he
 
 WORK AND WAGES. 85 
 
 was sometimes a bit difficult to manage. He is a clever 
 workman, and a great favourite with the men. Well, on 
 Thursday I told him to fix a bracket of a press we are 
 building for the printing works, and he fixed it all wrong. I 
 told him to fix it again, and he refused — said it was right 
 enough, and was a bit saucy. I don't think now that he 
 meant it badly, but I am a bit hasty, and I am used to 
 having the work done as I want it. Anyway, I told him he 
 could do as I said or get out of it. He was huffy, and said 
 he would have his wages note. I gave it him, and he 
 walked out of the place." 
 
 " I think you were quite right," said Frank. " You are 
 responsible for the work, and of course you must insist on 
 your orders being obeyed." 
 
 " That's just how I looked at it, Mr. Frank ; but that was 
 not the last of Grimshaw. Ten minutes after, he came 
 round to the front door, asking for a job. In fact he said he 
 had a right to work, and demanded to be taken on. Of 
 course I couldn't deny his right to work, so I let him come 
 in — rather I should say he came in without asking for 
 permission. I fixed the bracket myself so as not to have 
 another tussle with him." 
 
 " It was certainly a difficult position," said Frank 
 meditatively. "I can see a good deal of tact will be required, 
 but you have so much experience of dealing with men, 
 that I have no doubt you will get on the right side of 
 them." 
 
 " I will do my best," said Joe dubiously, " but I can't see 
 my way very clear. You see, some of the youngsters 
 thought it a very good joke, and all yesterday they were 
 trying to get me to sack them, so that they could do like 
 Grimshaw." 
 
 " I am glad you mentioned it," said Frank; " I will think 
 it over. Ah, here come these two, with groceries enough 
 to provision a fort. You found the stores open, then ? " 
 
 " Yes," said Blanche, taking off her hat, and tidying her 
 hair before the glass of a picture, " the stores were open, 
 and we have had such fun. When we got to No. 1, we found
 
 86 NEW/ERA. 
 
 Mr. Simkins and Simple Ab having an altercation, with a 
 crowd of people round them. Simple Ab had gone to buy 
 two loaves of bread, and offered a golden sovereign in 
 payment. Mr. Simkins declined to change it as it was not 
 Newasra money. He offered to give him five Newsera 
 shillings for it, as a speculation on his own account, but 
 refused to take it in payment for goods. Simple Ab was 
 furious. He said the value was fixed by the amount of 
 Simple Abstract Necessary Social Human Labour that had 
 been expended in mining the gold and making it into a 
 sovereign, and he was going to have that value for it." 
 
 "And no doubt Mr. Simkins was convinced ? " said Frank 
 laughing. 
 
 " No, he wasn't. He said he always supposed the value 
 of a thing depended on whether people valued it or not, and 
 he didn't value money that wouldn't buy anything, no 
 matter how much blank, blank, blank, blank labour it had 
 got in it." 
 
 " So poor old Alexander had to go to bed supperless ? " 
 
 " Oh, no, indeed. They were still at it when a sort of a 
 whirlwind in petticoats came into the store, spun poor 
 Alexander round as if he had been a dead leaf, seized the 
 loaves, and vanished down the street, with Alexander Ab 
 trotting at her heels." 
 
 There was a general laugh at poor Simple Ab's expense. 
 Soon afterwards the company retired to bed, but before they 
 left, Frank called Joe Deacon aside. " I will be round at 
 your shop on Monday morning, Joe, and give Grimshaw a 
 little straight talk. We can't have the whole colony ruined 
 by such folly as that." 
 
 " I am sure I shall be glad if you will come round, Mr. 
 Frank ; but I would like to warn you he is a queer one to 
 deal with. I said something about speaking to you, and he 
 said he didn't care that for you. He would show Frank 
 Ledingham that socialism means equality. I thought it best 
 to mention it, so you would be prepared." 
 
 " Thank you, Joe ; I will see what I can do with him."
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 ARISTOCRACY OF LABOUR. 
 
 " Will you come round to the town hall with me this 
 afternoon ? " said Walter Sinclair, pushing his chair back 
 from the dinner table. " There are one or two things I 
 should like to discuss with you." 
 
 Frank readily agreed, and the two set off. They stopped 
 in the garden to gather a buttonhole each. It was evident 
 that Blanche had found time to give the flowers some 
 attention. 
 
 As the two friends walked down the village street, they 
 heard a chorus of girls' voices in the distance. Turning a 
 corner, they came in view of a charming picture on the 
 village green. A group of about a hundred women and 
 girls were seated on the grass, where it was shaded by one 
 of the giant trees. They were engaged in fancy work or 
 knitting, and were singing the chorus of a well-known song. 
 In the background a number of men were playing cricket, 
 and others lay on the grass, watching and applauding the 
 game. 
 
 " A holiday ? " said Frank in a puzzled voice. " I wonder 
 what is the meaning of this ! " 
 
 " I think I see Miss Blanche among them," said Walter, 
 and immediately Blanche was seen advancing towards them. 
 
 " Well, you seem to be having a very merry time out 
 here," said her brother. " Work over for the day ? " 
 
 " I am afraid you will think we are very idle," she said 
 apologetically. " You see, these are the workers from the 
 laundry. They could not get on with their work because 
 there was no soap, and Miss Perkins asked me if they might 
 come out here, as it was so fine. It was no good stopping 
 indoors, when there was nothing to do there,"
 
 88 NEW.ERA. 
 
 " No soap ! I don't understand. Do you mean there is 
 no soap in Newasra ? " 
 
 " Not a little bit, I believe, except what the people have 
 got in their houses. The soap works is shut up. There are 
 the men playing cricket." 
 
 " Well, this is very interesting. Do you happen to know 
 why the soap works is shut up ? " 
 
 " I think they have run short of soda, or something they 
 want. The town hall forgot to order it from the mainland." 
 
 Frank shrugged his shoulders, and the two men saluted 
 and passed on. 
 
 " They are understaffed at the town hall," said Walter, 
 as they took the short road leading from the green to the 
 town hall. " I keep going round to the factories for more 
 recruits, and the superintendents are grumbling at my taking 
 their best men for town hall duty, but I can see we shall 
 have to have more. It is not the first time this has 
 happened. Only yesterday a lot of the carpenters were off 
 because they hadn't any nails ; the nail makers were stopped 
 for wire, because the wire mill had been making tons of one 
 size which was not wanted, so far as I could make out, and 
 which was too small for nails." 
 
 " I know there has been a good deal of grumbling about 
 bad management at the town hall," said Frank, as they 
 entered Walter's private office. " I suppose these hitches 
 are bound to occur until we get properly organized. We 
 must have a staff of men whose sole business it is to see 
 that each factory is supplied with all the materials it requires, 
 and, by the way, I think we had better have an office for 
 appointing officials. I have been spending all my time this 
 last week examining various workers as to their qualifications 
 for town hall work. What we want is an Appointment 
 Committee of men and women. I will go round to the 
 clothing department tomorrow, and see if I can find a few 
 suitable people. However, that is by the way. What did 
 you want to consult me about ? " 
 
 " It was this," said Walter, producing an account book, 
 and several sheets of paper. " I have been going round the
 
 ARISTOCRACY OF LABOUR. 89 
 
 warehouse and stores, now that the first month is up, and 
 roughly taking stock of some of the principal items. I find 
 we have less than two weeks' supply of corn at the present 
 rate of consumption. It will be at least a month, or perhaps 
 two, before we can begin to use our own crop: we have 
 spent more than half the balance we had in the bank at 
 starting, and the stock of some absolutely necessary things is 
 very low indeed. Here are the figures. I think it will be 
 necessary to take some steps at once, or we shall be in 
 difficulties before the harvest comes in. After that, no doubt, 
 it will be all right." 
 
 " It is certainly a serious state of affairs," said Frank, 
 after he had carefully gone through the calculations Walter 
 had placed before him. " Still, we shall be having a good 
 deal in the way of manufactured goods to send over the 
 water, and that should go a long way towards buying us any 
 food we need. Had you thought of any particular way of 
 meeting the difficulty ? " 
 
 " Well, yes, I have been thinking over several ways. You 
 see, the difficulty arises from two causes. In the first place, 
 the goods coming into the warehouse from the factories do 
 not amount to very much — not nearly enough to supply the 
 wants of the colony and pay for what we have to import. 
 I have been hoping they would increase, but they seem 
 rather to diminish in quantity. There have been a good many 
 hitches and stoppages from one cause and another. In the 
 second place, the consumption of almost everything is very 
 high, and is increasing. The people have higher wages than 
 many of them have been accustomed to, and they spend 
 them freely. I am afraid there is a certain amount of waste ; 
 for instance, I saw some children pelting each other with 
 flour the other day. Their mother rebuked them, certainly ; 
 but chiefly, I think, on account of the mess they were making. 
 Flour is cheap enough." 
 
 " And you propose to raise the price ? " 
 
 " I have thought of three ways of dealing with the situa- 
 tion. We might reduce the wages, or increase the prices, or 
 limit the supply."
 
 go NEWMERA. 
 
 " A reduction of wages is always unpopular." 
 
 " Yes, and so is a general rise in prices, which comes to 
 exactly the same thing. Of course it was arranged that we 
 should adjust the distribution of commodities on the basis of 
 the production over a sufficiently long period ; but in the 
 meantime something must be done, and I think the best 
 thing will be to limit the supply. Suppose the warehouse 
 sends a limited amount of each article, such as flour, into the 
 stores each day; we can then easily make the stock hold out, 
 and still there will be enough for all, though not enough to 
 waste." 
 
 " Yes, I agree with you. To begin raising the prices 
 would be simply introducing the bad old system of supply 
 and demand, which we have definitely abolished." 
 
 " Very well, I will see that it is done. I have worked out 
 the quantities of a few of the principal articles that we can 
 afford to distribute each day, and I will hand over the list to 
 the warehouse superintendent." 
 
 " Very good ; I think that will put an end to our difficulties, 
 unless you have something else ? " 
 
 " No other difficulties, but I have a proposal. I think we 
 are in danger of getting into a rut. We ought to make an 
 effort to stimulate initiative, invention, and the higher 
 branches of literature and art. We have plenty of talent 
 amongst us, but it wants bringing out. Of course it is 
 unnecessary and undesirable to hold forth the vulgar 
 incentive of gain, so I propose that we fix on certain titles to 
 be conferred on anyone who renders a special service to the 
 State — makes a great invention, or writes a good book. 
 What do you think of the idea ? " 
 
 " Excellent ! We might have a range of titles borrowed 
 from the old aristocracy — Knights, Baronets, Earls, and so on. 
 They would be better understood and appreciated than any 
 that we could invent." 
 
 " Yes, that was my idea. We shall have to appoint a 
 committee to confer the titles. Poor old Deacon will 
 have to part with some more of his men to go on the com- 
 mittee for judging inventions. The committee will authorize
 
 ARISTOCRACY OF LABOUR. 91 
 
 the factory to carry out experiments, and all the work in 
 connection with the inventions that they approve ; and we 
 have plenty of men of culture and artistic taste who can go 
 on the committee for judging works of literature and art. 
 We could call it the Honours Committee. I will instruct 
 the Appointment Committee to look out some suitable mem- 
 bers, both men and women." 
 
 " I am afraid they can't sit in the town hall : we are 
 crowded out here as it is." 
 
 " No, I thought of that. We had better have one of the 
 churches fitted up as offices : they are empty at present, and 
 they could easily be partitioned off into quite a number of 
 good offices." 
 
 " A very good idea. It will relieve the pressure at the 
 town hall, and find employment for a number of men." 
 
 " Yes, but — do you know, Frank ? — I have begun to look at 
 employment in rather a different light since I came here. 
 Take a man working in the bakery. He is producing bread, 
 which either he or someone else will eat. Take that man 
 and put him on one of our committees, or set him on 
 Government work. He will eat just as much bread, but he 
 will no longer produce any. There is one less worker, but 
 the same number of mouths to be fed, so all will have to 
 go a little short or else the productive workers that are left 
 will have to work a little harder. I never saw it quite in 
 that light in the old country, but I suppose the same 
 principle applies there." 
 
 " I am sure I don't know. According to that, the fewer 
 the officials the Government appoints, and the less public 
 work it undertakes, the richer the people will be. It seems 
 an extraordinary conclusion to arrive at. At any rate it is 
 clearly true in Newa;ra, as you say, and I am always against 
 sending workers to the town hall unless it is absolutely 
 necessary." 
 
 It was now near closing time, so the two friends wrote out 
 instructions for the Appointment Committee to get together 
 an Honours Committee. They drew up a notice relating to 
 the new honorary titles, to be posted outside the town hall,
 
 92 NEW^SRA. 
 
 and made arrangements for the conversion of No. i church 
 into offices. This work completed, they set out for home. 
 
 On their way they earnestly discussed the prospects of the 
 new aristocracy of labour, and they were just approaching 
 the village green when both simultaneously uttered a cry of 
 surprise, and stopped dead. Both had been sprinkled from 
 head to foot with what appeared to be dirty water. They 
 looked round, but there was nobody in sight. After hastily 
 wiping their faces and clothes, they walked up to a clump of 
 elder bushes that grew beside the path, and which seemed 
 to be the only place where their assailant could be finding 
 cover. As they approached the bushes, they heard the 
 sound of running footsteps, and perceived two small boys 
 scampering across the field. Both gave chase, and soon 
 succeeded in capturing one of the fugitives, a grimy urchin, 
 grasping in one hand a garden syringe. Walter took a firm 
 grip of his coat collar, and they returned to the road, with 
 their captive between them. 
 
 "Now, you young rascal," said Frank, "what do you 
 mean by that ? Do you know who I am ? " 
 
 " Old Leather Hams," said the boy insolently. 
 
 " That is not my name, but I think I know your name, 
 and if you have no objection, we will call on your father 
 together. How is it you are not in school ? " 
 
 " Don't go to school." 
 
 " Oh, don't you ? then I think it is a pity. I suppose your 
 mother didn't teach you that nasty trick ? " 
 
 " I learnt it myself," said the boy, with a grin. 
 
 " And what does your mother teach you then ? " 
 
 "Teaches me with a strap if I come in her way, but I 
 don't." 
 
 " I suppose you go home sometimes — at mealtimes for 
 instance ? " 
 
 " I go to the eating-house in the village." 
 
 The three now turned into the garden of a pretty cottage, 
 and were greeted at the door by a tall woman in black. 
 
 " Good afternoon, Mrs. Bletheringham, we have brought 
 your son with us, and we want to show you how he has been
 
 ARISTOCRACY OF LABOUR. 93 
 
 amusing himself." Frank indicated the squirt in the urchin's 
 hand, and his own bespattered clothing. 
 
 " Did he do that ? " said ihe lady indifferently. " Well, I 
 don't see what that has got to do with me." 
 
 But — surely you are able to control your own children — 
 you don't allow them to molest people in this disgusting 
 manner ? " 
 
 " If they don't behave when they are here, they know what 
 to expect. I can't be looking after them all over the village. 
 I don't know what the Government is for if it can't keep the 
 children in order." 
 
 " But he tells me he does not go to school. Are you 
 simply allowing him to run wild ? " 
 
 " As for school, he doesn't like it. You see we are 
 socialists. I should have thought you would know all about 
 it. If you don't, my husband will tell you." 
 
 Mr. Bletheringham entered as she spoke, and, stepping 
 over his son, who was sprawling on the floor, shook hands 
 with the visitors. 
 
 They explained their errand, and Mr. Bletheringham 
 showed scarcely more concern than his wife. 
 
 " You see, Mr. Ledingham, he never took to lessons. 
 They don't interest him. He is inattentive and forgets." 
 
 " So I should imagine from what I have seen of him. I 
 understand he neither goes to school nor has lessons at 
 home. May I ask whether you intend him to learn anything 
 at all ? " 
 
 Mr. Bletheringham opened his eyes. " Well, I scarcely 
 understand what you mean, Mr. Ledingham. He doesn't 
 like learning." 
 
 "Your theories of education seem rather peculiar, I must 
 say. What sort of a man do you expect him to grow up ? " 
 
 " Well, one can never tell. Some day he may wake up 
 and make us all ashamed that we thought him stupid. I 
 think he is likely to be a very great man. In such cases 
 it is wise to be very cautious. There is always danger in 
 tampering with a young brain. It is so easy to destroy 
 the originality of a child's mind : as easy as rubbing the
 
 94 NEW^RA. 
 
 bloom off a peach, and what a tragedy it would be to 
 maim a new soul before it got its strength ! I have a book 
 here that will explain the system we are working on." 
 
 Mr. Bletheringham took a step backward, and put out 
 his hand for a book that was lying on a shelf near by. 
 But he did not reach it. Instead, he threw up his hands, 
 his hat fell off, and he sat down on it with considerable 
 force. He appeared to be stunned by his fall, and Frank 
 hastened to his assistance, but the result was unfortunate. 
 Instead of raising the prostrate orator as he intended, he 
 himself pitched forward, and fell with his elbow on a 
 tender part of Mr. Bletheringham's anatomy. There was 
 a howl of pain and anger, followed by a torrent of rather 
 flowery language, as Frank rose from the ground in a 
 state of bewilderment. The whole drama had taken place 
 so suddenly and so unexpectedly that Walter was at a 
 loss to understand what had really happened. He was 
 soon enlightened. A wild whoop was heard and a grimy 
 little figure darted out at the front door. Mrs. Bletheringham 
 calmly advanced with a kitchen knife, and cut a piece of 
 stout string, that was tightly stretched between the table 
 leg and the dresser about six inches from the floor. Having 
 coiled it up and put it in a drawer with a business-like air, 
 she went and stood by the door, with the handle in her 
 hand. There was no mistaking the hint implied by her 
 attitude, and the two friends hastily took their departure. 
 
 When they had gone a few paces, Frank turned to his 
 friend. " That lad has the makings of a worthless, idle man 
 — perhaps a criminal, and some of the elder children are no 
 better. What chance is there that they can ever be industrious 
 citizens ? " 
 
 " It doesn't look very hopeful at present certainly, but 
 they may reform. After all, the love of work is a natural 
 instinct. You like work, and so do I ; we don't need anyone 
 to drive us to it." 
 
 " No, but I suspect work is very like smoking. When the 
 habit is acquired it gives a good deal of pleasure, but while 
 it is being acquired the sensations are not so pleasant. Some
 
 ARISTOCRACY OF LABOUR. 95 
 
 people never acquire the habit, and are very well content to 
 go on without it. If you and I had not been obliged to work 
 when we were younger, I don't think we should be quite so 
 fond of it now. At any rate I don't think Blatchford's 
 theory of education seems to work out very well in practice, 
 do you, Walter?" 
 
 " I think it is as rotten as anything can well be ; in fact, I 
 think we have gone quite wrong over this education business. 
 We intended to steer a middle course, but instead of that 
 we have just got the two extremes. There is the extreme of 
 individualism, as advocated by Blatchford ; and the extreme 
 of socialism, under which we are endeavouring to turn the 
 children out, all to one pattern, in the State school, just 
 as we stamp out a lot of aluminium shillings in the 
 mint." 
 
 " Well, I don't think shillings are any the worse for being 
 all alike — or children either, so far as it is possible to make 
 them so, and that is not very far. But what middle course 
 can you suggest ? " 
 
 " I don't suppose you will agree with my suggestion. I 
 don't think I was ever quite as advanced as you, and perhaps 
 some things I have seen here have tended to make me less 
 so, — but don't you think it would be better to have a number 
 of schools under individual management, let them stand or 
 fall on their merits, and let the parents decide which school 
 was best suited to their children ? " 
 
 " No, I can't say I agree with that. It would be simply 
 introducing the evil principle of competition. I don't think 
 there is anything really wrong with the system we have 
 adopted, but certainly more control is needed. We must 
 have a body of inspectors, who will go round to the homes 
 and personally examine the children as to their state of 
 education, and the parents as to their fitness to educate their 
 children. If home education is not being properly carried 
 out, the children must go to the State school, and it will be 
 the business of the inspectors to see that they do go. I think 
 there are some workers in the printing shop, and a few in 
 the gas works who would make good inspectors. I will tell
 
 96 NEW^RA. 
 
 the Appointment Committee to select a few, and get them 
 installed in the town hall at once." 
 
 " Very well, I will leave it to you. Do you think all the 
 people at the town hall are working efficiently ? " 
 
 " Well, I have had some little cause to feel anxious about 
 that, and I am thinking of appointing a few superintendents 
 of inspectors to keep them up to the mark. There is a man 
 at the boot factory and another at the soap works who seem 
 very capable, and Miss Perkins of the laundry would make a 
 good superintendent of the lady inspectors. I will get them 
 round to the town hall to-morrow." 
 
 When Frank and Walter reached home, Blanche and her 
 assistant were putting the finishing touches to the tea table. 
 Joe Deacon was reclining in an easy chair, looking rather 
 tired and depressed. 
 
 " Don't you think we could have the window open, 
 Blanche ? " said Frank, as he entered the room. " It is 
 intolerably hot and stuffy." 
 
 " It was open when I came in," replied Blanche, seating 
 herself at the head of the table, " but I shut it because I 
 didn't think the air was fresh. In fact, there is rather a bad 
 smell outside." 
 
 " Yes, I noticed it as I came along. I wonder what is the 
 reason." 
 
 " I think I can tell you. The streets have not been swept 
 since we came here, nor the dustbins emptied. The people 
 next door are not as careful as they might be." 
 
 Frank's face showed concern. "There were some 
 scavengers appointed by the Selection Committee, weren't 
 there, Walter ? " 
 
 " Yes, there were, but only one of them turned up, and he 
 applied for work in the engineer's shop directly he got here." 
 
 " This is really serious," said Frank frowning. " We 
 must call for volunteers at once." 
 
 " I am afraid that won't be much good. I have already 
 mentioned it at the town hall, and volunteers were called for, 
 but none came forward. Some men were even appointed to 
 do the work, but they went back to their old situations as
 
 ARISTOCRACY OF LABOUR. 97 
 
 soon as they had spent a day at it. You see it is not a very 
 attractive job." 
 
 Frank sat frowning, and vigorously stirring his tea for 
 some minutes. " I tell you what," he broke out. " This 
 state of things cannot go on. What is wanted is an example. 
 First thing to-morrow morning I will get a horse and cart 
 from the warehouse, and set to cleaning the place myself. If 
 nobody comes to help me, I will go on until it is finished. 
 I must say I expected to find a little more public spirit 
 among socialists." 
 
 " I will be with you for one," said Walter. " I think an 
 example is all that is needed." 
 
 After tea the four sat down to a game of cards, but it soon 
 became apparent that none of them had any heart for the 
 game. A cloud seemed to hang over the party, and Blanche's 
 efforts to raise their spirits were unavailing. After a game or 
 two they gave it up, and Blanche went to attend to some 
 domestic duties. 
 
 " You look very gloomy, Joe, old man," said Walter, as the 
 three men settled themselves with their pipes. " Anything 
 wrong at the works ? " 
 
 " I think I ought to tell you," replied Joe, "that I have 
 decided to give up my post of superintendent. I don't feel I 
 am doing any good." 
 
 " Come, Joe," said Frank, " I know very well what sort of 
 superintendent you are. If you can't do any good nobody 
 can. Don't be hasty : what has upset you ? " 
 
 " Well, to tell the truth, Mr. Frank, it has been coming 
 on for some time — ever since that little do with Grimshaw. 
 I am used to having my orders obeyed, and, as you know 
 very well, you can't do any good at engineering unless orders 
 are obeyed. But I don't seem to have any discipline here. 
 I don't say the men are not decent chaps enough, most of 
 them, but they don't forget that they are as good as I am, 
 and most of them drawing more money. Each one wants to 
 do the work his own way, and if I say anything they make 
 jokes about giving me the sack. I don't want to be 
 discharged, so I have discharged myself." 
 
 n. H
 
 98 NEWiERA. 
 
 " I don't think you should be in a hurry to do that. Of 
 course I see the difficulties, but still I should have thought 
 you could have managed with a little tact. I suppose they 
 are competent workmen ? " 
 
 " Some of them are ; some of the best have gone to the 
 town hall, and some are not engineers at all." 
 
 " Not engineers ? Then what are they doing in the 
 engineer's shop ? " 
 
 " Well, you see, they apply for work, and it is against the 
 rules to refuse them. I have taken three on this week. I 
 found out afterwards they had come from the tailors' shop — 
 didn't get on with the superintendent there, so they applied 
 to me for work, and I couldn't refuse them. One of them 
 came near to smashing up one of the best machines, and 
 himself too, if I hadn't been near to help him." 
 
 " That kind of thing can't go on," said Frank indignantly. 
 " It is a root principle of socialism that if a man won't work 
 he must starve, and work does not mean pretending to work 
 at something you know nothing about, or working contrary 
 to orders. If a man won't work properly, he must take the 
 consequences. You must discharge him." 
 
 " Yes, that's quite right in theory, but when you come to 
 apply it in practice it does not work out so well. Suppose 
 I discharge a man — one of several things may happen. He 
 may come round directly after and apply for a job, as 
 Grimshaw did." 
 
 " Then refuse to take him on." 
 
 "Yes, I might do that; but then he might persuade his 
 mates to discharge me." 
 
 " That system of men discharging the superintendent is 
 insane. We shall have to alter it." 
 
 " Well, I have been of that opinion for some time. Do you 
 know who invented it ? " 
 
 " Gronlund, I think." 
 
 "No doubt he is an authority, but it would not take much 
 practical experience to change his opinion." 
 
 " We will change his system, at any rate. In future I 
 appoint and discharge all superintendents of workshops
 
 ARISTOCRACY OF LABOUR. 99 
 
 until the Parliament is elected. The Appointment Com- 
 mittee can continue to appoint town hall officials and 
 inspectors. So your men can't discharge you, Joe. Does 
 that meet your difficulty ? " 
 
 " Not altogether. You see, the men I discharge could 
 quite well apply for work at the tailors' shop, just as the 
 tailors have applied to me. While that can happen, 
 discharging men only makes matters worse." 
 
 " That's another thing we shall have to alter. We must 
 have a body of officials, say a Board of Employment, men 
 and women, who will decide what work every man and 
 woman in Newaera is to do, and they will have to do it 
 or starve." 
 
 " The Board of Employment will have their work cut 
 out." 
 
 " Yes, it will have to be a picked body of about fifty men 
 and women. I will see about getting them appointed. I 
 think we might take, say, ten men from your shop, ten women 
 from the weaving shed, and ten from the laundry, five men 
 from the bakery, and make up the odd fifteen with men and 
 women taken from each of the various occupations, so that 
 all will be represented. I will see about getting them to the 
 town hall to-morrow, or rather, I think they will have to 
 meet in No. 2 church ; there will be plenty of room there." 
 
 " I daresay that plan will work out all right, Mr. Frank," 
 said Joe rather dubiously. 
 
 " Oh, yes, it must work ; and now, Joe, I think I have 
 settled all your objections. If you discharge a man because 
 he won't work, you need not be afraid he will go and waste 
 time elsewhere." 
 
 " No, that's all right, Mr. Frank; but still I am afraid the 
 most serious objection of all remains. If I discharge a 
 man, and he can't get work elsewhere, he will have to starve ; 
 but I can't do it. I am not infallible; I make mistakes 
 often, and sometimes I lose my temper. I am not the 
 one to condemn a man to starve, and I won't take the 
 responsibility of it." 
 
 " But, Joe," said Frank desperately, "you are practically 
 
 H 2
 
 ioo NEW.ERA. 
 
 condemning the whole experiment. Is there no alternative ? 
 Can't you suggest anything, Walter ? I don't know why 
 we are stopped by these difficulties at every turn. I have 
 read many descriptions of socialist societies, but there never 
 seemed to be the least difficulty, nor any need of discipline 
 or control ; the people all worked, and worked well because 
 they liked it. Why can't ours do the same ? " 
 
 " I think the difference between our society and the ones 
 you read about lies in this," said Walter. " We are dealing 
 with human beings. The other societies were composed of 
 imaginary beings, the creatures of someone's poetical 
 imagination. It is very easy to imagine perfect men and 
 women, but very difficult to find them." 
 
 " Perfect ? yes — we can't expect perfection, but we know 
 that the utmost care was exercised in the selection of our 
 colonists ; there is not a single man who was not a good, 
 even an exceptionally good, citizen before he came here. 
 You don't suggest that they were good citizens because they 
 were afraid of getting the sack, or being put in prison ? " 
 
 " No, I don't suggest that. I should rather put the case 
 like this. Unless every single member of a society is perfect 
 (which is, of course, impossible), someone will do wrong 
 sometime ; he will shirk his work, disobey an order, act 
 carelessly, or something of the kind. There is not a man 
 living who has not done some or all of these things at some 
 time or other. Under the old scheme of society, the man 
 who did one of these things would bring on himself certain 
 consequences. Either he would suffer a loss of some kind, 
 as when a business man or a shopkeeper is lazy or negligent, 
 or he would be told by someone in authority, ' You must not 
 do this,' and he would know that 'You must not do this ' 
 means, ' If you persist in doing this you will be made to 
 suffer.' He would have the choice of desisting from wrong- 
 doing, or bringing on himself certain unpleasant conse- 
 quences. But in Newaera, at present, wrongdoing does not 
 bring unpleasant consequences. A man may do wrong as 
 often as he pleases with impunity. He cannot get the sack ; 
 he cannot get less than £2 a week ; there are no policemen,
 
 ARISTOCRACY OF LABOUR. 101 
 
 and no prisons. If there is a single idle man in the com- 
 munity, he can live on his fellows as long as he likes. You 
 can't expect his superintendent to condemn him to death by 
 starvation." 
 
 " Well, but his wrongdoing causes loss or suffering to 
 the community, and he suffers along with all the rest. On 
 the other hand, his good actions benefit himself and the 
 community." 
 
 " Yes, that is quite true ; but see how it works out. 
 Suppose a man is lazy and wastes an hour. He gets an 
 hour's wages for nothing. He is that much, say is., to 
 the good. But next week, we will suppose, he is extra 
 industrious ; he works an extra hour, or works so much 
 harder that he produces the equivalent of an extra hour's 
 work. This extra hour's produce is divided among all the 
 10,000 inhabitants of Newaera. He gets a ten-thousandth 
 part of a shilling extra, or would do so if we could divide 
 things up as finely as that. So that wasting an hour pays 
 him ten thousand times as well as saving an hour." 
 
 " No, he doesn't gain anything by wasting an hour ; he 
 still has only £2 a week ; he is no better off." 
 
 " He is no better off, that is true. In a sense he is worse 
 off, because he has suffered in character, which is the most 
 valuable thing he possesses ; but it is nevertheless true that 
 he has taken from the community more than he has given to 
 the community : he has made a good bargain, if you like to 
 put it that way, and the less work he does, the better the 
 bargain he makes with the community. If you can buy a 
 pound of butter for lod. you won't give is." 
 
 " Your whole argument rests on the false assumption that 
 work is unpleasant. You assume that idling for an hour is 
 more pleasant than working for an hour." 
 
 " I am only making the assumption with which we started 
 that in every conceivable community of men and women 
 imperfection will exist. There are sure to be some who will 
 always prefer idling, and perhaps everyone would occasionally 
 prefer it. The point is that in Newaera idling is not only 
 pleasant (to those who like it), but profitable too. It is only
 
 102 NEWiERA. 
 
 by idling that a man can get more out of the community 
 than he puts in. We practically put a handsome premium 
 on idleness, and no premium on industry." 
 
 " Well, Walter, I must say I am disappointed. I didn't 
 expect you, of all people, to turn against me. You are talking 
 just like my father used to do." 
 
 " Frank, old man, I am not turning against you ; I am 
 with you all the time, and I want to help you to make 
 Newsera a success. But in order to do that, we must look 
 facts in the face. There are a good many things that I can 
 see more clearly than I did when I came here. I am only 
 arguing that we must invent some way of making wrong- 
 doing unpleasant, otherwise we shall simply see things going 
 from bad to worse." 
 
 " Yes, I agree with that ; it is evident we must have some 
 form of restraint. Suppose we reduce the wages of anyone 
 who does wrong, or discharge him for a week, and then take 
 him on again. What do you say, Joe ? " 
 
 " I can't say I care for either plan. If you starve a man 
 for a week you may as well starve him for a year ; the result 
 will be the same : he will starve. As to reducing wages, I 
 would rather not have it to do. You must remember that 
 superintendents are human as well as those they superintend. 
 I don't care for the job of deciding how much a man has 
 forfeited by cheeking me, or working slow, or making 
 mistakes. It is too great a responsibility." 
 
 " Well, then, suppose we set up a Board of Punishments. 
 I will select, say, a dozen men and women, and send them to 
 the town hall. The workshop superintendent will have 
 power to inflict a fine, and if the man does not think it just, 
 he can appeal to the Board for an impartial decision. Will 
 you keep your post, and see how it works ? " 
 
 " I will ask you to excuse me, Mr. Frank, — in fact, it is too 
 late. I felt that I could do better work at the bench or the 
 lathe than I could as superintendent, so I resigned my post, 
 and my successor was elected on the spot." 
 
 " Your successor ? And who may that be ? " 
 
 " Grimshaw."
 
 ARISTOCRACY OF LABOUR. 103 
 
 " Oh, but that is absurd. You don't mean to say your 
 workers have chosen that man as superintendent ? " 
 
 " I do, indeed. He has always been popular, because he 
 is such a funny dog, and lately he has been talking a lot 
 about a seven-hour day and £3 a week. He has prepared 
 the ground well, and I don't think he intends to stop at 
 superintendent. He has ambitions." 
 
 While Joe was speaking, Sam Deacon came in. He 
 was a quiet, steady fellow, whose presence in the house was 
 scarcely noticed, and of late he had almost always been out 
 in the evenings. To-night he looked flushed, and his father 
 eyed him narrowly, as he seated himself at the other end of 
 the room with his paper. 
 
 Frank and Walter were a good deal upset by Joe's decision, 
 and especially by his news about Grimshaw. The three sat 
 smoking in silence some time ; then Frank turned to Joe. 
 
 " You must let me find you a job at the town hall, Joe. 
 I don't like the thought of your working under Grimshaw 
 after all that has passed, and you will do capital work on one 
 of the committees. Will you take charge of the Punishment 
 Board that I am going to set up ? " 
 
 " Well, no, I think not, if you will excuse me, Mr. Frank. 
 You see, there has been a lot of talk about you finding jobs 
 for your friends at the town hall. Of course, there is 
 nothing in it, but folks will talk, and everyone knows we are 
 living together. As to Grimshaw, he is not altogether a bad 
 sort. I don't know how he will do as superintendent, but I 
 shall be able to do a good day's work for the first time 
 since I came here, and I don't suppose Grimshaw will 
 interfere with me." 
 
 " Very well, have it as you like. But I see danger in this 
 system of appointing superintendents from below. Do you 
 know if it has been done in any of the other shops ? " 
 
 "They have sacked their boss at the printing works," 
 broke in Sam ; " and about time, too." 
 
 "Oh, indeed," said Frank, looking round; "and what was 
 the trouble at the printing works ? " 
 
 " It all came about over Simple Ab," replied Sam. " I got
 
 104 NEW^RA. 
 
 it from a pal of mine that works in the printing shop. It 
 seems that Simple Ab isn't any good at printing. He did 
 nothing last week but spoil 5,000 wage forms for the town 
 hall. But Simple Ab gets £4 15s. a week, on account 
 of his wife and kids. My pal is a master printer. He 
 was getting his fifty bob a week before he came here, but 
 now he only gets £2 a week, the same as the feeder 
 girls. So my pal got sick of it, and he told the boss he was 
 going to get more money, the same as Simple Ab, or else do 
 less work, one of the two. The boss told him he couldn't 
 have more money, so he said he would set that right, and 
 he sat down and read the paper, and then the boss 
 sacked him." 
 
 " Oh ! then it was your friend who was sacked, not the 
 superintendent ? " 
 
 " My pal was sacked, and all the other chaps came out 
 with him ; only Simple Ab and the girls stopped in. So 
 they had a meeting outside, and fixed it up to sack the boss, 
 and that's what they did." 
 
 " But isn't Mr. Bletheringham upset at having caused all 
 this trouble ? " 
 
 " No, not he. The chaps collared him when they went in, 
 and showed him the wage forms he had spoilt, and ask him 
 if he thought they were worth £4 15s., and he said that was 
 the amount of simple abstract something or other labour he 
 had put into them or behind them, and that was what they 
 were worth." 
 
 " And so they made your friend superintendent ? " 
 
 " Oh, no ; they made a chap called Saville superintendent. 
 I don't think he is a printer by trade, but he's always shout- 
 ing about the way this place is managed. He says there 
 ought to be no money among socialists ; everyone ought to 
 take what he wants from the store, and a lot of us think the 
 same. I expect it will get altered when Parliament is 
 elected." 
 
 " But surely, Sam, you must see that plan would not work. 
 It would simply result in a scramble, in which the weakest 
 would come off worst."
 
 ARISTOCRACY OF LABOUR. 105 
 
 " Well, I don't know ; a lot of us think that's how it ought 
 to be under socialism. My boss thinks so, and he says he 
 will arrange it so if we put him in Parliament." 
 
 Frank and Walter exchanged glances. Here was a new 
 danger to be faced, but they forbore to discuss it till a more 
 convenient time. Both were thinking of their investigation 
 of the accounts at the town hall that afternoon.
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 snook's cow. 
 
 Frank and Walter were as good as their word. Newaera 
 was awakened next morning by a vigorous shovelling and 
 sweeping in the High Street, and the colonists were not a 
 little astonished on looking out to see their two leaders in 
 their shirt-sleeves, shovelling dirt into a cart. The work 
 proceeded slowly. First a length of street had to be 
 thoroughly swept, and the dirt collected in little heaps. 
 Then Frank brought up the cart, and shovelled in the dirt, 
 while Walter visited the back-yards of the houses on either 
 side, carried out the dust-bins, and, with Frank's help, tipped 
 them into the cart. They were soon surrounded by a ring of 
 spectators, who seemed to take the whole thing as a joke ; 
 but as the two worked on silently and doggedly, visiting 
 house after house, and cleaning the street as they went along, 
 there was an uneasy feeling in the throng of onlookers that 
 this was no joke, but deadly earnest. 
 
 " It's a shame that Ledingham and Sinclair should have this 
 to do," said one. " What are all these people at the 
 town hall for if they can't arrange for the cleaning of the 
 streets ? " 
 
 " It's just a piece of bad management, like a lot of other 
 things in this place," said another; "and those two are 
 responsible if anyone is. Why don't they arrange for 
 regular dustmen here, as in every other town ? " 
 
 " How would you like to take on the job ? " said a third. 
 " It's good, healthy work, and splendid exercise." 
 
 " I do think we might give them a hand," said the first 
 speaker ; " but as to doing it as a regular thing, making a 
 profession of it, as you might say — well, it isn't exactly in my 
 line ; I am a skilled workman, a carpenter, and I should be 
 wasted on street-sweeping."
 
 SNOOK'S COW. 107 
 
 Meanwhile Frank and Walter worked steadily on, taking 
 no notice of those around them, and it was not very long 
 before their example produced its effect. A second cart came 
 rumbling up the street, and then a third, and a fourth. Soon 
 every horse and cart in the village had been brought into 
 service, and an army of volunteers was at work. But it was 
 not until evening that the village was reduced to a decent 
 state of cleanliness. 
 
 It was confidently hoped that the lesson would be sufficient, 
 and that there would be no need to repeat it, but still there 
 were no volunteers for the post of public dustman. Everyone 
 agreed that the work ought to be done, and that the Govern- 
 ment ought to see to it, but nobody seemed to feel it 
 incumbent on himself to adopt the profession of scavenger. 
 Why should he ? There were a score of pleasant occupations 
 open to anyone who chose to apply for work. Evidently 
 the new Employment Committee would have to select men 
 from the various workshops, and set them to scavenging, 
 whether they liked it or not. 
 
 The great cleaning down ought certainly to have made 
 Newsera a healthier and sweeter place. Healthier it was 
 perhaps, but sweeter — strange to say, the stench became every 
 day more intolerable. Were the drains defective ? They 
 had been laid by a firm of contractors who were above 
 suspicion, and no expense had been spared. The matter 
 was becoming a serious menace to the health of the com- 
 munity, and the members of the Management Committee 
 decided to set out separately on exploring expeditions, and, 
 using their noses as guides, to track the evil to its source. 
 When they met two hours later, Blanche wore such a look 
 of triumph that there could be no doubt as to her success. 
 
 '• I have found out all about it," she cried, as she burst 
 into the house. " It's Snook's cow." 
 
 Frank and Walter were amazed. " Cow ? Snook's cow ? 
 What a disagreable beast — but surely — not a cow ? " 
 
 " You see, he's a vegetarian," explained Blanche. 
 
 " I suppose cows generally are," said her brother, " but is 
 this particular cow a bull, or, "
 
 10S NEW^ERA. 
 
 " No, not the cow, Snook." 
 
 " Snook what ? a bull, or a vegetarian, or a cow ? " 
 
 " Now, do be quiet and let me tell you about it. Snook 
 is the Newasra cow-keeper, and he is a vegetarian on 
 humanitarian grounds. It seems one of the cows was taken 
 ill. It had some disease of the mouth and could not eat. 
 His principles would not allow him to have it killed, so the 
 poor beast was crawling about for a week, and finally died, 
 of starvation I suppose. I learned all about it from his wife. 
 She says he is a very humane man, and cannot bear the 
 thought of an animal being killed." 
 
 " And when did this happen ? " asked Frank, beginning to 
 have an inkling of the truth. 
 
 " Nearly a month ago, as far as I can find out." 
 
 " And where is the beast ? " 
 
 " In the field at the back of his house. It has lain there 
 ever since, at least so Mrs. Snook told me ; I didn't investi- 
 gate ; it's simply terrible round there, and I came away as 
 soon as I could." 
 
 " But I don't understand. Do you mean to say his 
 vegetarian principles prevent him having the thing buried ? " 
 
 " Oh, no, not his principles, but you see there is nobody to 
 do it. He says it is not his business — the Government ought 
 to do it." 
 
 " Well, then, why didn't he apply at the town hall ? " 
 
 " Mrs. Snook says he did apply there, but they did nothing ; 
 at least, they asked for volunteers to bury it, but none came 
 forward." 
 
 " So the thing has been poisoning the neighbourhood ever 
 since. We must see to this, Walter. What do you think 
 had better be done ? " 
 
 " Oh, please don't go near it," cried Blanche in alarm. 
 " I am sure you will yet typhoid. I feel perfectly sick 
 with it." 
 
 " I think we have done our share of scavenging," said 
 Walter. " Somebody else ought to take a turn." 
 
 " Yes, but who ? Nobody has volunteered, and we can't 
 compel anyone to undertake a job like that."
 
 SNOOK'S COW. 109 
 
 " No, of course not. Suppose we offer a reward ? " 
 
 11 I don't think we ought to hold out the incentive of gain, 
 but we might offer a title — say a knighthood." 
 
 " Of course ! That's the very thing. I am not sure 
 whether a mere knighthood will be a sufficient inducement, 
 though. The matter is extremely urgent. Suppose we offer 
 an earldom while we are about it, and make it conditional on 
 the thing being put under ground before to-morrow night." 
 
 " I think you had better make it hereditary," suggested 
 Blanche. " I don't believe he will survive it." 
 
 " Oh, that's all right. Earldoms always are hereditary. 
 I'll go along to the town hall at once, and see the Honours 
 Committee about getting out the notice. I think we had 
 better send the town crier round, even if we have to appoint 
 one specially." 
 
 Frank set off post-haste and made the necessary arrange- 
 ments. As he was leaving the town hall, the head accountant 
 approached him. 
 
 " I have just been going into the accounts and stock-books, 
 Mr. Ledingham, and I find the position is rather serious. 
 The supply of corn is very short, and we are almost out of 
 sugar, rice, cocoa, and a whole lot of things that we can't 
 produce." 
 
 " But have none been ordered from the mainland ? " 
 
 " We have sent a small order, but we have scarcely any- 
 thing left in the bank, so we can only order things as we are 
 able to send out goods to pay for them, and we have scarcely 
 enough coming into the warehouse for our home consumption." 
 
 " How about the boot factory ? There was quite a large 
 production of boots last time I looked into things." 
 
 " Yes, that was one of our best lines, but for nearly a fort- 
 night now the factory has been closed. They have had a 
 breakdown with their engine." 
 
 " And what have the workers been doing ? " 
 
 " I think most of them have been out in the country. We 
 did set them to build a wall round the Green, but they didn't 
 get very far with it, and after all, it does not make much 
 difference ; they draw their wages just the same, and draw
 
 no NEW.ERA. 
 
 supplies from the stores, but, of course, they are not producing 
 anything." 
 
 " I will see about it at once. Do you know if the engine 
 is being repaired ? " 
 
 "Yes, the mechanics' shop had instructions about it, but I 
 don't know what they are doing. They promised those 
 pumps a month ago — that would have been something to 
 send over the water, but they have not come in yet." 
 
 " I will go round to the workshop at once," said Frank, 
 " and see if I can hurry them up." 
 
 Frank had not been to the engineers' shop since Deacon's 
 dismissal, and he was interested to see how things were pro- 
 gressing under the new management. As he approached the 
 shop he heard the exhaust of the engine, and, entering the 
 door, he almost fell over the crouching figure of a workman, 
 who appeared to be asleep, with his back against the wall, 
 and his head propped on his hand. Hastily apologizing, he 
 passed into the workshop. He at once saw Deacon bending 
 over a lathe, but otherwise the place seemed deserted. 
 Looking round, he perceived another figure huddled up 
 behind the planing machine, and on going forward he saw a 
 long row of men, sitting underneath a bench, each one 
 engrossed in thought, with eyes fixed on the ground and 
 forefinger pressed to puckered brow. The air seemed to 
 tremble with the intensity of their cogitations, but perhaps it 
 was only the engine. 
 
 Frank was thoroughly mystified, and applied to Joe for an 
 explanation. 
 
 " You see, Mr. Frank, there was a notice offering titles to 
 inventors — knighthoods, baronetcies, and so on. They are 
 all inventing— at least, that is what they are supposed to be 
 doing." Joe's eye twinkled. 
 
 " And where is the superintendent ? Does he allow this 
 sort of thing to go on ? " 
 
 " I think Mr. Grimshaw is inventing, too. You'll find him 
 in the drawing office. I'm sorry I'm not an inventor myself." 
 
 Full of indignation, Frank made his way to the drawing 
 office, and there found Grimshaw as Joe had said.
 
 SNOOK'S COW. ii, 
 
 Mr. Grimshaw may have been inventing : certainly he was 
 not doing anything else, except smoking a cigar and regarding 
 his feet on the drawing desk in front of him. 
 
 He seemed a little disconcerted when he saw Frank, and 
 quickly assumed a more normal attitude. 
 
 " Good afternoon, Mr. Grimshaw. I called in to see how 
 you are getting on with those pumps for export. We are 
 badly wanting them to make up a shipment. I have just 
 come from the town hall, and they tell me we are running 
 short of some important stores." 
 
 " The pumps will be ready shortly, Mr. Ledingham. My 
 private opinion is that this export trade is a mistake. We 
 ought to be making things for our own use, not supplying 
 the capitalists on the mainland." 
 
 " Unfortunately we cannot make or produce coffee, cocoa, 
 rice, or sugar, and we have not enough corn to last till our 
 own crop is ready. We have to pay for what we want with 
 our manufactures." 
 
 " That may be so. I think there are a good many things 
 in this place that might be managed differently." 
 
 "No doubt that is so: the election will take place in a 
 week or so, and I shall not be sorry to be rid of the respon- 
 sibility of the management. In the meantime I am 
 responsible, and I should like to know what is being done 
 about those pumps, and also about the engine at the boot 
 factory, which has been stopped, I understand, for about a 
 fortnight." 
 
 " I have told you the pumps will be ready shortly. I have 
 sent some men to repair the engine. I take all the respon- 
 sibility for the engineering work in Newaera — the whole 
 responsibility, Mr. Ledingham." 
 
 " Very good ; I hope you will see that no time is lost, but 
 I must say the appearance of the workshop when I came in 
 did not suggest any great urgency. I think all the workers 
 but one were asleep." 
 
 " I take responsibility for what the workers are doing, 
 Mr. Ledingham. I may say that none of them are asleep. 
 They are at work on inventions."
 
 ii2 NEW.ERA. 
 
 •' Come, Mr. Grimshaw, you are a sensible man ; you 
 can't seriously tell me all those men are inventors ! " 
 
 " I really cannot undertake to say whether all of them are 
 inventors. I cannot look into their minds ; and nobody 
 knows whether he can invent or not till he has tried. They 
 are trying." 
 
 " And how long do you propose to pay them £2 a week 
 for ' trying,' while the colony is drifting into a famine for 
 want of their work ? " 
 
 "That I can't say. As to your beggarly £2 a week, the 
 less said about that the better. That is one of the things 
 that will have to be altered. I suppose you don't suggest 
 that Watt was not worth £2 a week while he was inventing 
 the steam engine, or Parsons while he was inventing the 
 steam turbine, or Marconi while he was inventing wireless 
 telegraphy ? Do you think it right that I should be managing 
 an important factory, and carrying on original investigations 
 at the same time, for the wretched pittance the present 
 Government doles out ? " 
 
 " I don't know whether it is right or not, but I am quite 
 certain that the wretched pittance will not be forthcoming 
 long, unless a good deal more work is turned out." 
 
 " Very well, Mr. Ledingham, we shall see about that. In 
 the meantime, as I have ventured to remind you, I am 
 responsible for what goes on here, and I have no doubt there 
 are a good many things needing your attention at the town 
 hall and elsewhere. You have offered rewards for inventions, 
 and inventors must live while they are inventing. I don't 
 propose to allow them to starve in garrets, as they do in 
 England." 
 
 Inwardly raging, Frank turned and left the place. He 
 comforted himself with the thought that in a fortnight the 
 responsibility would be off his shoulders. It was reasonable 
 to hope that the collective good sense of the whole people 
 would be able to accomplish what he felt to be beyond his 
 individual power. 
 
 Arriving at home, he was met by Blanche with a long face. 
 
 " I am awfully sorry, Frank, but there is absolutely
 
 SNOOK'S COW. 113 
 
 nothing for tea, not even bread. I did not get home till 
 late this afternoon, and when I went to the stores I found 
 that they were every one completely cleared out of food — at 
 least, they only had mustard." 
 
 11 We can't live on mustard," said Frank with a laugh. 
 11 But what an extraordinary thing ! It has never occurred 
 before ? " 
 
 " No; I have generally done my shopping in the morning. 
 They said something at the stores about a new order for 
 limiting supplies from the warehouse. I thought you would 
 know something about it." 
 
 "Ah, yes, now I understand. We had to fix a daily 
 allowance, in order to make the stock hold out. It is 
 certainly very awkward." 
 
 Joe Deacon had just come in, and had overheard the 
 latter part of this dialogue. 
 
 " I think I can help you out of the difficulty, Miss 
 Ledingham. You can get bread and a good many other 
 things from Jack Forbes at no, High Street." 
 
 " And how in the world can Jack Forbes supply bread 
 when all the stores are sold out ? " said Frank in astonish- 
 ment. 
 
 11 Well, you see, Mr. Frank, ever since the order for 
 limiting supplies, the stores have run short towards evening ; 
 in fact, lately they have been sold out by dinner-time, and they 
 don't open till ten now, so a good many of the workers run a 
 risk of not being able to buy anything to eat. So a lot of 
 them asked Jack Forbes and one or two others to buy for 
 them. Of course he has to stay away from his work to do 
 it, so he loses his wages, and he has to charge a bit more 
 than store prices to make up for that." 
 
 Frank's temper had been a little ruffled in the afternoon, 
 but he had managed to restrain it. This was too much. 
 
 " I will not have it," he cried, stamping his foot. " It is 
 simply introducing the middleman, capitalist, profit-grabbing 
 robber of the earnings of the people that we have gone to 
 all this trouble to abolish. I won't stand it. I'll put a stop 
 to it at once ! " and he seized his hat. 
 
 n. 1
 
 ii4 * NEWiERA. 
 
 Joe put a restraining hand on his arm. " I wouldn't be 
 hasty, Mr. Frank. Have some tea and think it over. I will 
 go and get what's wanted, otherwise we shall have nothing 
 till to-morrow dinner-time." 
 
 Frank could not affect complete indifference to this 
 argument, but he was not convinced, and was beginning 
 a fresh outburst, when Joe again restrained him. 
 
 " You see, Mr. Frank, Jack Forbes is a thoroughly decent 
 chap, who has done it chiefly out of kindness. I daresay 
 he does make a bit more than his regular wages, but he does 
 a great service to some of the people. There's Mrs. 
 Williams, now; she's very delicate, and her little girl is 
 poorly. It was death to her to have to stand for an hour or 
 more in the queue outside the store, and if she did not go 
 very early, and wait her turn, she would find everything sold 
 out. It is nothing to her to pay Forbes a few pence a pound 
 more, and have it brought round to her house. She can 
 afford it, and so can others." 
 
 Frank was thoroughly dissatisfied with the turn things 
 had taken, but he allowed himself to be persuaded so far as 
 to allow Joe's projected expedition. The food was bitter 
 to him nevertheless, and he spent the evening moodily 
 revolving schemes for adjusting supply to demand without 
 leaving room for the sinister profit-making principle and the 
 throat-cutting competition which he foresaw clearly enough. 
 He was just finishing a rather fruitless discussion of ways 
 and means with Walter, when a loud knocking was heard at 
 the front door. 
 
 Miss Evans (Blanche's assistant), who happened to be 
 staying late that day, went to interview the visitor, and 
 presently returned with a white face. 
 
 " There's a gentleman — at least, there's someone at the 
 door wanting to speak to you, Mr. Ledingham." 
 
 " Very well, you might just ask him to step in, please." 
 
 Miss Evans hesitated. I think he has been — that is, he 
 seems to have been — he's in his working clothes, and I think 
 not very clean, but " 
 
 " Oh, that doesn't matter. We are all workers here,
 
 SNOOK'S COW. 115 
 
 though we don't work much overtime ; ask him to come 
 in. What's the matter, Miss Evans ? You look as if you 
 had seen a ghost." 
 
 Miss Evans left the room without another word, and was 
 heard to call, " Mr. Ledingham is in here ; please come in," 
 and immediately the kitchen door banged. 
 
 Heavy and uncertain steps were heard in the passage, and 
 the visitor appeared as Frank rose to meet him. 
 
 He was a short, thick-set, middle-aged man, with a large 
 head, rather coarse features, and wandering lack-lustre eyes. 
 He was dressed in rough, workman's clothes, and heavy 
 boots, which were covered with earth, and he carried a 
 spade, which he used as a walking stick. The most notice- 
 able thing about him, however, was plainly perceptible some 
 instants before he appeared — a most pervading and appalling 
 odour. 
 
 Blanche faintly ejaculated, " Snook ! " and retired to a far 
 corner with her handkerchief to her nose. 
 
 Frank advanced to the middle of the room, and eyed the 
 man with curiosity. 
 
 " Well, neighbour," he said cheerfully, " my name is 
 Ledingham ; did you want to speak to me ? " 
 
 The visitor fell back a step, and leaned against the side- 
 board. He gazed slowly round the room, and then took a 
 large bottle from his pocket, pulled out the cork with his 
 teeth, and took a long pull at the contents. 
 
 " Come, my good sir," said Frank rather sharply ; " this 
 is not Newaera manners. What is it you want ? " 
 
 " Wantsh my lordship," said the visitor, after a 
 pause. 
 
 " You want what ? We have not got anything of yours ; 
 you must have made a mistake." 
 
 u Wantsh my lordship. Gimme it " ; and he held out 
 his hand. 
 
 " I really don't understand you. Please explain yourself 
 if you can." 
 
 " Gimme my lordship. I buried her, and I not be done 
 out 'f it. Gimme it." 
 
 1 2
 
 u6 NEWiERA. 
 
 " You've buried ? Ah! the cow — you've buried the cow, 
 my good fellow — is that what you mean ? " 
 
 " I buried her all m'shelf : gimme my lordship." 
 
 " Well, if you have really buried that horrid creature, you 
 are a benefactor, and we are all indebted to you." Frank 
 advanced to shake hands, but hastily stepped back, and took 
 his stand at a respectful distance. 
 
 " You not d'shieve a poor man : gimme my lordship." 
 
 " Yes, yes ; you shall have your earldom right enough, but 
 I can't give it you, and I don't think you are in a fit state to 
 appreciate the honour. Go to the town hall to-morrow 
 morning, and I will see that you get your rights." 
 
 " You the bosh of thish plashe ; you gimme it." 
 
 Frank turned to consult Walter, who had taken his place 
 near Blanche, and was bending down with his face on his arm. 
 
 " What can we do to satisfy the old fellow ? Of course he 
 can have his earldom, but — we must really do something to 
 get rid of him." 
 
 " Quickly, please ! " gasped Blanche. 
 
 " Hadn't we better see whether he has really buried it ? " 
 suggested Walter. " It's impossible to doubt that he's been 
 near it ; but " 
 
 " Perhaps it would be as well. It is only a few minutes 
 from here ; would you mind just running round to see ? " 
 
 " Oh, well, it's rather late, and I am afraid there is scarcely 
 light enough. After all, we might as well satisfy him and get 
 rid of him ; no harm will be done — he won't remember any- 
 thing about it to-morrow." 
 
 " Yes, but how ? I don't know anything about making 
 earls. Don't they do it with a sword ? We haven't got 
 such a thing. Here, Blanche, would you be so good as to 
 fetch me the carving knife — the long one, you know." 
 
 Blanche left the room with alacrit)', her face buried in her 
 handkerchief, and keeping as far as possible from the visitor. 
 She returned in a minute with the long knife. 
 
 " Now, Mr. What's-your-Name," said Frank, advancing 
 knife in hand, " I am going to give you your lordship. Kneel 
 down ! "
 
 SNOOK'S COW. 117 
 
 The candidate for honours looked rather doubtfully at the 
 knife, and seemed inclined to fortify himself with the aid of 
 his bottle. After a minute's hesitation, and in response to 
 Frank's peremptory gesture, he slowly sank on to all fours, 
 the spade clattering down beside him. 
 
 Frank advanced to the grovelling figure, with what might 
 have been a regal air, but for the necessity of holding his 
 nose with his left hand. 
 
 " Arise, Earl of Bury ! " he commanded in a loud voice, 
 lightly touching the recumbent figure on the shoulder with 
 the blade of the knife. Then, seeing that his lordship did 
 not rise, he could not resist the temptation of pricking the 
 back of his neck with the point. The result was instan- 
 taneous. Lord Bury rose with a howl, and seemed disposed 
 to grapple with Frank, but fell back at sight of the formid- 
 able weapon in his hand. 
 
 Frank repented of his frivolous act, and sought to appease 
 the outraged nobleman. Indeed, his wrath was short lived. 
 Frank addressed him as Lord Bury, and instantly a smile of 
 satisfaction broadened his features. Still he hesitated, not 
 appearing to realise that the ceremony was completed. 
 Frank felt he could not hold out much longer, so hastily 
 seizing a large blue bow which Blanche had been taking 
 off her hat, he pinned it on the noble breast, then took his 
 lordship by the shoulders, and fairly ran him down the 
 passage and into the street.
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 TO EACH ACCORDING TO HIS NEEDS. 
 
 The first Newaera General Election was over. It had 
 passed quietly enough, with very little of the feverish excite- 
 ment usually associated with elections. No doubt this was 
 partly due to the fact that the colony was not old enough 
 to have developed strongly-marked planes of cleavage. 
 There was in some quarters a tendency to adhere to the 
 old Liberal-Conservative traditions, and it might be expected 
 that this tendency would become more strongly marked 
 as time went on. All the various schools of socialism were 
 represented in the colony, and a certain amount of contro- 
 versy arose between the adherents of the Fabian, Marxian, 
 and other parties, but such controversies had at present not 
 much reality. The questions which agitated the community 
 were of a practical rather than a theoretical nature, and the 
 chief among these questions was that of the distribution of 
 commodities. There was very general dissatisfaction with 
 the arrangements which had so far been in force. The 
 special provision for the wives and children of married 
 workers had been a frequent cause of jealousy. The highly 
 skilled, unmarried mechanic, receiving his £2 a week, though 
 this was ample for his requirements, was apt to look askance 
 at his less skilful or less industrious mate, or at the unskilled 
 labourer who assisted him, and drew £1 or 30s. more at the 
 week end. The women workers had little cause for dissatis- 
 faction, since almost all of them were earning very much 
 more than they could ever have hoped to receive in the Old 
 Country ; but even amongst them jealousy was not infrequent, 
 and there was a disposition to shun the more difficult and 
 arduous tasks in favour of those that were more pleasant 
 and equally well paid. The position of the superintendent,
 
 TO EACH ACCORDING TO HIS NEEDS 119 
 
 who was liable to be discharged by the workers, and was 
 called upon to allot to each her more or less agreeable task, 
 was not an enviable one, and there had been many changes, 
 and constant disorganization through this cause. It had 
 therefore come to be a very general sentiment in the 
 colony that all money wages should be abolished, and that 
 the principle, " From each according to his ability, to each 
 according to his needs," should be put into operation, by 
 allowing each worker to draw what he or she required from 
 the common store without payment. There were not 
 wanting those who strongly opposed this proposal. Frank 
 Ledingham,- addressing a meeting in the public hall, gave 
 some account of the financial position of the colony, and 
 predicted that the system of unlimited credit would inevit- 
 ably lead to bankruptcy; but his speech was not well received, 
 and was probably the cause of his failure to secure election. 
 Walter Grimshaw seemed likely to take a foremost place in 
 the political sphere, and his denunciation of the cheese- 
 paring policy which had been pursued under Frank's 
 Dictatorship was received with acclamation. Of official 
 candidates for election there were none. The election was 
 carried out on a plan which had the merit of simplicity, 
 though it was recognized that it could scarcely form a model 
 for adoption in the larger communities which were to follow 
 in the footsteps of the pioneer State. An alphabetical list of 
 all the workers, male and female, was printed. Each voter, 
 on entering the polling room at the town hall, was 
 presented with a copy of this list, and was instructed to 
 place a mark opposite the names of the thirty workers whom 
 he desired to see elected. The thirty members who had 
 received the greatest number of votes were declared elected, 
 and considerable amusement was caused when the first list 
 of Members of Parliament appeared in the Record, and it 
 was seen that Lord Bury was at the head of the poll. The 
 nobleman had been a good deal feted, and had come to take 
 himself and his title very seriously. To hobnob with a lord 
 was a new experience with most of the Newserans, and, to 
 tell the truth, it was an experience that occurred rather too
 
 120 NEW^RA. 
 
 frequently for the good of his lordship's health and dignity. 
 He dressed in the height of Newaera fashion, and was " as 
 drunk as a lord " more often than not. 
 
 Neither Frank nor his sister was a Member of Parliament. 
 Apart from Frank's outspoken denunciation of the popular 
 scheme of distribution, there was very general dissatisfaction 
 with the results of his management. There were very few 
 Newserans who had not a grievance of one kind or another, 
 and in most cases " the Government " — that is, Frank — came 
 in for the blame. Blanche's experience of public life had 
 not been a very happy one. She had often come into 
 collision with the women superintendents in connection with 
 the numerous industrial hitches that had taken place : she 
 was known to share her brother's views about the free 
 distribution scheme, and she had plainly intimated her 
 desire to retire from public life, otherwise she might have 
 been elected, as she was very well liked by the mass of the 
 people. Walter Sinclair was elected. He had made no 
 attempt to put himself forward as a candidate, and had 
 taken no part in any of the political meetings, but he was 
 thoroughly respected and liked, and his name was familiar to 
 everyone in the colony. The remaining Members of Parlia- 
 ment (of whom four were women) were in almost all cases 
 superintendents of the various factories, or heads of depart- 
 ments at the town hall. This result was very natural, 
 since most of the superintendents had been placed in their 
 positions by the election of the workers, and in many cases 
 political considerations had influenced their appointment. 
 
 Parliament met on the day following the election, and was 
 not long in getting to work. The first measure to receive 
 attention was that for the free distribution of commodities. 
 It was passed almost unanimously (Walter spoke and 
 voted against it) and with very little debate. It was to take 
 effect on the following Monday, but it was decided, rather 
 illogically, that the usual payment of wages should take 
 place on the Saturday preceding, since otherwise there 
 might be a feeling of dissatisfaction among the workers. It 
 would seem too much like doing a week's work for nothing if
 
 TO EACH ACCORDING TO HIS NEEDS. 121 
 
 no payment were given, and it was also thought that a certain 
 amount of Newsera coin should be allowed to circulate in the 
 colony, as it would facilitate private transactions and 
 exchanges among the members. The exchequer returns 
 showed that a good deal of the money which had been 
 issued as wages had not been paid in at the stores in return 
 for commodities. There must therefore have been a certain 
 amount of saving or hoarding of coin. These accumulations 
 of coin would of course lose almost all their value when all 
 commodities came to be distributed free, but no actual 
 hardship would be inflicted on those whose savings were 
 thus depreciated, since all would be able to obtain whatever 
 goods they desired, without limit of quantity. 
 
 11 1 feel sure there has been an accident during the night," 
 said Blanche at breakfast time. " I woke up several times 
 with an uncomfortable feeling that something had happened 
 or was going to happen, and each time I seemed to hear 
 voices outside, as if a lot of people were walking about the 
 village, and once I distinctly heard a woman scream." 
 
 " I expect it was Lord Bury going home," said Walter. 
 " I heard something myself this morning, but I don't think it 
 was an accident ; there was too much laughing." 
 
 " What sort of an M.P. does Lord Bury make ? " asked 
 Frank. " He was a good deal inflated with his title — what 
 he will be with M.P. after his name I can't imagine." 
 
 " It is a pity the people have made such a fuss of him," 
 Walter replied. " I believe he is really not a bad sort, and 
 he has certainly rendered an important service to the State. 
 If he fortifies himself with a little spirits occasionally, no one 
 can blame him ; but he has had his head turned." 
 
 " I know one has to be careful in asking questions of a 
 Cabinet Minister," said Frank, smiling, " but, if it is not an 
 improper question, what measures are likely to be brought 
 forward in the near future ? Is anything decided ? ' : 
 
 " No. We have met so recently that there has been no 
 time to formulate a definite policy. One thing will have to 
 be dealt with very soon indeed : that is, the allocation of 
 employment. I was talking with one of the members on
 
 122 NEWiERA. 
 
 Friday, who was the agricultural superintendent, or rather 
 one of them. He estimates that there must be about 1,500 
 workers, men and women, on the farms, and that all the work 
 could be done easily by 150. They go out there and demand 
 work ; most of them don't know the least thing about 
 agriculture, but he cannot refuse them work, of course, so they 
 picnic in the fields and trample down the corn. Every day 
 you may see them streaming out of the village to their 
 ' work.' " 
 
 " But what is the good of a superintendent if he can't put 
 a stop to that kind of thing ? Do you mean to say he has 
 been sitting down and letting that go on under his eyes ? " 
 
 " I gather so. He says — and I quite believe it — that the 
 position is an impossible one. He was appointed by his 
 workers, and if he makes things unpleasant for them they 
 will discharge him. Of course, you have latterly taken the 
 appointing of officials into your own hands, but you didn't 
 discharge him, and there he is." 
 
 " No," said Frank ; " I can't be everywhere. I have had 
 my hands full with looking after things at the town hall 
 and in the village. He is a genuine socialist, I suppose, and 
 ought to make the interest of the State his first concern." 
 
 " Yes, no doubt ; but I suspect there has been another 
 influence at work. He is more of a politician than a 
 farmer — indeed, I doubt whether he knows anything about 
 farming ; but he has been ambitious to get into Parliament, 
 and, of course, the greater the number of contented workers 
 in his department, the more votes he gets. He didn't put it 
 to me so baldly as that, of course, but it was quite evident 
 what he had in his mind." 
 
 " Well," said Frank with a sigh, " I am glad the respon- 
 sibility is off my shoulders. I suppose the collective wisdom 
 of the colony will be capable of setting things right, but I 
 must say they have a most extraordinary propensity for going 
 wrong." 
 
 "Yes, I have noticed that myself; but at any rate Parlia- 
 ment will tackle this employment question seriously within 
 the next few days. Your Employment Committee has made
 
 TO EACH ACCORDING TO HIS NEEDS. 123 
 
 spasmodic efforts to put the workers in their proper places, 
 but, I am afraid, with very little result. If a worker was 
 given a job he didn't like, he was not long in throwing it up 
 and applying for work elsewhere, and he was not likely to be 
 refused, because most of the superintendents were candidates 
 for Parliament, and to refuse a man work was to turn away a 
 voter. The Employment Committee could not be hunting 
 the workers round all the time." 
 
 " Well, I wish you joy of your undertaking, Walter. I 
 can't tell you what a relief it is to be rid of the responsibility. 
 I suppose I shall have to apply for work at the engineer's 
 shop. I am glad I shall not be under Grimshaw, as he has 
 got into Parliament." 
 
 " Don't you think of applying for the post of superin- 
 tendent ? You have plenty of experience of managing an 
 engineering shop." 
 
 " No, I think I would rather leave that to someone else. 
 I don't think the post of superintendent is an enviable one — if 
 he does his duty. What do you say, Blanche ? " 
 
 " I'm sure I don't want to be a superintendent. I shall 
 try to get into the millinery department. I suppose we had 
 better go round and apply at once, hadn't we, Frank ? We 
 are only ordinary workers now." 
 
 " I was just going to propose that we take a day off," said 
 Frank. " I think we have earned a holiday, and I should 
 like to have a look round the fields, and see what prospect 
 there is of a good crop. If that fails, I see nothing for it but 
 to shut up shop. Will you come with me ? " 
 
 " Oh, yes, I should love it. Would you mind waiting while 
 I run round to No. 3 store ? It will be open in a few minutes. 
 There is a hat there I have had my eye on for some time, but 
 it was too expensive. I suppose I can get it for nothing now 
 the free distribution is to take place." 
 
 " Yes, of course ; but I think you should go round at once. 
 You may not be the only lady who has had an eye on that 
 hat. Is it one of the Newaera pattern ? " 
 
 " Oh, Frank, what an idea ! You don't think I would 
 make myself such a guy! "
 
 124 NEWAERA. 
 
 " I should like to see the hat that would make Miss Blanche 
 a guy," said Walter. " What is the Newaera pattern ? " 
 
 " Thanks for the compliment, if it is intended for one. I 
 don't propose to put on a Newaera pattern hat, even to give 
 you the satisfaction of seeing me a guy." 
 
 " But what do you mean by the Newaera pattern ?" 
 
 " I am sorry I can't compliment you on your observation. 
 Surely you must have seen them ! They were designed by 
 one of the officials at the town hall. Something like a 
 Salvation Army bonnet turned hind before, with a ridiculous 
 pom-pom of red ribbon in front." 
 
 " I am sorry I have not had much time for observing 
 ladies' hats. What was that ? " 
 
 A confused uproar of many voices suddenly made itself 
 heard. Angry voices of women they seemed to be. Occa- 
 sionally there was a scream, then a dull roar, a babel of 
 voices, rising and falling, but never ceasing for an instant. 
 
 The three friends seized their hats, and rushed out into 
 the street. 
 
 There were very few people about, but it was evident that 
 the noise proceeded from a part of the street to the left, in 
 the direction of the Green, which was hidden from view by 
 a sharp bend. On turning this corner they were confronted 
 with a strange sight. The whole street was blocked by a 
 struggling and shouting mass of women ; there was not a 
 man visible. The crowd was gathered in front of No. 3 
 store, which was devoted entirely to drapery, millinery, and 
 all the various articles with which women are wont to clothe 
 and adorn their persons. The store itself appeared to be 
 full of women ; those outside were struggling to gain an 
 entrance, but those immediately round the door were packed 
 so closely that they could scarcely move, and occasionally a 
 cry of pain came from the midst of the dense, struggling 
 mass. As the three approached, there was a movement in 
 the crowd ; its density round the doorway seemed to slacken, 
 and suddenly about half-a-dozen women were ejected from 
 the interior, and made a path for themselves to the outside 
 of the crowd,
 
 TO EACH ACCORDING TO HIS NEEDS. 125 
 
 " Oh, there is my hat ! " cried Blanche despondently, as 
 the first of them emerged, clutching in one hand a crumpled 
 mass of straw, from which hung by a few threads a yard of 
 brim and a few wisps of trimmings. Under the other arm 
 she carried a roll of cloth. She was followed by what at 
 first appeared to be a species of Siamese twins. It resolved 
 itself into a large stout woman, hugging to her bosom a 
 dressmaker's dummy, clothed in a stylish garment, evidently 
 intended for a lady of slim proportions, but with one sleeve 
 missing. They were followed by others, all laden with booty 
 in a more or less damaged condition, from having been 
 forcibly dragged through the densely-packed throng. 
 
 "Well, I have seen one or two bargain sales," said 
 Blanche, as they made their way through the fringe of the 
 crowd, " and I have heard that the things were being ' given 
 away,' but they were lonely deserts compared to this. I 
 suppose I shall have to be content with my old hat." 
 
 " Never mind, Miss Blanche," said Walter ; " the resources 
 of Newaera are not exhausted, and I believe the Newaera 
 pattern is not so bad after all. If you like I will instruct the 
 town hall to get out a new design. I can do anything now 
 I am an M.P." 
 
 Further along the street, at No. 2 store, a similar scene 
 was being enacted, but the crowd, consisting mainly of men 
 and children, was smaller and less excited. The street here 
 was strewn with rice, a bag of which had evidently burst 
 while being carried through the crowd. All sorts of receptacles 
 were in use — buckets, baskets, portmanteaux — and all who 
 emerged from the store had bulging pockets. One man 
 carried his hat full of tea ; another had a huge mass of 
 butter in both hands ; and a third had two hams and a cheese. 
 
 The three friends passed on towards the Green, where 
 Walter turned off to the Parliament Hall, while Frank 
 and Blanche struck off to the right along a side street leading 
 to the open country. Looking back towards the village, 
 they noticed a man with a hand-cart, into which he was 
 loading sacks of flour ; another man was bringing them out 
 of the back entrance of No. 5 store.
 
 126 NEW^ERA. 
 
 "There is Jack Forbes replenishing his stock," said Frank. 
 " Have you been buying your groceries from him lately ? " 
 
 " Yes, either from him or from another man in the village. 
 It is much more convenient ; there is such a crowd at the 
 stores, and everything is sold out before midday. I can't 
 understand how it is that Forbes and the other man can go 
 on selling all day long, whereas the stores are completely 
 cleared out in an hour or so." 
 
 " I think it is not difficult to explain. Forbes sells at 
 much higher prices than the stores, so the people buy 
 smaller quantities. If he finds himself running short, he 
 raises his prices, so that some people will go without rather 
 than pay so much, and others will buy as little as will keep 
 them going. I have no doubt he makes a very good thing 
 of it, but I hope Parliament will put a stop to his little game. 
 I don't know how you will manage, though ; you certainly 
 cannot take part in a scramble like that. Are Forbes's prices 
 very much higher now ? " 
 
 " I heard he was charging as much as is. 6d. for a quartern 
 loaf one day last week, but it doesn't affect us, because he 
 lets me have everything I want at store prices, and sends 
 them round to the house." 
 
 " But — I don't understand — do you mean he is charging 
 you ^d. for a loaf and other people is. 6d. ? " 
 
 " Yes, since the beginning of last week." 
 
 " Do you know why ? Is he a special friend of yours ? " 
 
 " Oh, no. I don't quite understand it, but I fancy it must 
 have something to do with Walter being in Parliament. 
 He is doing the same to the Grimshaws, and you know 
 Mr. Grimshaw is in Parliament." 
 
 " But, it is impossible that Walter should have used his 
 official position to make a special arrangement of that 
 kind." 
 
 " Oh, no. Mr. Sinclair knows nothing about the arrange- 
 ment — I asked him. Not that I could see anything wrong 
 in it even if he had arranged it." 
 
 Frank walked on very thoughtfully for a little while. " I 
 think I begin to see through this mystery," he said at last.
 
 TO EACH ACCORDING TO HIS NEEDS. 127 
 
 " Mr. Forbes is evidently a clever man. Now, Blanche, I 
 don't wish you to have anything to do with that special 
 arrangement. If you buy from Forbes, you must buy like 
 everyone else, and at the same prices, however high." 
 
 " Very well, I will if you wish it, but it will mean reducing 
 our income by more than half. His prices to others are 
 generally more than double what he charges us." 
 
 Nothing more was said on the subject, but Frank remained 
 thoughtful. They were now in the heart of the country, in 
 a charming lane with high banks on either side, covered 
 with wild flowers. It appeared that Walter's friend must 
 have exaggerated when he mentioned the 1,500 workers in 
 the country. Not a soul was in sight ; indeed, they saw no 
 sign of life except the flocks of birds which rose from the 
 fields at their approach, and settled down again when they 
 had passed. 
 
 It was a beautiful autumn day, and the country was looking 
 its best. The corn was ready for cutting, and so far as Frank 
 could see, there was promise of a fair crop, though the fields 
 were badly choked with weeds, and in places the corn was 
 very much trampled down. This elicited some indignant 
 remarks from Frank, who realized that the future of the 
 colony, as a self-supporting community, depended on the 
 abundance of this harvest. 
 
 When they had walked on for some miles without meeting 
 anyone, the sight of a farmhouse reminded them that they 
 had no provisions with them. As they did not wish to return 
 to the village before evening, they determined to beg or buy 
 some food at the farm, and find some shady spot for rest and 
 refreshment. 
 
 When they had knocked several times at the house door, 
 a decent old woman appeared. She looked at them rather 
 curiously, but seemed reassured by their appearance, and 
 willingly supplied them with all they required. 
 
 11 1 suppose the workers will be coming in for their dinner 
 soon," said Frank, " or do you send it out to them ? We 
 didn't see anyone in the fields." 
 
 "No, neighbour," said the old lady, "you wouldn't see
 
 128 NEWiERA. 
 
 them about here : they all went into the village early to be 
 in time for the giving away they talk about. Myself, I don't 
 believe there will be any giving away ; but perhaps you have 
 come from the village and know all about it ? " 
 
 " Yes, there is no mistake about the giving away," said 
 Frank with a smile ; " they were hard at it when we left. 
 But surely your people had plenty ? They did not all need 
 to go to the village for supplies ? " 
 
 " Well, as to that, there was plenty if you cared to pay for 
 it. Things have been awful dear this last week or two, and 
 it is hard for us country people to have to walk four miles 
 and then pay prices like that. I don't hold with this 
 socialism. There's too many workers and too little work, for 
 my way of thinking. But they do say this Mr. Ledingham 
 has messed things up fearful. I expect it will be better now 
 there is a Parliament ; and if they are going to give us victuals 
 for nothing, that will be something like." 
 
 Neither Frank nor his sister felt disposed to discuss 
 politics with the old dame, so they bade her good day, and 
 betook themselves to a little dell near by where they could 
 recline on a grassy bank, shaded by trees, a clear stream at 
 their feet. 
 
 " There is something I wanted to speak to you about," 
 said Blanche, when their simple meal was ended, and they 
 had stretched themselves at length on the soft bank. " I 
 don't know quite how to begin, and perhaps I am foolish to 
 mention it at all, but — someone has been annoying me a 
 good deal lately." 
 
 " A good many people have been annoying me," said Frank 
 lightly. " I never knew I had such a capacity for being 
 annoyed before I came here ; but what kind of annoyance do 
 you mean ? Some of the women workers ? We shall both 
 be able to retire into private life now, you know, and I shall 
 not be sorry for the change." 
 
 " Oh, no, I don't mean that. I mean — attentions." 
 
 "Somebody been paying you attentions? I have not 
 noticed anything of the kind, though of course I know every- 
 body likes you. To whom do you refer in particular ? "
 
 TO EACH ACCORDING TO HIS NEEDS. 129 
 
 " It is somebody in our house : I daresay you would not 
 notice — in fact you could not " 
 
 " You don't mean Walter ? " 
 
 " Oh, no ; Mr. Sinclair is always most respectful and 
 friendly." 
 
 " Well, then, whom do you mean ? Not Joe ? Sam ? 
 Has Sam Deacon been annoying you ? " 
 
 " Yes, it is Sam." 
 
 "The impudent fellow! I always thought him a quiet, 
 decent chap, but I have scarcely seen anything of him lately 
 — he takes all his meals in the village, and doesn't come in 
 till late." 
 
 " No, and he doesn't get up till late either, and for some 
 time he didn't come in at all. You see he has not been 
 working this last month. They had a breakdown at his 
 works, and they can't get it repaired, so he tells me." 
 
 " Not been working for a month ? But he always gives 
 his contribution to the household expenses, doesn't he ? " 
 
 " Oh, yes ; his superintendent gives the men their wages 
 notes, because, of course, it is not their fault they are not able 
 to work ; but I don't think it has been a good thing for him 
 to have nothing to do. I am afraid there are a good 
 many things going on in the village that ought not to go 
 on, Frank." 
 
 " Yes, but you say he has been annoying you. When does 
 he annoy you ? " 
 
 " Well, you see, I always go my rounds in the morning to 
 the various factories and to the town hall, and then I come 
 home and do my writing, and Sam is generally there." 
 
 " And do you mean to say he has been making love to 
 you ? " 
 
 " Well, yes, I suppose that is what it amounts to : not that 
 he has said very much, but it is very uncomfortable, and I 
 wish he would let me alone." 
 
 "I am glad you mentioned it, Blanche. I will speak to his 
 father and arrange for Sam to live somewhere else. I should 
 be sorry to lose Joe ; he is such a genuine sort, and looks at 
 things in such a sensible light. I have felt a little uneasy 
 
 n. K
 
 i 3 o NEWiERA. 
 
 about Sam sometimes, but I had no idea he was loafing in 
 the house while I was out." 
 
 Blanche seemed much relieved to have got a painful 
 subject off her mind, and the rest of the afternoon was spent 
 in discussing plans for the immediate future. When they 
 returned to the village, they found everything quiet. They 
 looked in at one of the stores and found it bare. Not an 
 article of portable property remained. Two windows were 
 broken, and some of the fittings were damaged. A number 
 of children were playing a noisy game in one of the upper 
 rooms. Frank turned them out and closed the door. 
 
 Distribution " to each according to his needs " was carried 
 out next day on rather different lines. It had come to be 
 recognized that in a communistic society " the early bird 
 catches the worm," and huge crowds of workers of all ages 
 and both sexes were gathered round the various stores at a 
 very early hour. As opening time approached, there was an 
 eager movement to secure the best positions near the doors. 
 As the rumble of the carts bringing the day's supplies from 
 the warehouse was heard in the distance, the excitement 
 became intense. As the first cart drew up, a woman in the 
 crowd reached for a piece of bacon that was visible among 
 the various packages. Instantly, as by a preconcerted signal, 
 the cart was surrounded, men and boys climbed into it and 
 handed out the booty to their friends below. In a few 
 minutes the cart was cleared, and men and women were 
 hurrying away in all directions with the spoils they had 
 secured. Their less fortunate neighbours turned their atten- 
 tion to the second cart, and before it was empty, the crowds 
 waiting at the other stores had got wind of what was happen- 
 ing and had come swooping down in a body. In less than 
 half an hour the day's distribution was accomplished. 
 
 Jack Forbes and his competitor Wilson had meanwhile 
 been waiting at the back of No. 5 store with hand-carts and 
 helpers, ready to carry off their day's stock as soon as the 
 stores should be opened. But the opening was delayed, and 
 Jack Forbes, hearing the turmoil in the street, ran round to 
 see what was happening. He was only in time to see the
 
 TO EACH ACCORDING TO HIS NEEDS. 131 
 
 last parcels of provisions being carried away from the now 
 empty carts. There was no food to be bought that day, and 
 the many workers who had not been fortunate enough or 
 strong enough to secure any, were reduced to the necessity of 
 begging or buying from their neighbours, or of going out to 
 the fields and gathering the corn, or grubbing up potatoes 
 and turnips. There were loud and angry protestations, 
 and not a few were ready to say that if Frank's Dictatorship 
 had been mismanaged, the new Parliament was utterly 
 incompetent and should be dissolved at once. 
 
 It would have gone badly with the Ledingham household 
 if Walter had not been able to get a supply of eatables from 
 one of his colleagues in Parliament, who had taken advantage 
 of Forbes's generosity by laying in a large stock at store 
 prices. 
 
 Meanwhile Parliament had not been idle. It had been 
 arranged that every worker in the colony should be sum- 
 moned to appear at the town hall to be examined by the 
 Employment Committee, and to have his work allotted to 
 him. Each worker was to be given a card bearing the name 
 of the department or factory in which he was to work, 
 together with his own name and address. Payments were 
 to be made at the town hall on production of the work 
 card and a wage note signed by the superintendent of the 
 department indicated on the card. After the first few days 
 of free distribution, it was unanimously decided that this 
 system could not be continued, and that it would be neces- 
 sary to revert to money payments. The precise form of 
 these payments was the subject of a long and heated debate 
 which lasted the whole week. Some were in favour of 
 simply going back to the original system, but with a reduced 
 allowance for wives and children. This was as vigorously 
 opposed by others, who advocated a differential system of 
 payment, each worker receiving an amount depending on the 
 class of work allotted to him. A third section pointed out 
 that it would be impossible to secure smooth and contented 
 working of the colony if some workers were arbitrarily 
 allotted menial or arduous work at low rates of pay, while 
 
 k 2
 
 132 NEW^RA. 
 
 others received more money for more congenial work. A 
 fourth section was in favour of payment according to amount 
 of work done, the rates being the same in all cases ; but 
 when asked to explain how much street sweeping was 
 equivalent to making a pair of boots, selling a pound of 
 butter or writing a business letter, they were at a loss for a 
 reply. A fifth section was in favour of equal wages for all, 
 allowance for wives and children, and shorter hours for the 
 less congenial occupations ; but when asked to explain how 
 they would arrange the continuous running of a factory in 
 which the superintendent worked two hours, the mechanics 
 four, and the labourers eight, or the labourers two and the 
 superintendent eight (there was a difference of opinion on 
 this point), they too were at a loss for an answer. 
 
 Intimately connected with this problem of payments was 
 that of distribution. Parliament had come clearly to recog- 
 nize the fact that there was only a week's corn in the ware- 
 house, and that some provisions had run out altogether. It 
 was clearly necessary to reduce the present rate of consump- 
 tion, but there was acute difference of opinion as to whether 
 this should be done by further limiting the daily supply, or 
 by raising the prices, or by limiting the amount of each 
 article that might be supplied to each purchaser. 
 
 All were, however, agreed that the first task to be under- 
 taken was getting Newaera to work. Many of the factories 
 had ceased work altogether, through lack of raw material 
 (there were no exports to pay for it), through breakdowns in 
 the machinery, or because the superintendents had been dis- 
 charged and none appointed in their places. A large number 
 of workers had taken to " farming," the engineers' shop 
 was still inventing, nearly a third of the male workers and 
 a great many women were at the town hall organizing 
 the work which was not being done, and an unknown 
 number were engaged in authorship, painting, the advance- 
 ment of science, and other works of public utility, which 
 showed no tendency to replenish the warehouse. The 
 first step, therefore, was to allocate the work, and the 
 Members of Parliament volunteered to assist personally in
 
 TO EACH ACCORDING TO HIS NEEDS. 133 
 
 expediting the work. The village was divided into sections, 
 and the workers were summoned to the town hall in 
 batches. 
 
 It happened that Frank was among the first to obey the 
 summons. He was ushered into a small office, and left 
 standing in front of the desk at which Walter Grimshaw was 
 seated, writing. When Frank had waited patiently for some 
 minutes, Grimshaw looked up and coolly surveyed him. 
 
 " Your name ? " 
 
 " Frank Ledingham." Grimshaw made an entry. 
 
 " Address ? " 
 
 " 27, Liberty Street." 
 
 " Occupation ? " 
 
 " Engineer." 
 
 " Have you been working in the engineers' shop ? " 
 
 " No. I think you must be aware " 
 
 " Then what the devil have you been doing ? " 
 
 " I have been managing this colony." 
 
 " Managing, eh ? I have not seen much sign of manage- 
 ment. Come, let us have no nonsense. We have no 
 vacancies in the management department. What can 
 you do ? " 
 
 " I have done what I have undertaken to the best of my 
 ability. I should prefer in future " 
 
 " So much the worse for your ability. We do not go 
 by preferences here. Have you done a single day's work 
 since you came here ? " 
 
 " As you apparently do not consider the superintendence 
 of an industrial community work, I can only remind you 
 that I undertook personally to clean the streets of the 
 village when no one else could be induced to do it." 
 
 " Hm ! So I heard. Short ! " 
 
 An attendant entered from the next room. 
 
 " Give this man a card for the cleansing department, and 
 show in the next." 
 
 It was not till Frank had received his card, learnt where 
 he was to obtain the tools of his trade, and set out on his 
 way home, that he fairly realized what had happened. He
 
 i 3 4 NEW.ERA. 
 
 was at first inclined to be downcast, even indignant ; but his 
 disposition was naturally cheerful, and he soon recovered 
 his spirits. The work was certainly not what he would have 
 chosen, and he had little doubt that Grimshaw had allotted 
 it to him in payment for the severe reprimand he had 
 received from Frank, but after all, it was honest work, which 
 he could do well. As to the welfare of the colony, which 
 was always uppermost in his mind, it now rested largely in 
 the hands of a man who was certainly resolute, who knew 
 his own mind, and who would probably contrive to get his 
 wishes carried out. Frank could not disguise from himself 
 that Newsera, under his own management, had made a bad 
 start, and had reached the verge of bankruptcy within three 
 months of its inauguration. He was not sorry to be allowed 
 to take his place as a passive spectator of the future progress 
 of the colony, under the administration of the chosen repre- 
 sentatives of the people, led by a man who would not easily 
 be deterred from the accomplishment of his aims. He was 
 not without misgivings as to the result, but could scarcely 
 restrain a secret feeling of satisfaction at the thought that if 
 failure did result, his own unsuccessful efforts at management 
 would be to some extent vindicated, and that, in any case, 
 the new administrators were likely to find their task a good 
 deal less simple than they had anticipated. He rather 
 shrank from the thought of telling Blanche the news of his 
 appointment, but determined to get it over quickly and 
 make the best of it. 
 
 Nodding to Sam Deacon, whom he found in the sitting- 
 room, he went in search of his sister, and was distressed to 
 find her in the kitchen, leaning on the table with her face 
 buried in her arms. She looked up on his entrance, and he 
 saw that she had been crying. 
 
 "Why, Blanche!" he said, taking a seat near her; 
 " what's amiss ? Have you had a disappointment at the 
 town hall too ? " 
 
 " Oh — the town hall — yes, I have been to the town hall, 
 and I am to — I forget what — oh, yes — wash the dishes at the 
 restaurant, the odious man ! "
 
 TO EACH ACCORDING TO HIS NEEDS. 135 
 
 jj 
 
 " Well, cheer up, I daresay it won't be so bad as it 
 sounds. I am to sweep the streets — it will not be the first 
 time. After all, we are just workers like the rest ; the work 
 has to be done, and we can't expect to pick and choose." 
 
 " Frank, I want to leave this place. I can't stay here any 
 longer. I will go to my aunt in London until I can settle 
 what to do. I can't stop here." Blanche's face was flushed, 
 and she spoke vehemently. 
 
 " Why, Blanche, I am surprised to hear you talk like that 
 — turn tail so soon, just because you have to do some work 
 that is not to your fancy." 
 
 "Oh, it's not the work; I don't care about that. But, 
 Frank, I have — I have been insulted, and I can't stop in this 
 house. I want to leave at once." 
 
 " Insulted ? In this house ? Who has insulted you ? " 
 Frank's face hardened. 
 
 " You know I said something on Monday " 
 
 " Has Sam insulted you ? Tell me about it." 
 " Oh, I can't tell you about it ; but I don't want to see 
 him again, ever." 
 
 Frank rose from his seat. He was ominously calm. 
 
 " Very well," he said, " I think we can manage that. I 
 
 didn't cease to be an Englishman when I came to Newsera." 
 
 " Oh, Frank ! " Blanche cried in alarm ; but Frank was 
 
 gone, and the door was closed behind him. 
 
 Exactly what happened in the sitting-room Blanche 
 never knew. Whatever it was, it did not take long. Sam 
 Deacon passed the kitchen door muttering oaths of 
 vengeance, and slammed the front door. He did not 
 appear again. 
 
 Next morning, Frank was out early with brush and 
 shovel. Not having met his superintendent, he was without 
 instructions, but he found plenty to do. In truth, his task 
 was that of the hero of the Augean stables : the work had 
 not been touched since he undertook it last. He determined 
 to commence with the end of High Street which debouched 
 on the village green, and he made his way down the street 
 at a brisk walk, swinging his shovel, and whistling to keep
 
 1 36 NEW^ERA. 
 
 his spirits up. It was nearly time for the daily distribution 
 to begin, and he was surprised to find the roadway opposite 
 the stores deserted. Newasra had evidently learnt a lesson 
 in good manners, and decided to do its shopping in an 
 orderly manner in future. 
 
 As he neared the Green he was aware of an increasing 
 number of men and women, all hurrying in the direction in 
 which he himself was going. Absently speculating on their 
 destination, he turned the corner near the Green, and at once 
 the situation dawned on him. A vast crowd was collected in 
 front of the great doors of the warehouse, silently waiting 
 for the carts to emerge with the day's supplies. As he 
 approached, the doors were thrown open, and a cart came 
 forth. Instantly it was covered with a struggling mass of 
 humanity. It did not pause, but proceeded leisurely in the 
 direction of the stores, the carter walking at his horse's 
 head. Before it had gone many yards it was empty, and 
 the attention of the crowd was directed to the second cart, 
 which followed it closely. Each of the five carts was 
 cleared in the same manner, and as the last emerged, the 
 warehouse doors swung to, and were instantly bolted from 
 the inside. 
 
 Those who had secured prizes were soon hurrying to their 
 homes, defending themselves as well as they could from 
 groups of men and women who endeavoured to snatch at 
 what they carried. But the day's supplies were meagre ; 
 they had been limited according to the decision of Parlia- 
 ment, and a large part of the crowd was empty handed. 
 Evidently there would be no opportunity of purchasing 
 supplies from Forbes and Wilson, who had indeed been 
 waiting for hours before the warehouse, but had failed to 
 secure more than would suffice for their own consumption. 
 The pinch of hunger had been felt the day before, and the 
 bearing of the crowd was ominous. For a time it waited 
 about in uncertainty, as if expectant of some further 
 distribution. The people divided into groups, and 
 angrily discussed the situation. Soon significant glances 
 were thrown towards the warehouse. The food it contained
 
 TO EACH ACCORDING TO HIS NEEDS. 137 
 
 was the people's property. By what right were the people 
 being shut out from their property? Were they to go hungry 
 at the dictate of their own representatives — their own 
 servants — whose duty it was to feed them ? No, a thousand 
 times no ! There were loud knocks on the warehouse doors ; 
 knocks became blows, but they were blows from unarmed 
 hands, and the doors were strong. A hundred eyes searched 
 round for tools. A sturdy fellow snatched Frank's shovel 
 from his hands, and hurried with it through the crowd, 
 brandishing it as he ran. So intent was the crowd on its 
 immediate purpose, that scarcely anyone noticed the swift 
 approach of a body of men, advancing at the double across 
 the Green from the town hall. All but one were armed. 
 The Government of Newsra had provided no military 
 accoutrements, but in the town hall there were chairs and 
 stools, and the legs of these articles of furniture can be 
 detached by resolute men. Grimshaw's little army of 
 200 men (for Grimshaw himself was leading) advanced 
 in a solid body, and cleaving a way through the crowd, 
 which drew back in alarmed surprise at the sudden 
 onslaught, took up a position four deep across the front 
 of the warehouse, and stood facing the crowd. Clearly 
 there was nothing to be done. Resistance was useless. A 
 chair leg is not the most deadly of weapons, but, handled by 
 a resolute man with right on his side, it is not to be lightly 
 encountered. The danger had been foreseen and averted, 
 and the crowd slowly melted away with angry mutterings. 
 
 Frank had been a passive spectator of these proceedings. 
 The crisis being passed, he turned his thoughts to the task 
 before him. He went in search of his shovel, which was 
 handed to him by one of the small body of men who had 
 been left to guard the warehouse in case of a renewed 
 attack. As he bent his back to the work, scraping and 
 sweeping a stretch of the asphalte road and collecting the 
 dirt in little heaps at each side, two thoughts occupied his 
 mind. He thought of his sister in her uncongenial surround- 
 ings, engaged in menial work to which she was little 
 accustomed, and he thought of his dinner and hers. How
 
 138 NEWjERA. 
 
 was it to be procured ? There was very little food left in 
 the house. The stores were closed. No supplies had gone 
 to the restaurant. Forbes and Wilson had none. Should 
 he call for Blanche at dinner-time, take her to the fields 
 near by, and make an al fresco meal of raw corn, and potatoes 
 dug from the earth and roasted at a brushwood fire, as 
 many of his neighbours had done the previous day ? As 
 he turned this important question in his mind, a man passed 
 him carrying a cheese. Here was his opportunity. He 
 hurried after the man and accosted him, asking to be allowed 
 to buy sufficient for the day's needs. The man was quite 
 good natured, and gave him a small piece as an act of 
 neighbourliness, but declined to sell any. Money was of no 
 use to him ; he had plenty, but as there was nothing to buy, 
 it was useless. What he wanted was bread, or at any rate 
 flour, and other foodstuffs if possible. He hoped to be able 
 to barter his cheese for as much as would keep him supplied 
 for the rest of the week. He was taking it to the Green, 
 with the idea that he might meet there someone who was 
 willing to do a deal with him. He set it down on the grass, 
 and standing by it explained the situation to the passers-by, 
 who looked at him with curiosity. The news soon spread 
 in the village, and a succession of men and women appeared, 
 bearing provisions of various kinds. A brisk trade was soon 
 in progress. The cheese was cut up into fair-sized pieces, 
 which were readily taken in exchange for small quantities of 
 tea, rice, flour, a tin of fruit, and another of sardines. 
 Similar exchanges were going on all round the knot of 
 traders. They were soon surrounded by a crowd of persons 
 anxious to buy, but with nothing but money to offer. All 
 such offers were at first refused, but gradually, as the 
 fortunate possessors of the food supplies succeeded in 
 satisfying their various wants by barter, they became more 
 willing to take money in exchange for the surplus of their 
 original supplies. Prices were extraordinarily high. For 
 10s. Frank succeeded in purchasing about a pound of 
 cheese and a few biscuits, enough, at any rate, to keep 
 himself and Blanche from starvation that day.
 
 TO EACH ACCORDING TO HIS NEEDS. 139 
 
 Simple Ab was early on the scene. He had been among 
 the crowd at the warehouse door, and had triumphantly 
 carried off the bulkiest parcel on the first cart. Not till he 
 was safely in his home, with the door shut and bolted ; did 
 he venture to explore its contents, and great was his 
 tribulation when he discovered himself the possessor of four 
 dozen Newasra pattern ladies' hats. When news reached 
 him of the market on the Green, he hurried thither 
 and displayed his treasures on the grass. They were 
 marked 8s. each, a price which, as he explained to all who 
 would listen, represented the amount of Simple Abstract 
 Necessary Social Human Labour expended in their manu- 
 facture. But Newasra had not come to the Green in quest 
 of ladies' hats. There was no demand. After much 
 persuasion, he succeeded in selling half a dozen for 
 2d. each. The rest remained unsold, and were kicked 
 about the grass — all but one, with which the crestfallen 
 orator returned to meet his spouse. He carried it carefully 
 in both hands, for it was filled with flour. 
 
 At dinner-time Frank called at the restaurant for his 
 sister, but it was closed, as were most of the works and all 
 the stores. There was nothing to sell, and Newsera was not 
 in the humour for work after that morning's occurrences. 
 Arrived at home, he found that his anxiety for Blanche's 
 dinner had been needless. The house was empty, but there 
 was a note from Blanche, saying that she had found no work 
 at the restaurant, and had gone into the country. He would 
 find food in the cupboard. He found a good supply there, 
 much to his surprise. On going back to work in the after- 
 noon, he found his superintendent with a gang of men under 
 him. They had taken up his work where he had left it 
 in the morning, and were making good progress. Frank 
 received a sharp reprimand from his superintendent (an 
 official whom he had himself placed on one of the town hall 
 committees) for being ten minutes late. He determined to 
 keep better time in future. 
 
 * * *
 
 14° NEW^RA. 
 
 The " hunger week " wore slowly to its close. Each 
 morning after the frustrated attack on the warehouse the 
 distribution of supplies took place. A guard was drawn up 
 to protect the warehouse, but no attempt was made to escort 
 the provision carts to their nominal destination. They were 
 pounced upon as soon as they emerged, and emptied of their 
 contents, which were immediately taken to the Green. 
 There they were exchanged, principally by barter. When 
 their possessors had secured enough of each commodity for 
 their individual needs, the surplus was sold at famine prices 
 to those who had money. There was a rumour that Parlia- 
 ment had decided to resume money payments, and there 
 was less reluctance to take payments in coin, which had 
 been at a discount so long as there was no prospect of its 
 coming again into general use. Parliament had been sitting 
 each day with closed doors, and there was much speculation 
 as to the course it might decide to pursue. It was generally 
 felt that a radical change of procedure was necessary. Little 
 work was being done, though the factories were opened one 
 by one as the Employment Committee proceeded with its 
 work of appointing superintendents, and allocating work to 
 the private members of the colony. 
 
 Saturday dawned with a leaden sky, and by 10 o'clock 
 the rain had begun to fall in torrents. The whole week had 
 been unbearably hot and sultry, and the rain was felt to be a 
 relief. 
 
 In the evening the Ledingham household all met together 
 for the first time that week. Each day Walter had been at 
 the town hall from early morning until late at night. 
 There had been a good deal of speculation as to the means 
 of subsistence of the town hall officials, none of whom had 
 taken part in the morning scrambles. Some rather ugly 
 rumours had got abroad, and no reference had been made in 
 Walter's presence to what was felt to be a delicate subject. 
 Nor had the proceedings of Parliament been alluded to. All 
 were burning to hear what decision had been arrived at, but 
 by tacit consent it was left to Walter to make his disclosures 
 at his own time. To tell the truth, a certain constraint had
 
 TO EACH ACCORDING TO HIS NEEDS. 141 
 
 fallen on the family on Walter's entrance, a constraint that 
 was felt by himself no less than by his housemates. They 
 were ordinary workers : he was to some extent the arbiter of 
 their destinies. 
 
 After tea, he produced a copy of the Newcera Record, and 
 handed it to Frank without a word. Frank glanced down 
 the page, and then read aloud : — 
 
 " The present week has been one of the most eventful in 
 the history of Newasra. In our last issue we noted with 
 approval the wise decision of our Parliament to abolish the 
 system of distribution by means of the Newaera coinage, and 
 boldy to apply the fundamental socialist principle enunciated 
 in the motto, ' To each according to his needs,' by instituting 
 the free distribution to our workers of the commodities they 
 have themselves produced. The new system has worked 
 well. There have, it is true, been trifling hitches, owing to 
 the newness of the machinery of distribution, but on the 
 whole we may say that the decision of our administrators 
 has been justified in the result. On Monday the distribution 
 took place at the stores, but it was subsequently found more 
 convenient to allow it to take place in the open space beside 
 the village green. A party of gentlemen from the town 
 hall watched with amused interest the handing of the 
 various provisions from the carts. It was perhaps a mistake 
 to make up the goods in parcels too large for the needs of 
 the individual workers, as this involved a certain amount of 
 exchange after the actual distribution had taken place, but it 
 was carried through with the admirable good humour which 
 is so characteristic of a community freed from the iron heel 
 of the capitalist and the grinding force of competition. 
 
 " It appears that there is a slight and temporary shortage 
 of supplies, so it has been decided to return for the next 
 week, or until the harvest is safely garnered, to the former 
 system of wages payments. We are authorized to announce 
 that the rates will, until further notice, be as follows : — 
 £3 per week for single workers, £3 5s. for married men, with 
 an allowance of 2s. 6d. per week for each child under 
 sixteen. We are sure the colonists will appreciate the
 
 i 4 2 NEWiERA. 
 
 generous advance which Parliament has been able to make 
 over the rates which obtained under the old administration. 
 The first payment of wages will take place on Saturday next 
 at the town hall, and workers will please note that it will be 
 necessary to bring with them their new employment cards, 
 together with wages notes signed by their respective superin- 
 tendents. 
 
 " Our administrators have worked exceedingly hard since 
 their election — indeed, we think it necessary to warn them 
 against overtaxing their strength, and this warning should 
 be taken to heart, not only by the Members of Parliament, 
 but also by all those who are engaged in administrative 
 work at the town hall. Newaera looks with confidence to 
 the ultimate results of their efforts, but does not expect to 
 see them at once in full fruition. 
 
 " There is indeed much to be done. We wish to say 
 nothing in disparagement of the administration which is now 
 superseded. Our late Dictator is a man whose genial 
 character is generally esteemed. If the results of his 
 Dictatorship have not been in all respects satisfactory, we 
 would ask our readers to bear in mind that the administra- 
 tion of a great community like this is too great a task to be 
 entrusted to a single individual, however excellent his 
 intentions. Newaera will in future be administered by the 
 Whole People, the collective wisdom of the Commonwealth 
 being brought to bear on every problem, through the agency 
 of Newaera' s elected representatives. 
 
 " It is indeed a fact of singularly happy portent that 
 almost the first act of our Parliament was to pass a kind of 
 Self-denying Ordinance, whereby the Members renounce 
 for themselves and for their collaborators at the town hall 
 all claim to their legitimate share of the produce issued daily 
 from the warehouse. We have mentioned above that there 
 is a merely temporary shortage in the stock of some 
 commodities, and this has made it necessary to fix a limit to 
 the amount distributed each day. Our administrators have 
 earned the gratitude of Newaera by declining to participate 
 in this distribution.
 
 TO EACH ACCORDING TO HIS NEEDS. 143 
 
 " It is expected that by next week the excitement due to 
 the elections will have subsided, and that Newsera will have 
 settled down to work again : no doubt an extra force of 
 workers will be required to gather in the harvest. 
 
 " One decision of our Parliament will be hailed with satis- 
 faction by every Newaeran. It was resolved that a small 
 but permanent body of police should be enrolled, and we 
 understand that this measure has now been carried into execu- 
 tion. It will certainly lend an added sense of security to our 
 social life. 
 
 " The secretary of the Amusement Committee asks us to 
 announce that arrangements are being made for a band to 
 play every evening on the Green. Musical volunteers are 
 invited to communicate with the secretary at the town 
 hall. 
 
 " A ball will be held in the public hall on Monday night, 
 commencing at 7 o'clock. Admission is, of course, per- 
 fectly free, and all are invited. As the catering department 
 is temporarily short handed, guests are invited to bring their 
 own refreshments." 
 
 Frank laid the paper on the table and whistled. Walter 
 was busy cleaning out his pipe. Joe Deacon smoked in 
 silence, and Blanche was engaged with her own thoughts. 
 
 " Well, Walter," said Frank at last, " what do you think 
 of it ? I presume there has been a change in the editorial 
 chair of the Record ? " 
 
 " Not exactly that," said Walter. " You no doubt heard 
 that the editor was elected to Parliament ; he is still retain- 
 ing the post, but a sub-editor has been appointed to relieve 
 him of some of the work and to take over the management 
 of the printing works." 
 
 " I see," said Frank. " That accounts for several things. 
 And what do you think of it on the whole ? Would you be 
 disposed to call it a pack of lies, or, ? " 
 
 " No, no, I shouldn't say that. The language is a little 
 flowery, no doubt, but the information is correct on the 
 whole. Of course we have to bear in mind that the Record 
 goes to London, and is eagerly read and commented on by
 
 i 4 4 NEW^RA. 
 
 our enemies as well as our friends. It would not be 
 good policy to wash our dirty linen in public." 
 
 " No doubt that is true. But there is one thing I do not 
 understand ; can you explain that mysterious paragraph 
 about the 'Self-denying Ordinance'? Have you town hall 
 people decided to live on the breath of the lily, or on the 
 exhalations of your own virtues — or what ? " 
 
 Walter laughed a little uneasily. " No, not exactly that. 
 I think we have had a fairly good tea, haven't we ? Did you 
 inquire where it came from ? " 
 
 " I have noticed that we have been a good deal better off 
 than most of our neighbours in the matter of food, and I 
 have wondered how it was managed. Where did it come 
 from ? " 
 
 " It is very simple. I ordered it from the warehouse." 
 
 "From the warehouse? Is this the Self-denying Ordin- 
 ance ? " 
 
 " It is the arrangement we came to. There is no need to 
 apply that absurd name to it." 
 
 " And did you pay for it ? " 
 
 " No, of course not, while the free distribution was in 
 force. In future I shall pay for what I order — at store 
 prices." 
 
 " I see. Then you and your colleagues and assistants are 
 to order whatever you want direct from the warehouse, while 
 we ordinary workers are to fight for our daily supply of food 
 that is not enough to go round. Is that right, Walter? " 
 
 " I don't see why you should put it so baldly, not to say 
 offensively. What this colony wants is organization. We 
 have got the job of organizing it — not a very attractive job 
 either. It would not be in the interest of the community to 
 have its organizers and administrators spending their time 
 in the shops, waiting to be served ; and we must live, you 
 know. You needn't grumble, at any rate, seeing that you 
 share whatever I order." 
 
 Frank did not reply. His face showed deep dissatisfaction. 
 
 " What I can't understand is this," Blanche broke in. 
 " We are fearfully short of food, as everybody knows, yet
 
 TO EACH ACCORDING TO HIS NEEDS. 145 
 
 you have chosen this particular moment to raise wages all 
 round from £2 to £3 a week. What is the meaning of it ? " 
 
 " That arrangement was made for the purpose of equaliz- 
 ing wages a little more. Under the old scheme, a man with 
 a wife and a lot of children got so very much more than 
 a single worker, that there was constant jealousy. So we 
 have halved the allowance for wives and children, but we 
 thought it best to raise the rate, so that very few people 
 would get less than before, and a great many will get more. 
 So I hope all will be satisfied." 
 
 " Yes, but how about the limit on the supplies ? There 
 will be more money, and everybody likes that ; but will 
 there be more food to buy with it ? " 
 
 " No, I am sorry to say we have had to reduce the amount to 
 be given out each day. You see, the warehouse is almost 
 empty." 
 
 " Well, it is all very puzzling," said Blanche with a sigh. 
 " I never could understand finance, or economics, or what- 
 ever you call it." 
 
 " I have no doubt the new arrangement will work out as 
 well as possible under the circumstances," Walter replied, as 
 he took up his hat to go out. " I will order the main 
 supplies from the warehouse, so long as they last, but if you 
 want anything else I advise you to get it from Jack Forbes, 
 and go early." 
 
 N.
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 THE COUNCIL CHAMBER. 
 
 About a month had elapsed since the " hunger week " of 
 free food distribution. The weeks which followed had 
 been little less hungry. The harvest had indeed been 
 gathered in ; a party of officials from the town hall took 
 a large gang of workers into the fields on the Monday after 
 free food week, but there a disappointment awaited them. 
 The cattle had broken into two of the best fields, and 
 wrought havoc with the corn. The glorious weather of 
 free food week had been allowed to pass, all the workers 
 being in the village. The Saturday and Sunday were days 
 of torrential rain, and when the workers came to cut the 
 corn, they found it beaten down and sodden, eaten by cattle 
 and birds, choked with weeds, and trampled by the picnic 
 parties of the summer. It was a sorry harvest, and it was 
 evident that Newsera could not depend on it for many 
 months' food supply. A small amount was given out each day 
 and used as frumenty, as it was found impossible to grind it. 
 The mainstay of Newsera was the potato, of which there was 
 a fair supply. The food was at first sent from the ware- 
 house to the stores, but Forbes, Wilson, and half-a-dozen 
 other merchants with their helpers, invariably succeeded in 
 buying up the whole supply before the workers could get 
 served, and soon the pretence of sending the food to the 
 stores was given up. The merchants bought the whole 
 supply direct from the warehouse, and sold it at enormous 
 prices. This arrangement had one great advantage : every 
 worker had money, and could buy sufficient food to support 
 life, though even the high wages now paid did not avail to 
 purchase more than a bare subsistence. 
 Two circumstances had indeed occurred to relieve the
 
 THE COUNCIL CHAMBER. 147 
 
 scarcity. Parliament had decided to give up the strict 
 vegetarian policy which had hitherto been in force. There 
 were a fair number of sheep and cattle on the island, and it 
 had been intended to use them merely for the supply of wool 
 and milk, their hides being secured when they died. In 
 view of the shortage of other provisions, it was decided to 
 use the animals for food, and a few were killed each week. 
 The carcases were bought, and the meat distributed at a 
 huge profit, by merchants. 
 
 The second circumstance was the receipt of a large legacy 
 by one of the workers, a man named Williams. The colony 
 was in urgent need of some supplies, which could only be 
 obtained from the mainland, and then only in return for 
 exports, which unfortunately were not available on account 
 of the complete disorganization of the manufacturing depart- 
 ments. Strenuous efforts were made to induce Williams to 
 give or lend his fortune to the colony. Interest as high as 
 20 per cent, was offered, but 20 per cent, in aluminium 
 Newsera sovereigns did not appeal to Williams. Finally he 
 agreed to part with £5,000 in return for about half the 
 island. The land was to become his absolute property, the 
 transfer being arranged through Frank's solicitors, and he 
 undertook to farm it on his own account, hiring labourers 
 from Newasra or from the mainland as he chose. He 
 probably considered that Newasra would be a good market 
 for farm produce. The purchase-money came as a most 
 welcome windfall to Newaera, but clearly it would not go far 
 towards keeping the colonists through the winter, and there 
 was much debate, both in Parliament and among the workers, 
 as to the best means of supplying the deficiency. The policy 
 of " back to the land " was strongly urged by a section of the 
 colonists, who were inclined to blame the factory system for 
 the whole of their misfortunes. But it was pointed out in 
 reply that a very large number of workers had spent the 
 summer on the land, with disastrous results, and that an 
 industrious worker could buy more corn with the cotton or 
 iron goods he produced in the factory than he could raise by 
 tilling the soil for the same length of time. Evidently, then, 
 
 l 2
 
 148 NEW^ERA. 
 
 the correct policy was to get the factories working as quickly 
 as possible to produce manufactured goods and export them 
 in exchange for food. The town hall was not long in putting 
 this policy in operation ; the working hours were increased 
 to ten per day, superintendents were chosen from among the 
 town hall officials, and placed in charge of the various 
 factories, and soon the village assumed an appearance of 
 bustling activity. 
 
 There had been a change in the Ledingham household. 
 A growing sense of estrangement had crept in between 
 Walter and the other members of the family. Acute 
 differences of opinion had arisen between him and Frank 
 on the subject of some of the proceedings of the new 
 Government, culminating in a downright quarrel, and the 
 departure of Walter. He had taken up his quarters with 
 several of his parliamentary colleagues in St. Michael's Hall, 
 which lay about half a mile from the village, and had been 
 closed since the inauguration of the colony. Miss Evans 
 was no longer assisting Blanche; she had been allotted 
 other work. 
 
 Blanche had found her work at the restaurant hard and 
 uninteresting, but not intolerable. She was rather a favourite 
 with her superintendent, and this made her lot less unpleasant 
 than it might have been. Indeed, but for occasional unwel- 
 come attentions from some of the customers, she had little 
 to complain of in connection with her work, menial though 
 it was. But long hours, poor and insufficient food, and 
 excessive fatigue consequent on her endeavour to keep the 
 home bright and clean after her work at the restaurant was 
 over, had told their tale. She had not entirely lost her good 
 looks, but her face was drawn and thin, and there was very 
 little of that smartness of appearance which used to 
 characterize her. There was little time to spend on appear- 
 ances, and no money to spend on clothes in Newaera. 
 
 It was with a sense of relief that she put away the last 
 heavy pile of plates and stepped into the fresh air at closing 
 time. The village band was playing in the distance, and all 
 the trees were in the glory of their autumn foliage as she
 
 THE COUNCIL CHAMBER. 149 
 
 stepped briskly down the High Street. It was her custom 
 to meet Frank in the village after their work was over, and 
 take a short walk along the cliffs with him before turning in 
 for the evening. To-day he had told her he would be clean- 
 ing out a sewer near the town hall, and would wait for her 
 under the trees on the Green. She was disappointed not to 
 find him there, and after sitting on the grass awhile in the 
 hope that he would join her, she concluded that he must 
 have gone to meet her and missed her in the village. She 
 therefore returned home, and on entering the sitting-room 
 was surprised to find a stranger seated in any easy chair 
 smoking a cigarette. He was a youngish man with sandy 
 hair, a pale, flabby face and light eyelashes, whom she remem- 
 bered to have seen several times lately at the restaurant. 
 She had heard that he was in Parliament, but otherwise she 
 knew nothing of him except that she had always felt an 
 instinctive desire to get out of the room whenever she had 
 found his eyes fixed on her. 
 
 " Good evening," she said, not very cordially, and stand- 
 ing only just inside the door. " I suppose you wish to see 
 my brother ? I expect him in any minute." 
 
 " Well, no Miss — Blanche is the name, is it not ? No, 
 Miss Blanche, I did not come to see your brother ; in fact, I 
 should be very much surprised to see him here. I think it 
 very unlikely that he will be here this evening." 
 
 " Frank not here this evening ? Please tell me what you 
 mean." Blanche fell back a step and leaned against the wall, 
 breathing quickly. 
 
 " I am very sorry, Miss Blanche, to have to tell you the 
 rather unpleasant news. I felt sure you would have heard. 
 Your brother seems to have been getting into trouble — some 
 trifle, no doubt — I don't know the exact particulars. I think 
 an assault was mentioned, and some person named — Deacon, 
 I think it was. Some little affair of rivalry, I expect ; you 
 know the saying, ' Cherches lafemme. 1 " 
 
 " But — please tell me what has happened : has Frank been 
 attacked ? is he hurt, or ? " 
 
 " Oh, no ; set your mind at rest. Your brother is all right,
 
 i 5 o NEWiERA. 
 
 — but he was arrested this afternoon in connection with the 
 little affair I mentioned." 
 
 " Frank arrested for assaulting Sam Deacon ? Impossible ! 
 
 That was a month ago, and if ever a man was justified " 
 
 " Pardon me, Miss Blanche, I would like to give you a 
 word of warning ; you know a wife cannot be compelled to 
 give evidence against her husband, but a sister — that is 
 different : I would not say too much about it, for your 
 brother's sake." 
 
 Blanche was not listening. She was wildly thinking what 
 steps she ought to take. To whom could she appeal for 
 advice and help, and why was this man here ? 
 
 " Where is my brother ? You say they have arrested him : 
 I must go and find him at once, and in the meantime — " 
 Blanche hesitated — " I thank you for bringing me the news. 
 Have you anything else to tell me, or — can I do anything for 
 you ? " 
 
 " Well, now, since you mention it, I think I would like a 
 cup of tea, if you would be so good. We have had a heavy 
 day at the House, and if you will just sit down quietly, we 
 can talk matters over, and discuss what is best to be done 
 while we are having tea." 
 
 Blanche stared at him in amazement : her anger was 
 rapidly rising. 
 
 " I don't know what you mean," she said. " I have thanked 
 you for telling me of Frank's arrest, and now, if you have 
 nothing more to say, please leave me." 
 
 " Oh, come, Miss Blanche, be a sensible girl, and don't 
 order a fellow out of his house and home in that uncere- 
 monious fashion. Your brother is all right, and you can't see 
 him. He is locked up in No. 3 church, and the place is shut." 
 Blanche could contain herself no longer. " Why am I to 
 be subjected to this insolence ? " she cried. " Is it not 
 enough that my brother is persecuted for acting as any 
 gentleman would, but I must submit to your intrusion in my 
 house, and your most ungentlemanly refusal to leave when I 
 demand it ? Are you taking advantage of the fact that I am 
 not strong enough to turn you out ? "
 
 THE COUNCIL CHAMBER. 151 
 
 " I am awfully sorry that you should be so upset, Miss 
 Blanche, but I assure you, you are speaking under quite a 
 wrong impression. This is not your house. This house 
 belongs to Newasra, and Newsera has decided, through its 
 chosen representatives, that I am to live here. There was a 
 vacancy here ; I was homeless, and I am to fill the vacancy. 
 It is all quite simple, and I am sure both you and I will find 
 it a very pleasant arrangement. Allow me to help you off 
 with your jacket." 
 
 Blanche quickly placed a chair between herself and her 
 visitor, and stood defiantly facing him. 
 
 " I don't believe a word of what you say. You have no 
 authority for this intrusion, and " 
 
 " Pardon me, Miss Blanche, you are too hasty. I have the 
 best authority for taking my present position, and, since you 
 doubt my word, here it is." He took from his pocket a 
 printed form with a few written words, and handed it to 
 Blanche. She took it and read : — 
 
 " New^era Housing Department. 
 
 " Dwelling No. 27, Liberty Street. 
 
 " Mr. Charles White, M.P., Bachelor, is to live at above 
 address. 
 
 " Signed, 
 
 "Walter Grimshaw. 
 
 " Chairman of Housing Committee." 
 
 " So this is Mr. Grimshaw's doing, is it ? " said Blanche 
 indignantly. " Very well, we shall see whether Mr. 
 Grimshaw is as powerful as he thinks." 
 
 " Oh, come, Miss Blanche, be a reasonable girl. Mr. 
 Grimshaw has nothing to do with it, except that he signed 
 the order as chairman. The fact is, I applied for quarters 
 here, and can't you guess why ? Do you think I have not 
 seen you soiling your hands with menial work ? Do you 
 think I have not wished to save you — to help you — to use 
 my power as a Member " 
 
 Blanche heard no more. She left the room and shut the 
 door. As she stepped into the street she met Joe Deacon, to
 
 i 5 2 NEW^RA. 
 
 her great joy. She quickly explained the situation and 
 implored his help. He was for going in at once and pitch- 
 ing out the intruder, neck and heels, but Blanche begged him 
 to remember what had befallen Frank. The Government 
 was all-powerful, and she had only him to rely on. Joe at 
 once saw the unwisdom of using violence, but was puzzled to 
 suggest an alternative course. Blanche quickly unfolded the 
 plan she had decided on for the immediate future. She had 
 several times visited the old woman whose acquaintance she 
 and Frank had made in the country, and felt sure she would 
 help her. She would go out there at once, and beg a lodging 
 until the intruder was got rid of or her brother released. 
 Joe approved of this plan, but would not hear of Blanche 
 making the expedition alone, as she proposed. He insisted 
 on accompanying her. " It is getting late, Miss Blanche, 
 and the roads are not safe : if you only knew " 
 
 " I know very well what you mean, but I am not afraid — 
 they won't dare to molest me." 
 
 Joe was obdurate, and Blanche consented to his accom- 
 panying her part of the way at any rate. She asked him to 
 go in and engage the visitor in conversation for a few minutes 
 while she got together some things, and slipped out : when 
 she was clear of the house, Joe was to join her. This plan 
 was carried out, and the two set out for their four-mile walk. 
 
 Joe had heard of Frank's arrest, and had been round to 
 the town hall to make inquiries, but he had been unable to 
 see the prisoner, or to learn any particulars, except that 
 Frank was locked up in No. 3 church, and was to be tried 
 on the morrow for having assaulted Sam, " as he very 
 well deserved," he added warmly. 
 
 " Don't you think we could get out of this horrible 
 place ? " said Blanche, as they turned from the High Street 
 into the quiet country lane. " I think all the people here 
 are turning into wild beasts." 
 
 " It has been done," Joe replied quietly; "but I am afraid 
 it would be difficult now. Simple Ab got on board the 
 steamer last week among a lot of cattle that were being 
 driven on board, and he got clear away, but since then the
 
 THE COUNCIL CHAMBER. 153 
 
 quay has been guarded by a strong body of police whenever 
 the boat is in, and it would be very difficult to get past 
 them. There would be plenty ready to try it if it were not 
 so hopeless." 
 
 " I cannot understand how it is that socialists allow them- 
 selves to be made into policemen to oppress their fellows ; 
 but I suppose they are compelled to do police work, whether 
 they like it or not, as I am compelled to wash dishes." 
 
 Joe gave a short laugh. " No," he said, " no compulsion 
 is required ; quite the contrary. Why, only the other day a 
 rumour got abroad that they were enrolling more police at 
 the town hall. A dozen of the men in the mechanics' shop 
 threw down their tools, and insisted on going to volunteer. 
 The superintendent told them that if they left their work 
 they would go for good, but they decided to risk that, and 
 they have been out ever since. There were no police being 
 taken on. You see, a policeman is a civil servant, a town 
 hall official, and he gets the usual privileges of buying at 
 store prices, which comes to just the same thing as paying 
 him five or six times the wage of us ordinary workers." 
 
 " And what became of the men who were discharged ? 
 They can't get work elsewhere. It was a shame to discharge 
 them." 
 
 " I don't know what became of them, but they have plenty 
 of company. Some of the superintendents act on the prin- 
 ciple that if a man won't work — that is to say, work according 
 to instructions and to the satisfaction of his superintendent — 
 he must starve. They get the work done, except when they 
 run short of materials, which is pretty often ; but the workers 
 are very bitter against them. Other superintendents are just 
 as lax. Their workers know that they will get their wages 
 just the same whether they do much or little, good or bad 
 work, and for the most part they don't work at all. I have 
 got one of the strict sort." 
 
 " I suppose there is no more inventing, then ? " 
 
 " Oh, no ; that has all been put a stop to." 
 
 " Did anything come of it ? " 
 
 " Oh, yes," said Joe with a laugh ; " a lot of inventions
 
 154 
 
 NEW-ERA. 
 
 came of it, and they were considered by the Committee at 
 the town hall. Most of them were airships. One was to 
 be 800 feet long and 400 feet in diameter, all of aluminium. 
 It was to be the shape of an egg boiler, with a bulb at 
 each end, so that both ends would keep up, being filled 
 with gas." 
 
 " That seems rather a good idea." 
 
 " Well I don't know ; the Committee thought so, but they 
 decided to put off making it until we are a little more 
 wealthy ; it would cost more than Newaera is worth at 
 present." 
 
 " Aren't any of them to be made, then ? " 
 
 " Oh, yes ; they have given orders for one to be made. It 
 is an aeroplane, with a kind of windmill in front to drive the 
 propeller." 
 
 " I suppose you didn't go in for inventing, Joe ? " 
 
 " Well, yes ; I did get out a little thing, a kind of steam 
 valve, but the Committee didn't think anything of it. I think 
 it might be a good thing, and I have sent it to the manager 
 of the Vulcan Works, who is a friend of mine. He is going 
 to put it on the market." 
 
 Their path now lay along the top of the cliff; it was 
 narrow, and they had to walk in single file. Then they 
 struck across the fields, and Blanche reopened the conver- 
 sation. 
 
 " You were speaking of Simple Ab's escape just now. Did 
 you say the cattle were being landed ? " 
 
 " No, they were being driven into the boat." 
 
 " But surely the Government is not sending food away 
 while we are all half-starved ? " 
 
 "No, not the Government; they belonged to private 
 individuals. I think Forbes has sent a good many across, 
 and sheep too, as well as manufactured articles." 
 
 " But I don't understand ; why is he sending them away, 
 when they are wanted here so badly ? " 
 
 " It puzzled me a good deal at first, but I made inquiries, 
 and so far as I can make out it is like this : Forbes, as you 
 know, is buying from the warehouse, and selling at a big
 
 THE COUNCIL CHAMBER. 155 
 
 profit. He was very much set up at first, because he found 
 himself rapidly becoming a rich man. But after a time it 
 occurred to him that even if he had a room full of aluminium 
 sovereigns he would not be much better off. There is not 
 much here to buy except food, of which he has plenty, and 
 if he wanted to order a motor car from the mainland, or to 
 lay by something for the future, in case Newaera came to an 
 end, his money would only be worth scrap-metal price. His 
 problem was to convert his Newsera money into English 
 money, or English securities, or into things that he could 
 only buy in England, and his only way of doing this was to 
 buy something here, and send it across to be sold in England. 
 He was sure of being able to sell sheep and cattle, so he has 
 been exporting them. I suppose it is what people used to 
 try to frighten us with — investing capital abroad." 
 
 " I think the Government ought to put a stop to it," said 
 Blanche, "but they seem utterly incompetent. People had 
 plenty of fault to find with Frank's Dictatorship, but I am 
 sure things are infinitely worse now." 
 
 " I agree with you that it ought to be stopped, but I don't 
 think it would be easy, and I think it very unlikely that this 
 Parliament will attempt it." 
 
 " Why can't they put a stop to all this private trading — 
 forbid anyone to buy and sell at a profit ? " 
 
 " I am not sure whether they could do it, but I see clearly 
 why they don't attempt it. In the first place, you must 
 understand that when you buy from Jack Forbes you are 
 really doing business with Jack Forbes and Company. 
 The company does not appear on the sign-board, but it 
 has a very real existence, and it is generally to be found 
 at the town hall. A lot of the members and officials are 
 interested in it, and they are most of them doing some 
 exporting on their own account. They are not likely to 
 put an end to a system which is very profitable to them- 
 selves. Even if they were willing to put it down it would 
 not be easy. Free distribution has been tried : you know 
 the result. A small number of people got the whole of the 
 supplies, and the rest had to go into the fields and grub
 
 156 NEW^RA. 
 
 up potatoes. Selling at store prices was very little better. 
 You had to go early and wait for hours to be served, and 
 even then you often found everything was sold before your 
 turn came." 
 
 " But why couldn't the prices be raised, so that those who 
 came first could not afford to buy up the whole of the 
 food ? " 
 
 " Well, of course, you know why that is not likely to be 
 popular at the town hall. The officials are buying at lower 
 prices than the rest of us, and that is just the same as if they 
 had much higher wages. But even if they did raise the 
 store prices, they would have to vary them constantly 
 according to the supply. They would never be just right, 
 and there would be plenty of people taking care that they 
 were not just right. I can give you an instance of what 
 I mean. You know the soap works has been stopped this 
 last fortnight ? " 
 
 " Yes, I have seen the workers hanging about, but I didn't 
 know why." 
 
 "They had another breakdown in their machinery. I 
 have been working on the repairs, and I have found out one 
 or two interesting facts. In the first place, the breakdown 
 was caused intentionally. Whether it was brought about 
 by some of the workers who wanted a holiday at full pay, or 
 by instructions from elsewhere, I don't know. Somebody 
 wanted a breakdown, and there was a breakdown. The 
 other interesting fact is this : our superintendent is doing 
 all he can to delay the repairs. For days together nothing 
 is done. Why ? Because a gang at the town hall has 
 bought up all the soap. They are waiting until every bit 
 that has been distributed has been used. Then they will 
 begin to sell it a little at a time, through Forbes most likely, 
 at enormous prices. They can carry on their little game 
 just as long as the soap works remain shut." 
 
 " Oh, dear ! " sighed Blanche ; " it seems as if everything 
 went wrong here, and everybody seems to be trying to make 
 things go wrong. Why is it ? Surely they must all want 
 the colony to be a success ? "
 
 THE COUNCIL CHAMBER. 157 
 
 " I suppose they do in a general way, but I fancy the 
 weak point of the present arrangement is this : there is 
 not a man or woman in Newaera who does not stand to gain 
 more by making things go wrong than by making them go 
 right. The chaps at the soap works wreck their machinery. 
 They are rewarded with a fortnight's pay for nothing. I 
 work extra hard one week. I get no more for it. Prices 
 are no lower. I am no better off. My mate has a good 
 easy time, and only does half as much as I do. He makes 
 thirty articles a week against my sixty. Result, he gets 2s. 
 for each article, while I only get a shilling for each that I 
 make. He is living on my labour, and the lazier he is, the 
 more he gets of the product of my labour. The only way I 
 can get even with him is by being lazy too. The superin- 
 tendent is keeping us both back this week, so that he can 
 get his share of the plunder from the soap ring. Next week 
 he may be driving us like slaves, not for the good of the 
 colony, but so that he can get something made that he can 
 buy with his soap money, and send it out of the island. If 
 he simply worked for the good of the colony, he would be a 
 lot worse off." 
 
 " It all seems very hopeless," said Blanche, despondently. 
 " I didn't know socialists were such a lot of selfish, wrong- 
 headed people." 
 
 " They are not more selfish or wrongheaded than anybody 
 else — probably less so, or were before they came here ; but 
 a man has to be a good deal better than most human beings 
 if he can live in a community that is practically offering 
 rewards for doing wrong and punishments for doing right, 
 and not be the worse for it. I reckon to be as fond of my 
 work as most people, but I don't see breaking my back for 
 a lot of folks who are idling round me, and I am not going 
 to do it either. If idling's the word, then I'll idle with the 
 rest of them. If Newaera is going bankrupt, my work won't 
 prevent it." 
 
 " I don't wonder you look at it in that way ; but surely 
 something can be done to set things right. Frank will 
 break his heart if the whole thing is a failure."
 
 i 5 3 NEWiERA. 
 
 " I very much doubt whether things can be set right, Miss 
 Blanche. Only one thing I can suggest. We ought to have 
 a lot of workers in Parliament. They ought to be pledged 
 not to accept any of the town hall privileges, and they 
 should represent the interests of the workers. That would 
 be a step in the right direction, but whether they could set 
 things on a sound footing against the opposition of the whole 
 official class — that is another matter." 
 
 " Well, we shall be having another election soon. Won't 
 you stand for Parliament, and see what you can do ? " 
 
 " I have thought of that, and I suppose I would stand if 
 the workers really wished it, but I had much rather keep out 
 of it. Parliament work is not my line, and I really don't 
 see my way to many reforms, except by way of opposing 
 jobbery and corruption." 
 
 They had now reached their destination. Blanche was 
 kindly greeted by her friend at the farm, who was much 
 surprised to see her at that hour, and most kind and 
 sympathetic when she learned the reason of her unexpected 
 visit. All the bedrooms were occupied, but she willingly set 
 about preparing an extempore bed in the sitting-room, 
 and Joe had an easy mind when he set out for his long 
 tramp back to the village, after partaking of a hastily- 
 prepared meal. 
 
 Blanche was not sparing in her thanks to her kind hostess 
 when she set out for the village next morning. She received 
 a cordial invitation to return that night, and, indeed, to make 
 the farm her home until her brother should be released or 
 the intruder ejected from the house in Liberty Street. She 
 accepted the invitation provisionally. Much would depend 
 on the events of that day, and she could not at present say 
 what her arrangements would be ; but she promised in any 
 case to visit the farm on the earliest opportunity, and 
 acquaint her friend with- the turn of events. 
 
 It was a sharp autumn morning, and the landscape was 
 seen dimly through a thin veil of mist. In ordinary circum- 
 stances she would have thoroughly enjoyed the brisk walk 
 in the morning air, but to-day her mind was filled with the
 
 THE COUNCIL CHAMBER. 159 
 
 events that lay behind and before her, and she gave little 
 attention to her surroundings. About the unwelcome visitor 
 in Liberty Street she troubled herself little on her own 
 account. She had found a means of escape, and was deter- 
 mined not to re-enter the house until he had left it. She 
 did indeed feel some anxiety as to what might have happened 
 on Joe's return. He was of a quiet, peaceable disposition, 
 but she knew he was capable of being roused to fierce 
 indignation and anger, and she could well imagine a stormy 
 encounter when Joe returned from escorting her out of reach 
 of her persecutor. She was chiefly concerned with Frank's 
 fate, and the indignity that had been put upon him as a 
 result of his loyal action on her behalf ; and always in the 
 background was the gloom that had spread itself over her 
 recent life — the sordid work at the restaurant ; the ill-kept 
 home, which she had neither time nor energy to put in order ; 
 and the sense of discontent, the privation, the unrestrained 
 licence, corruption, and oppression of which she was 
 reminded at every turn. 
 
 She had been on foot three-quarters of an hour, and was 
 well within sight of the town hall tower when she became 
 aware of a dark object lying on the road in front of her. 
 The sight filled her with undefined alarm, which increased to 
 horror as she approached the body of a man lying across the 
 roadway with his face covered with blood. At first she 
 thought he was dead, but, as she stooped over him, a faint 
 groan escaped his lips and his eyelids quivered. His coat 
 was torn, his cheek showed a long, swollen bruise, and the 
 blood from a cut over one eye had disfigured his face. All 
 around the surface of the road showed signs of a struggle, 
 and his hat lay crushed a few yards away. Evidently he 
 had met with violence, and was in sore need of help, but she 
 felt herself totally inexperienced, and at a loss to know what 
 she ought to do. She gently tried to rouse him, speaking 
 to him repeatedly, but only eliciting another groan. Evidently 
 he was badly injured, and beyond her power to help, so she 
 placed a cushion of soft grass beneath his head, and set off 
 at a run towards the village. It took her only a few minutes
 
 160 NEW.ERA. 
 
 to reach the Green, where she saw a policeman coming from 
 the town hall. She rapidly told him what had occurred, 
 then went on to the town hall for more help, while he ran to 
 the warehouse for a hand-cart and a plank or shutter. She 
 was soon on her way to the scene of the tragedy, accompanied 
 by three policemen with the improvised stretcher. On their 
 way they called at the doctor's house, but found he had just 
 started for a day's fishing. His wife gave them a flask of 
 brandy, and with this they hurried forward, and found the 
 unfortunate man lying as Blanche had left him. One of the 
 policemen immediately recognized him as the superintendent 
 of the mechanics' shop. A few drops of brandy revived him 
 slightly, and he was lifted on to the stretcher and wheeled 
 towards his home. Blanche left the little party at the Green, 
 but before doing so she asked one of the policemen his 
 opinion as to the probable motive of the crime. " Was it a 
 private quarrel or an organized attack ? " 
 
 " I have little doubt on that point, miss. We have been 
 expecting something of the kind to happen, and now it has 
 begun we shall have our hands full. This is the work of the 
 unemployed, though there may be others in it as well. 
 Perhaps people will begin to believe us when we say more 
 police are necessary. There have been plenty of threats 
 lately." 
 
 Leaving him, Blanche took her way to No. 3 church, 
 which had now been divided into a number of offices. 
 About half of them were in use by the police department 
 while one had been converted into a cell for prisoners. At 
 the back of the building a room, which had been intended 
 for the vestry, was now used as the mint. It had been 
 crowded out of the town hall in the early days. Blanche 
 entered the first office she came to, and was confronted with 
 the police superintendent, who courteously but firmly refused 
 her request to be allowed to see her brother. Strict orders had 
 been given that he should be kept entirely secluded, but he 
 was to be tried that morning by a committee of officials who 
 were then being appointed, and no doubt she would be allowed 
 to see him when his fate had been decided. Finding her
 
 THE COUNCIL CHAMBER. 161 
 
 entreaties unavailing, she went on to the town hall, and, 
 passing the doorkeeper without opposition, she passed along 
 the corridor, with offices on either side, and soon found 
 herself before the folding doors which gave access to the 
 council chamber. She boldly opened the doors and entered, 
 but was at once stopped by an attendant, who had been 
 seated at a small desk just inside the room. He explained 
 that admittance during the debates was absolutely pro- 
 hibited. She began to expostulate and explain her mission, 
 but he pushed her outside the doors, and, following her, 
 listened to what she had to say. She demanded to be 
 allowed to put her brother's case before the elected repre- 
 sentatives of the colony, and to protest against the outrage 
 that had been committed by the Housing Committee in 
 forcing an insolent stranger into her home at the very 
 moment when she was deprived of the protection of her 
 brother. The attendant listened to her impassively, but 
 explained that it was none of his business. The rule was 
 that none but members should be admitted to the chamber 
 without a special order, and he was only obeying instructions 
 in excluding her. 
 
 At this juncture someone brushed past, and was about to 
 enter the folding doors when Blanche caught sight of his 
 face and put out her hand to detain him. Lord Bury — for it 
 was he — turned sharply, and almost immediately recognized 
 her. Blanche had not seen him since the day of the 
 memorable ceremony in Liberty Street, and she was sur- 
 prised by the change in his appearance. He was decidedly 
 stouter, and his face had assumed the fair round contour and 
 rubicund complexion that bear witness to good living. He 
 was clad in a suit of light tweed, with a pronounced check. 
 Across his capacious person was stretched a massive cable 
 chain of gold, and from beneath the lapel of his coat peeped 
 forth the corner of a large blue bow, somewhat soiled, but 
 clearly recognizable as the discarded decoration of Blanche's 
 summer hat. 
 
 Lord Bury greeted Blanche effusively, while the attendant 
 fell back respectfully, evidently surprised that this rather 
 
 N. M
 
 162 NEWiERA. 
 
 forlorn-looking, ill-clad damsel should claim acquaintance 
 with the nobleman without receiving a rebuff. 
 
 Lord Bury looked grave when Blanche had unfolded her 
 tale and proffered her request. For a private person to 
 address the assembly was an unheard-of thing. He did not 
 think it would be allowed, but he would be most happy to 
 exercise his privilege as a Member by escorting her into the 
 chamber. She could there listen to what was going on, and 
 wait for her opportunity while he consulted the President as 
 to the possibility of her being allowed to speak. Blanche 
 soon found herself seated in an obscure corner of the council 
 chamber, eagerly taking in the scene before her. 
 
 The Parliament of Newsera was not at first sight an 
 impressive body. Blanche had at first some difficulty in 
 making out the arrangement of the chamber on account of 
 the dense clouds of tobacco smoke that filled the air. As 
 her eyes became accustomed to the gloom she distinguished 
 the President, Walter Grimshaw, sitting alert and watchful 
 at the table at the head of the room. A Member on either 
 side of him, at the same table, was engaged with writing 
 materials. About twenty-five Members were present, and 
 were for the most part seated on benches ranged down two 
 sides of the room. At the end opposite the President's table 
 and near Blanche's seat, was a long desk, at which clerks 
 were seated. On a bench close beside her, two Members 
 were stretched at full length, and one of them was snoring. 
 On her left was a group of six or eight Members gathered 
 round a low table. It was not at first apparent what was 
 going on here, but from the clink of glasses, the rattle of 
 money, and occasional ejaculations, Blanche concluded that 
 a game of cards was in progress. A Member on the 
 President's left was addressing the House, and Blanche 
 soon gathered that the subject under discussion was — the 
 Unemployed. 
 
 The speaker was pointing out that Newaera had to deal 
 with two distinct classes of unemployed. There was the 
 large and growing body of men and women who had been 
 discharged from the various factories on the principle that
 
 THE COUNCIL CHAMBER. 163 
 
 " if a man will not work he must starve." This principle, he 
 said, was correct in theory, but in practice it took the rather 
 different form — " if a man will not work, he must beg or 
 steal " — and this body of unemployed was becoming a menace 
 to the peaceful colonists, so that it was not safe to go beyond 
 the main streets at night, or to leave a house unguarded. 
 The second class consisted of those who were unable to work 
 owing to temporary dislocations of industry. He instanced 
 the soap works, closed through a breakdown ; the boot 
 factory, idle for want of raw material ; and, most important 
 of all, the clothing factory, which used to employ a large 
 number of workers, but which had been closed because there 
 were stacks and stacks of clothes now made, but the colonists 
 were not buying any clothes — they had to spend all their 
 money on food. (A voice, "Over-production.") Yes, he 
 said, there was certainly a very serious amount of over- 
 production. He pointed out that the present practice of 
 paying full wages to workers who were unemployed through 
 breakdowns, slackness of trade, and so on, was a constant 
 inducement to the workers to produce intentional dislocations 
 of industry, and that the presence of a large body of men and 
 women, roaming about the village and the adjacent country 
 without occupation, was causing considerable damage and 
 inconvenience, and leading to certain irregularities which 
 were likely to bring disgrace on the colony. Turning now 
 to practical proposals, he suggested that a penal colony 
 should be established for the unemployed of the first class ; 
 that the wages of the second class of unemployed should be 
 reduced to one-quarter of the standard rate, and that steps 
 should immediately be taken towards making an ornamental 
 lake in the centre of the Green, for the purpose of finding 
 work for those who were temporarily displaced. 
 
 As he took his seat amid some applause, a second Member 
 sprang to his feet, and in vigorous language denounced the 
 Hon. Member's proposals as brutal and inhuman. He said 
 it was a scandal that superintendents should have the power 
 of discharging workers on the pretext that they were not 
 working hard enough. As often as not, these discharges 
 
 M 2
 
 1 64 NEWiERA. 
 
 were due to personal spite. That all workers who were 
 unemployed through no fault of their own should certainly 
 have full wages. As to finding them work, he saw no 
 particular objection to the ornamental lake, but he pointed 
 out that in the fields round the village ploughing was now 
 being done ; that one man with a plough and two horses 
 could turn up a field in a week, whereas if the work were 
 done by digging, it would find employment for a hundred men 
 for a month or even two. He therefore advocated the 
 abolition of ploughs, and the breaking up of the machinery in 
 the clothing factory, and all the other factories as well. If all 
 the work were done by hand, there would be plenty of 
 employment for all. He thought, however, that the most 
 serious cause of unemployment was the importation of goods 
 from the mainland, and he suggested that a thumping big 
 duty should be put on. That would put an end to all this 
 dumping of wretched English stuff; everything they wanted 
 would be produced in the colony ; there would be work for 
 all, and the import duties would make such an addition to 
 their revenue as to place them at once in a position of 
 affluence. Hon. Members would scarcely need to be 
 reminded that the Englishman would pay the duty. 
 
 At this point Walter Sinclair got up, and in a somewhat 
 sarcastic speech pointed out that the present need of Newaera 
 was goods to use, and goods to exchange for other goods. 
 That it made not the smallest difference to the prosperity of 
 the colony whether a hundred men were engaged in digging 
 out a lake, digging a field that one man could plough, or 
 making goods by hand that could be made by machinery 
 without their labour : in each case they would be consuming, 
 but adding nothing to the production of useful articles; their 
 labour would be wasted, and they might as well be doing 
 nothing. He went on to say that it was absurd to talk of 
 over-production of wealth when everybody in the colony was 
 as poor as a church mouse — indeed, he did not believe such 
 a thing as over-production had ever existed in the history of 
 the world. What was happening was this : about a third of 
 the workers were at the town hall producing nothing ; about
 
 THE COUNCIL CHAMBER. 165 
 
 another third were out of work — also producing nothing; 
 and the remaining third had to produce enough to feed not 
 only themselves, but the other two-thirds as well. They 
 could just produce enough to feed them by working very 
 hard, but not enough to clothe them as well, so of course the 
 clothing factory had to be shut. He therefore concluded 
 that the root of the whole trouble was the huge number of 
 officials who were producing nothing, and he thought they 
 would have to be set to productive work before the colony 
 could expect to find its feet. As to the Hon. Member's 
 suggestion of a duty to keep out imports, this was absolutely 
 ridiculous. The imports consisted of food for the colonists : 
 they were paid for by means of goods made by the colonists. 
 If they were stopped, the colonists would starve, and the few 
 who were still working would be thrown out of employment. 
 
 At this juncture, a policeman was seen in earnest con- 
 versation with the door-keeper. Presently one of the clerks 
 was called into the conference, and this gentleman then 
 passed up the floor of the chamber, and held a short 
 conversation with the President. Mr. Grimshaw rose and 
 rang his bell. " Gentlemen," he said, " I have a very serious 
 announcement to make. It has just been reported to me 
 that an esteemed comrade, Mr. Salter, who succeeded me as 
 superintendent of the engineering works, has been found half 
 murdered on the road outside the village. Mr. Salter recently 
 had occasion to discharge a number of his men for refusing 
 to work. There can be little doubt that he has been set upon 
 and brutally illtreated by a gang of the unemployed. 
 
 " The outrage probably occurred yesterday, as he was 
 missing from home last night. He was left for dead, and 
 accidentally discovered about an hour ago. Greatly as we 
 must all deplore this outrage, we cannot but feel that the 
 announcement has come at an opportune moment, when 
 we are engaged in discussing the best means of dealing 
 with the ruffians who perpetrated it. Whatever decision is 
 arrived at on this important point, there can, I think, be no 
 doubt as to the necessity of taking immediate steps to ensure 
 the safety of the colonists and particularly of those servants
 
 1 66 NEWjERA. 
 
 of the community who are specially likely to become the 
 victims of similar outrages. These offences are becoming 
 alarmingly common. Only yesterday a person was arrested 
 for making a murderous attack on a comrade, and many 
 officials have complained of having been threatened with 
 personal violence. In view of these facts, I propose that an 
 additional force of fifty police be immediately raised, that 
 these police be dressed in plain clothes, and permitted to 
 continue to work at their present occupations. I also pro- 
 pose that all officials who consider themselves in danger, be 
 authorized to carry arms." 
 
 Grimshaw's speech caused great excitement, even the card- 
 players turning round from their table while it was being 
 delivered. His practical proposals were received with 
 applause. Member after Member got up and expressed his 
 horror at the outrage, and his approval of the proposed 
 precautions against further violence. 
 
 Walter Sinclair, in a short speech, deprecated the intro- 
 duction of firearms into the colony. It would only lead to 
 bloodshed, and probably be less effective than the adoption 
 of less deadly weapons. At this Walter Grimshaw again 
 rose, and explained that in using the word "arms," he had 
 not thought of firearms. What was required was a weapon 
 that would keep an attacker at a safe distance, and would be 
 capable of inflicting pain without permanent injury. The 
 ideal weapon for this purpose was the whip, not a long 
 driving whip, but a short whip, with a handle, say, 
 i foot long, and a 2-foot or 3-foot lash of leather and 
 whipcord. 
 
 This suggestion was ultimately adopted, and it was further 
 decided that the privilege of carrying arms should be confined 
 to Members of Parliament, and persons specially authorized 
 by them, including superintendents and others, who were 
 engaged in the actual supervision of the workers, and 
 therefore exposed to danger in case of insubordination. 
 
 Blanche had been so engrossed with what was passing 
 before her, as almost to forget her own affairs. She had 
 seen Lord Bury approach the President, and engage him in
 
 THE COUNCIL CHAMBER. 167 
 
 conversation for some minutes, and from the glances that 
 were thrown in her direction, she judged that her request 
 was being discussed. Lord Bury did not return to her until 
 the debate was nearly at an end, and then it was only to 
 inform her regretfully that it would be quite impossible for 
 her to address the House, but that she was advised to apply 
 to the superintendent of the Housing Department. She 
 accepted Lord Bury's offer to accompany her to interview 
 this official, and he loyally supported her when she put her 
 case. The superintendent was, however, inexorable. Mr. 
 White was, for certain reasons, homeless. There was only a 
 limited number of houses, and in No. 27, Liberty Street, 
 there was a vacancy. As to Mr. Ledingham's absence, that 
 was unfortunate, but if people would make murderous attacks 
 on their comrades . His absence did not make any differ- 
 ence, as the absurd conventions of an effete civilization, did 
 not apply in Newaera. Seeing that argument was useless, 
 Blanche thanked Lord Bury for his assistance, and hurried 
 to the police office in No. 3 church. There she learned that 
 Frank had been found guilty and sentenced to one month's 
 imprisonment. Orders had been given that his friends were 
 not to be admitted to see him. 
 
 With a heavy heart Blanche went to the restaurant, where 
 she first got something to eat, and then went to the kitchen 
 to resume her work. She received a severe reprimand for 
 absenting herself without leave, and was told that if it 
 occurred again she would be discharged. She took little 
 notice of this threat, and set herself doggedly to work. At 
 closing time, Joe Deacon made his appearance, and on 
 learning that she would spend the night at the farm, he 
 insisted on escorting her. Her morning's experience made 
 her less inclined to refuse his company. Her friends at the 
 farm were glad to see her, and a bedroom was placed at her 
 disposal. 
 
 Next morning her hostess roused her very early, with the 
 news that a gentleman was asking to see her. Full of 
 misgivings, she hastily dressed herself, and on entering the 
 living-room, was overjoyed to see — Frank ! His story was
 
 i68 NEW^ERA. 
 
 soon told. Shortly after midnight he had been aroused in 
 his cell by a peculiar noise at the door. It soon became 
 evident that someone was trying to prise it open with some 
 instrument inserted between the door and the jamb. Not 
 knowing whether to expect a rescue, or foul play, he armed 
 himself with a stool and waited in silence. Presently the 
 door yielded, and a dozen men rushed in. They were utterly 
 taken aback at seeing, by the light of the moon, a man 
 standing in the centre of the room with a stool upraised ; 
 but finding he was alone, they quickly surrounded him, 
 wrenched the stool from his grasp and held him prisoner. 
 Frank saw that resistance was useless, and quietly asked 
 them what they would with him. Without replying, they 
 demanded who he was, and what he was doing there. On 
 his mentioning his name, and the fact that he was in custody, 
 they immediately released him, and explained their errand. 
 They were unemployed workers, and had broken into the build- 
 ing with the intention of robbing the mint. They had broken 
 open the cell, believing that the money was stored there, 
 and they offered to set Frank at liberty on condition that he 
 would direct them to the plunder they were in search of. 
 Frank declined to do this, but pointed out that he was quite 
 powerless in their hands, and was not likely to raise an 
 alarm, as that would certainly prevent his escape. The men 
 seemed satisfied with this, and leaving two of their number 
 to watch over Frank, they resumed their search. The store 
 of money was soon discovered in an adjoining room, and the 
 two guards rushed away to share the plunder, leaving Frank 
 free. He had gone straight home, and had found Joe Deacon 
 still up, he having only just returned from the farm. Joe 
 had given Frank an account of what had passed since his 
 arrest, and on his advice Frank had walked out at once 
 to the farm, spent the remainder of the night in an outhouse, 
 and gained admittance to the house as soon as he heard 
 someone stirring. 
 
 It was arranged that Blanche should go to work as usual, 
 and, if possible, ascertain what steps the authorities were 
 taking with reference to Frank's escape. He, in the mean-
 
 THE COUNCIL CHAMBER. 169 
 
 time, would remain in hiding at or near the farm; Blanche 
 would return that night with Joe, and the three would concert 
 their future plans, which would depend on the report from 
 the village. 
 
 That day a loaf of bread was sold in Newaera for £50. 
 About £5,000 in aluminium had been taken from the mint, 
 and three of the gang went early to Forbes's shop and 
 offered to buy up the whole of his stock. Forbes had 
 already got wind of the robbery, and was far too good a 
 business man to fail in grasping the situation. He refused 
 to part with the whole of his stock, but for £1,000 he sold as 
 much as the three men could carry away with them. His 
 prices that day were such that a riot was threatened, but a 
 large body of police appeared on the scene at the critical 
 moment, and the situation was saved, though the attitude of 
 the people was menacing in the extreme. 
 
 Little notice was taken of Frank's escape. The whole 
 story of his arrest, of his dealings with Sam Deacon, and 
 of the recent events at 27, Liberty Street, had spread like 
 wildfire through the town. Frank had always been liked, 
 and his popularity had been growing since the affairs of the 
 colony had been taken out of his hands. He was now the 
 popular hero, and the authorities were probably right in 
 thinking that any further attempt to interfere with him 
 would cause the colonists to rise en masse, with results that 
 were not pleasant to contemplate. Frank therefore quietly 
 resumed his scavenging without molestation. He and 
 Blanche spent several nights at the farm. Mr. White found 
 the domestic arrangements at Liberty Street very little to 
 his liking, as Joe contrived never to enter the house except 
 at night, and his housemate was left in sole possession, with 
 liberty to cook his own meals and entertain himself as best 
 he could. He soon tired of this arrangement, and found 
 another billet, presumably in more congenial surroundings. 
 Frank and Blanche returned to their own quarters, and 
 the Ledingham household resumed its interrupted course 
 of life.
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 THE WILL OF THE WHOLE PEOPLE. 
 
 The second election was approaching, and Newsera looked 
 forward to it as to a deliverance from bondage. The 
 discontent was deep and bitter, but for the most part 
 inarticulate. The workers saw that their labour was being 
 exploited for the enrichment of a horde of officials whom 
 they themselves had placed in power, and who were now 
 eating up the substance of the community, living lives of 
 luxury and debauchery, while the workers were starving, 
 and bands of unemployed were roaming the streets, a terror 
 to all who went abroad. There had been some attempted 
 risings of the workers, but these had been put down with an 
 iron hand. The man with the whip was everywhere — the 
 whip had come to be the sign and symbol of office — but 
 even he was less feared and hated than the body of men who 
 were known as " Count Grimshaw's eyes." None knew 
 who these men were, or how many — they were indistinguish- 
 able from the workers with whom they mixed in the 
 workshop, in the restaurant, at the fireside ; but woe to 
 the man or woman who incurred their displeasure or 
 brought on himself the suspicion of plotting against the 
 Government. An incautious word was sufficient — spoken, it 
 might be, to a fellow worker at the bench or to a chance 
 acquaintance in the street. Count Grimshaw had heard, 
 and Count Grimshaw did not forget. Count Grimshaw was 
 the man in Newsera. Parliament met as usual ; the Members 
 quarrelled, fought, played, slept. Count Grimshaw acted, 
 and when he struck, the blow was swift and unexpected — it 
 might be imprisonment, discharge, degradation. But he did 
 not always strike. Then the victim of his displeasure would
 
 THE WILL OF THE WHOLE PEOPLE. 171 
 
 become aware, by many subtle signs, that he was under 
 suspicion — that his every movement was being watched. 
 From this tyranny Newsera was to free herself. The 
 election was at hand, and the voice of the Whole People 
 would speak. 
 
 There was little alteration in the material condition of 
 Newaera. The exportation of food had been stopped. The 
 Government had realized in time that a certain minimum of 
 food must be supplied or work would cease, and the 
 Government believed in work. Those who wished to send 
 their savings abroad might buy manufactured goods, or even 
 raw materials, and export them, but not food. 
 
 The condition of the unemployed was not so desperate as 
 it had been. They received a small dole of money every 
 week, with which they could buy food enough to support 
 life. The Government had realized that if it was not given 
 it would be taken. But a fair number of those who had 
 been discharged were now no longer unemployed. Work 
 was going on briskly at Williams's farm at the far end of the 
 island. Williams required labour, and he paid good wages, 
 better than could be earned by skilled men in Newasra. And 
 he paid in English money, instead of in the hated aluminium 
 coins which seemed to lose more and more of their pur- 
 chasing power every day. Jack Forbes was always glad to 
 sell his stores for English money, and an English shilling 
 would buy as much as a Newasran half-sovereign. 
 
 Many of the former unemployed had been engaged in 
 mysterious building operations at a spot about half a mile 
 from the village. Forbes was often seen there directing 
 operations, but none knew what was on foot, until one day it 
 was announced that the Forbes bakehouse was in operation ; 
 that a man might, if he were lucky, work there under a 
 foreman who carried no whip, and earn decent English 
 wages that could be spent at Forbes's shop. Unfortunately 
 there was not work for one-tenth of those who applied for 
 it ; but other buildings were going up. 
 
 Joe Deacon had reluctantly consented to stand for Parlia- 
 ment : the problem was to get him elected. He and Frank went
 
 172 NEWiERA. 
 
 round together to the town hall, and asked to be allowed to 
 speak with the Town Clerk. After some delay, they were 
 ushered into the office of that dignitary. 
 
 " We wish to engage the public hall," said Frank, " for 
 one or two nights this week or next. We intend to hold some 
 meetings in connection with Mr. Deacon's candidature. If 
 
 there is any charge " 
 
 The Town Clerk laughed. " My dear Mr. Ledingham," 
 he said, " you forget you are in Newsera. The public hall 
 belongs to the people, and they do not pay for its use. What 
 nights would you like ? " 
 
 " I think Friday this week, and Tuesday next week," said 
 Frank, agreeably surprised at the cordiality of his reception. 
 Then he added as an afterthought, " If we could have it for 
 Friday week as well, we should feel more secure of getting 
 
 our man in ; but, of course, if it is not at liberty " 
 
 " We will soon see about that," said the Town Clerk, 
 reaching down a book, and running his finger down the 
 page. " Let me see ; Friday, you said — ah ! I see Lord 
 Bury and Mr. Saxton, M.P., are down for that night. 
 Tuesday is booked to the Count. Friday week — no, it is 
 taken in the names of three of our Members. I am sorry, 
 Mr. Ledingham, the hall is engaged on those three nights." 
 " Well, I don't know that it matters ; one night is as good 
 as another. If you will let me know what nights are at 
 liberty, I will select one or two." 
 
 Again the finger travelled down the page, and finally came 
 to a stop. 
 
 " I see we are at liberty on Monday the 22nd and Tuesday 
 the 23rd ; would either of those dates suit you ? " 
 
 " But the election is on the 21st ; it will be no use holding 
 meetings after it is over." 
 
 " Well, I am sorry ; but that is the first night I can offer 
 you ; the hall is booked right up to the 21st." 
 
 " That is most unfortunate," said Frank, in a disappointed 
 tone. " However, I suppose we shall have to make the best 
 of the situation, and hold our meetings out of doors. I only 
 wish it were not so cold."
 
 THE WILL OF THE WHOLE PEOPLE. 173 
 
 "No doubt an open-air meeting would be the best way 
 out of the difficulty, and I don't suppose there will be any 
 objection in your case, but I think you should obtain 
 permission from the superintendent of police. Since the 
 recent disturburances it has been necessary to make strict 
 regulations about meetings, and none can be held unless 
 authorized." 
 
 Thanking him for the hint, Frank and Joe repaired at 
 once to the police office, and stated their case to the 
 superintendent. 
 
 " What you ask is quite impossible, Mr. Ledingham. 
 Meetings are only allowed to be held in the public hall, and 
 permission to use it must be obtained from the Town Clerk." 
 
 "We have just come from him," said Frank, "and he 
 tells us the public hall is engaged every night until the 
 election." 
 
 " In that case I cannot help you." 
 
 " But surely you are not denying the right of meeting — the 
 right of free speech ? " 
 
 " Meetings are permitted under certain conditions, but 
 only in the proper place, as I have said. This capitalist 
 agitation has already led to serious disturbances, and it must 
 be put down." 
 
 " Capitalist, did you say ? " 
 
 " Call it capitalist — anti-socialist — what you will. It is 
 contrary to the policy of the State. We have our sources of 
 information, and we know that a regular campaign is being 
 carried on among the unemployed and the more ignorant of 
 the workers by capitalist agitators who have nothing to 
 lose, and are simply actuated by jealousy of those who hold 
 official positions. See here ; this was found pinned to one of 
 the town hall doors — the town hall, mind you, the seat of 
 Government." 
 
 The superintendent unfolded a large sheet of paper, which 
 turned out to be a hand-made poster, on which was scrawled 
 in large letters : — 
 
 " Vote for Capitalism, and no Whips. 
 Down with the Socialist Exploiters ! '
 
 i 7 4 NEWjERA 
 
 " Of course, I understand that it is your duty to protect 
 the Government and keep order," said Frank rather bitterly ; 
 " but we are neither capitalists nor anti-socialists ; we simply 
 wish to hold a political meeting to put forward our 
 candidate." 
 
 " That may or may not be so," said the superintendent 
 sternly ; " but I think it my duty to warn you, Mr. Ledingham, 
 that you are strongly suspected of capitalist leanings. We 
 have our sources of information, as I said before. If you 
 will allow me to advise you, you will not take part in any 
 meetings, political or other." 
 
 Frank and Joe left the police office feeling rather crest- 
 fallen. It would evidently be difficult, if not impossible to 
 hold a meeting, for they had no difficulty in understanding 
 the hint that had been given them. Count Grimshaw's 
 eyes were on them. 
 
 They soon decided that their best course would be to 
 canvas the village by means of handbills, which could be 
 pushed under the doors of all the houses — at night if 
 necessary. There was a risk, almost amounting to a 
 certainty, that their proceedings would be reported to the 
 Government ; but both were determined men, who were 
 willing to risk a good deal in order to strike a blow at this 
 intolerable tyranny. They hoped, too, that their action 
 would serve as an example to other sections of the community, 
 and although they had little sympathy with the capitalist 
 movement among the unemployed, they looked for a good 
 deal of support from the more dissatisfied members of the 
 colony. They therefore returned home, and drafted out a 
 short election address which should serve to introduce Joe to 
 the electors as a candidate, and to solicit support at the polls. 
 
 They took the address round to the printing office, and 
 handed it to the superintendent, with the request that he 
 would print 2,500 copies. After carefully reading through it 
 he readily agreed to do this. 
 
 "As to the cost," said Frank, " I suppose it will not 
 amount to very much, but we should like to have some 
 idea if you can oblige us."
 
 THE WILL OF THE WHOLE PEOPLE. 175 
 
 tt 
 
 Oh, it will be quite trifling," replied the superintendent. 
 " The thing is quite short, and we charge by labour-time ; 
 we cannot give a price beforehand, because we might make a 
 profit, or a loss, and neither is permitted." 
 
 " Very well, we will leave it to you," said Frank, preparing 
 to go. " I suppose you can have it done by this time 
 to-morrow ? " 
 
 " I am afraid not quite so soon as that," replied the 
 superintendent. " We have a book just going through the 
 press, and when that is finished there is a good deal of 
 Government work, but we will do the best we can for 
 you." 
 
 " A book ! " said Frank. " Have some of the Newaerans 
 been launching forth in print ? " 
 
 " Oh, yes ; we have a good many authors in Newaera — 
 rather too many, I think. This plan of giving standard 
 wages to authors as long as they are writing has its disadvan- 
 tages. You see, the longer an author takes over his book, 
 the more he gets for it. I know at least one author who has 
 been writing a book, or at any rate has been paid for writing 
 one ever since he came to Newaera, and he is still at the first 
 chapter." 
 
 " Rather an expensive work ! " laughed Frank. " But I 
 understand you have got one written and partly printed; 
 what is it about ? " 
 
 " We have several quite finished ; come and look at them." 
 
 The superintendent tucked his whip under his arm, and 
 led the way into the works. 
 
 " This is the first one we printed," he said, taking one 
 from a pile of books. Frank read the title : " Modern 
 Socialism ; An Exposure of the Capitalist System." 
 
 " Are they all about socialism ? " he asked, glancing 
 through the pages. 
 
 " Yes, all on that and kindred subjects. Here is another: 
 'Newaera; An Example to Capitalist Societies.' That, I 
 think, was written before Newaera was started, but it is a 
 very good book all the same." 
 
 " And what is the one you are printing ? "
 
 176 NEWiERA. 
 
 " Oh, that is a kind of Utopia. ' Tidings from Somewhere,' 
 is the title." 
 
 " Not a very original one, I think. Is the scene laid in 
 England of the thirtieth century ? " 
 
 " No, only the twenty-fifth." 
 
 " I hope that Utopia turned out better than one that I 
 know of. How is the society organized ? " 
 
 " I don't remember that anything is said about that, but 
 there are some very fine characters, and it is very powerfully 
 written." 
 
 " But if there is nothing about the society, what is the 
 book about ? What do the people do ? " 
 
 " Oh, they sit around, and talk about the beginning of the 
 twentieth century and capitalism." 
 
 " And nothing else ? Is that their only occupation ? " 
 
 " Well, sometimes they row or walk or drive, but they 
 always talk about the beginning of the twentieth century." 
 
 " But how about work ? I am interested, because I once 
 thought of starting a Utopia of my own." 
 
 " Yes, I had forgotten about that. When they are not 
 talking about the twentieth century they are talking about 
 work. There are some very fine things said about work, and 
 the capitalist system — very fine indeed." 
 
 Frank promised to buy a copy of the book when it was 
 ready, and left the printing works with a final request that 
 the handbills might be pushed through quickly. 
 
 The business of the election now began in earnest. 
 Meetings were held every evening, and speeches were made 
 by the various candidates. 
 
 Frank so far disregarded the warning he had received 
 as to attend the first meeting at which Count Grimshaw was 
 to speak. 
 
 The public hall was fairly filled, a large proportion of the 
 audience consisting of town hall officials. There were also 
 a good many workers, but very few women were present. 
 They had got the vote. 
 
 Lord Bury was in the chair, and rather gave the impression 
 of wishing he were out of it. There could scarcely have
 
 THE WILL OF THE WHOLE PEOPLE. 177 
 
 been a greater contrast than that between the two noblemen. 
 Lord Bury, short, round, and red, with an amiable if rather 
 foolish smile on his broad face : Count Grimshaw, tall, 
 muscular, alert, his whole bearing giving the impression of 
 watchfulness and determination. 
 
 After Lord Bury had opened the meeting with a few 
 appropriate words, which he had evidently committed to 
 memory, Count Grimshaw rose to speak. He first briefly 
 reviewed the history of the colony, passing lightly over 
 Frank's well-intentioned but unsuccessful Dictatorship, and 
 dealing more fully with the measures which had been taken 
 by Parliament to put the affairs of the colony in order. His 
 speech had been punctuated by cheers from the official 
 element, but had been received with silence or occasional 
 exclamations of impatience on the part of the workers who 
 were present. This feeling of dissatisfaction was evidently 
 increasing, when suddenly Count Grimshaw announced that 
 he wished to put forward some important proposals for the 
 betterment of the economic condition of Newsera. Imme- 
 diately all was silent attention. The speaker now reminded 
 his hearers of the present rate of payment to workers, 
 £3 a week for men and women alike, with an allowance 
 of 5s. for the wife of a married man, and 2s. 6d. for each 
 child. He said a careful investigation had been made of the 
 value of the work done by the various classes of workers. As 
 a result he had come to the conclusion that the women 
 workers were on the whole producing less than half as much 
 value as the men. He pointed out that women did not 
 require so much food as men, and that the present high 
 wages had a demoralising effect, by encouraging them to 
 squander the wealth of the colony on useless decoration of 
 their persons. He went on to say that not only in the animal 
 world, but also in every human society, the male was recog- 
 nized as the superior being, and it was natural that this 
 superiority should be rewarded with the larger share of the 
 wealth produced. He therefore proposed, in case he were 
 elected to the next Parliament, to bring in a bill which would 
 reduce the wages of women workers to £2 a week, and at 
 
 N
 
 178 NEWiERA. 
 
 the same time increase the wages of the men to £3 10s. a 
 week. This would scarcely affect the total payment, but 
 would, he felt sure, appeal to all fair-minded Newaerans as 
 a just measure, tending to the more harmonious working of 
 the colony. 
 
 The speech was received with rapturous applause from the 
 town hall section of the meeting, the women officials being 
 apparently no less pleased than the men. The rest of the 
 audience was completely taken by surprise. There were a 
 few feeble protests from the women, but the men were 
 flattered by the allusion to their superiority, and by no means 
 displeased at the prospect of having their wages raised. It 
 was felt, too, that the proposed alteration would remove a 
 grievance which had been a constant source of jealousy, 
 that of the skilled man who saw some mere chit of a girl 
 getting the same wage that he himself received for his week's 
 hard work. 
 
 Frank was astonished that a man of Grimshaw's acuteness 
 should go out of his way to offend nearly half the voters in 
 Newsera by publicly making a proposal which he could have 
 quietly carried out after his election. He put this to Blanche 
 on his return home, but she was so furiously indignant at his 
 report of Grimshaw's speech that it was impossible to get 
 her to discuss its political bearings. She was quite sure the 
 women were not nearly so lazy as the men, and as to 
 speaking of personal adornment in connection with Newsera 
 pattern clothes ! Frank did his best to bring her to reason, 
 but in the end the brother and sister came very near to a 
 quarrel. Probably that evening was a stormy one in a good 
 many Newseran households. 
 
 The next evening another political meeting was held. 
 Three of the sitting Members of Parliament were to speak on 
 behalf of their own candidature, and the meeting assumed a 
 very different appearance to that of the previous evening. A 
 crowd of women had gathered round the public hall in the 
 early afternoon, and when the doors were opened for the 
 meeting, they rushed in and almost filled the hall. Even the 
 official element was crowded out, and only a sprinkling of
 
 THE WILL OF THE WHOLE PEOPLE. 179 
 
 men was to be seen — indeed, most of them chose obscure 
 corners, where they were not likely to attract undue 
 attention. 
 
 The first speaker rose, and faced a sea of upturned faces, 
 before whose expression a timid man might well have 
 quailed. He launched boldly into the subject of the hour, 
 appealing to the sense of fairness of his hearers, and begging 
 them to support the proposals that had been put forward by 
 his honoured chief, on the ground of the undoubted inferiority 
 of the female sex. He got no further. Instantly a dozen 
 hand-bells rang out from different parts of the hall, and a 
 deafening uproar arose. A stalwart dame, holding a dog- 
 whip in her teeth, was seen clambering up the front of the 
 platform, assisted from below, and before she had found a 
 foothold, chairs and forms had been piled up, and the plat- 
 form was invaded from both sides simultaneously. A wild 
 rush was made for the speakers, but they were evidently 
 prepared for the emergency, and quietly slipped out by the 
 door at the back of the platform. The door was shut and 
 bolted as the crowd of women surged against it. Attention 
 was now drawn to a handful of men who were unobtrusively 
 making their way towards the door. They were lost to view 
 amid a whirling screaming mass of female humanity, and 
 presently were shot forth from the great doors, in a dazed 
 and dishevelled condition. A dozen women now made 
 speeches simultaneously, while the ladies with the hand-bells 
 rang continuously for silence, and all the others shouted. 
 When the meeting had been in progress for about half an 
 hour a procession was formed, and paraded the streets of 
 Newasra till a late hour. 
 
 Frank and Joe were not at this meeting. They had gone 
 round to the printing works, hoping to get their hand-bills, 
 and to distribute a few among the people as they left the 
 meeting. They were disappointed to find the bills not yet 
 printed, so they repaired to the public hall, and waited 
 outside in the hope of being able to hold an informal 
 meeting in the street, and at any rate announce the fact 
 that Joe was standing. The police would probably interfere, 
 
 N 2
 
 i8o NEW^RA. 
 
 but to have made their announcement would be an 
 important step. The crowd of excited women which 
 suddenly poured forth and formed into a procession showed 
 them that their project was hopeless. 
 
 Their only chance lay in personal canvassing, and to this 
 they devoted their spare time during the week that followed. 
 They met with only a moderate degree of success. The air 
 was full of politics, but the sex question was uppermost, and 
 on this it was not possible to speak to a mixed audience 
 without arousing the violent hostility of one half by favouring 
 the views of the other, or offending both by lukewarmness. 
 One circumstance did indeed seem likely to tell in their 
 favour. Every evening after the first meeting the lanes 
 around the village were thronged with men who had 
 adjourned from the rather heated atmosphere of the domestic 
 hearth to enjoy the cool night air. It was occasionally 
 possible to get a knot of these men to listen to a short 
 speech, but these informal meetings were usually broken up 
 almost as soon as formed. The police were on the alert to 
 enforce the rule against unauthorized meetings, but more 
 dreaded than the police were the ladies who wielded the 
 hand-bell and the megaphone. No sooner was a meeting 
 got together than the battle cry "Justice for Women!" 
 would be heard in the distance, and the meeting, warned by 
 previous experience, would immediately break up and take 
 to its heels. 
 
 The unemployed section of the colony had decided to run 
 a capitalist candidate, and if Joe had felt able to join in the 
 capitalist propaganda he might have counted on the support 
 of this section, but he announced himself a consistent 
 socialist opposed only to the present regime of official 
 tyranny, and was therefore denounced by the capitalist party. 
 
 Meanwhile, meetings were being held nightly in the public 
 hall. They were always packed with women, but only once 
 was the scene of disorder repeated. Speaker after speaker 
 denounced Count Grimshaw's policy as inhuman, ungallant, 
 anti-socialist, brutal, and treacherous. An able speech was 
 made by a woman who was a Member of the existing
 
 THE WILL OF THE WHOLE PEOPLE. 181 
 
 Parliament and a candidate for the next. After pouring 
 contempt on the Grimshaw policy, she reminded her enthusi- 
 astic audience that it always fell to the woman to lay out the 
 earnings of the household, a task for which she was fitted by 
 nature and by training; that happiness was most often found 
 in those households where the man handed over his wages 
 to his wife, and unhappiness where he spent them himself : 
 it was therefore evident that the balance of advantage lay 
 in paying the wages direct to the woman, and she proposed 
 a readjustment of payments according to which the wife 
 would receive £3 10s. per week, with an allowance of 2s. for 
 each child and 2s. 6d. for a husband. This last sum she 
 would in most cases hand over to him for spending money : 
 it was only right that he should have something to spend 
 on himself, but he was not likely to do himself any good if 
 he spent more than zs. 6d. a week on drink and tobacco, the 
 only things a man seemed to care about. 
 
 Several of the male candidates endorsed these views, and 
 advocated also a reduction of the hours of the town hall 
 workers. 
 
 Election day arrived at last. Every Member of the 
 existing Parliament was seeking re-election, and each had 
 published an address. Fifteen were found to be in favour 
 of the reduction of women's wages and of shorter official 
 working hours. The remainder were opposed to both, but 
 were generally in favour of payments being made direct to 
 the wives. None of the unofficial candidates had been able 
 to publish addresses. The printing office was still busy with 
 Government work. 
 
 Polling took place in the public hall. To ensure safety 
 and order, a considerable body of police was posted at the 
 door. Among them were a number of men in plain clothes, 
 one of whom was universally recognized as the leader of 
 " Grimshaw's eyes." This man stood in front of the rest 
 with a note-book in his hand. As Frank approached the 
 hall to register his vote, the man raised his note-book, held 
 his pencil in readiness to write, and fixed his eyes on Frank 
 with a significant expression. Frank was not one to be
 
 182 NEWiERA. 
 
 intimidated, and he barely noticed that an entry was made 
 in the note-book as he passed into the hall. Glancing at 
 the voting paper that was handed to him, he was at once 
 struck with the fact that it did not contain a full list of adult 
 Newaerans as at the previous election. There were only 
 thirty names on the paper : it was merely a list of the official 
 candidates. At the foot was a statement that each elector 
 was entitled to fifteen votes, not more than one vote to be 
 given to any one candidate. Stifling his indignation he 
 turned to the official in charge and asked him whether it was 
 the intention of the Government to debar him from voting 
 for anyone outside the official list. He was informed that 
 he was at liberty to write on the paper the names of any other 
 persons for whom he might wish to vote. He wrote down 
 Joe Deacon's name, and voted for him alone. 
 
 That evening the result of the election was announced. 
 Every one of the official candidates had been successful. 
 Each of the " women's candidates " had received 2,955 votes. 
 There were about 3,000 women voters. The votes cast for 
 the remaining fifteen candidates varied slightly in number, 
 but it was evident that they had been supported by the 
 whole of the town hall staff and by most of the non-official 
 male voters. Joe Deacon received six votes, and the 
 capitalist candidate thirteen. Not many of their supporters 
 ventured past the man with the note-book. 
 
 The Whole People had spoken, and the new Parliament 
 was identical with the old. It celebrated its re-election by 
 enacting that General Elections should in future be held 
 every ten years. No alteration was made in the wages rates. 
 
 Note. — I can make no claim for originality in connection 
 with the machinery which Newsera adopted for ascertaining the 
 Will of the Whole People. The whole scheme of gagged Press, 
 spies, official candidates, and " guarded " polling booths was 
 invented and applied by socialists in the only purely socialist 
 election of which I have found record : that of the Paris 
 Commune of 187 1. The official candidates were elected. 
 
 E. G. H.
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 MIRA. 
 
 The excitement of the election had subsided. Newaera 
 had relapsed into its old way of life, yet there was a subtle 
 change in the social atmosphere. Before the election the 
 outlook of the workers had been brightened by a ray of 
 hope. The then state of Newaera did not assuredly represent 
 the will of the Whole People, but the Whole People would 
 give voice to its will, the grinding tyranny would be 
 shattered, the accursed system of police spies and corrupt 
 officials would be banished for ever, and Newaera would 
 emerge from her bondage to realize that fair ideal of 
 peaceful co-operation and mutual helpfulness which had 
 been hers, but which was now so sadly obscured. 
 
 This ray of hope had gone out. The official tyranny was 
 supreme, all-powerful : the worker saw nothing ahead but a 
 life of monotonous toil for the benefit of his oppressors, 
 driven to work with whips, surrounded by spies, subjected to 
 all manner of petty tyranny and injustice, his manhood 
 beaten down, his spirit crushed. The one ray of hope had 
 gone out, and dull despondency remained. 
 
 Some such thoughts as these passed through the mind of 
 Frank Ledingham, as he painfully pursued his disgusting 
 calling. For scavenging to-day was a very different task to 
 that which he had voluntarily undertaken in the early days 
 of Newaera. The habits of the people, like their dwellings 
 and their persons, were filthy. They had lost all self- 
 respect. No man would stir his hand to remove a public 
 nuisance: that was for the Government, the hated oppressor, 
 and the Government seemed only capable of oppression, 
 but incapable of management. Already there had been
 
 184 NEW.ERA. 
 
 deaths from diphtheria and typhus, and it seemed not 
 improbable that Newsera would end in pestilence. 
 
 Frank had been sent with two or three companions to 
 cleanse one of the plague-stricken houses. The father and 
 mother had died of typhus, and the children had been 
 boarded out with other families. The place was in a state 
 of indescribable filth and disorder. Frank's companions 
 soon left him to cope with it alone. They had obtained 
 some drink, and retired to a neighbouring outhouse. The 
 superintendent was not likely to come near the place until 
 it had been reduced to something like order and cleanliness. 
 Frank would do the work — why should they risk their 
 health ? 
 
 Frank's heart was filled with rebellious thoughts. For 
 an hour he worked doggedly on, then, sickened and dis- 
 heartened, he threw down his shovel, went to a part of the 
 enclosure where he was hidden from observation by a 
 projecting angle of the wall, sat down on an upturned tub, 
 and gave himself up to brooding thoughts. What could he 
 do to improve the situation? He was merely one of the 
 lowest grade of workers, under constant surveillance of the 
 town hall spies, suspected of harbouring designs against 
 the Government — what could he do ? And then there was 
 Blanche. A great change had been coming over her. She 
 had lost all her cheerful vivacity, all care for her appearance, 
 and for the order of her surroundings : her temper had 
 
 become sullen and peevish 
 
 Crash ! 
 
 What was that ? Frank found himself lying on the 
 ground, blinded and stunned : something had struck him 
 across the face and eyes, something which coiled round his 
 head, and came away with a horrible wrench that had 
 thrown him violently to the ground. For a minute he lay 
 almost senseless, then, hearing a low laugh close beside him, 
 he sprang to his feet, and confronted Walter Grimshaw, 
 whip in hand. 
 
 " So I have caught you skulking at last, have I ? " said 
 the Count with a brutal laugh. " Now do you remember
 
 MIRA. 185 
 
 what you said to me that day in the mechanics' shop, the 
 first week we were here ? Perhaps you have forgotten, but 
 Grimshaw does not forget." 
 
 Frank stood gazing at him in silence, then, with sudden 
 resolution, sprang at his throat. 
 
 But Grimshaw was too quick for him. Again the lash 
 coiled itself round his head, and blows were rained down on 
 him from the butt end of the whip, till he lay a huddled 
 senseless heap on the rank untidy grass. Grimshaw gave 
 him a contemptuous push with his foot, then turned on his 
 heel and leisurely strolled away. 
 
 How long Frank lay there he never knew. He was first 
 aroused to consciousness by feeling a cool bandage laid 
 across his burning eyes and brow. He was dimly aware 
 that someone was softly moving about him, soothing his 
 wounds, and presently something was placed between his 
 lips, and a few drops of burning spirit trickled down his 
 throat. This quickly revived him, and he sat up, drawing 
 the bandage from his eyes. At first he could distinguish 
 nothing, it was almost dark ; but presently, as his eyes became 
 accustomed to the gloom, he saw a woman crouching on the 
 grass beside him and eagerly watching him. 
 
 He did not remember to have seen her before : she was a 
 young woman, a mere child he would have said, but her face 
 was drawn and haggard ; it was the face of one who had 
 passed through prolonged mental agony. Her black hair 
 hung loose and dishevelled about her face, her clothing was 
 soiled and torn, and as she rose from the ground and stood 
 regarding him, Frank saw what filled him with indignation : 
 a mere child, and yet 
 
 Painfully he struggled to his feet, and staggered to a seat 
 in a little summer-house that stood with gaping roof and 
 broken decaying floor in a corner of the enclosure. Seated 
 there, he felt his strength returning, and presently his 
 companion brought some scraps of food, and sitting down 
 beside him, shared with him her own scanty meal. 
 
 Touched by her kindly sympathy and her sad appearance, 
 Frank endeavoured to draw her into conversation, to get her
 
 1 86 NEWiERA. 
 
 to talk about herself. At first she was timid and bashful ; 
 she gave evasive answers to his questions, or let them pass 
 unanswered; but gradually Frank's friendly manner won 
 upon her, and she was induced to tell her story. There was 
 indeed little to tell. 
 
 Her name was Mira. She had come to the colony with 
 her father and mother, and two brothers younger than 
 herself. She was not old enough to be allowed to work, 
 and she thought herself too old for school. She spent most 
 of the summer days in the country. Then some of the 
 works were stopped, the men had nothing to do. She 
 became friendly with one of them, and they used to go 
 walks together every day. They wanted to get married, 
 and went to the registrar, but he refused to marry them, 
 because, he said, she was only a child, and ought to be at 
 lessons. They decided to dispense with his services. 
 Plenty more were doing the same, and they thought it was 
 no harm. People did not look at these things as they did in 
 England, and if — she faltered — if anything happened, the 
 Government would pay them more wages. Then her trouble 
 came on her, and Sam left her — she had heard that he was 
 courting a fine lady, but perhaps that was not true. He 
 found someone he liked better than her, and now he was 
 with someone else — that was his third. Then her father 
 began to have friends at his house to talk about the 
 Government and make plans. One of the Eyes was among 
 them, and her father was discharged from work. She 
 applied for work, saying that she was older than she really 
 was. She was put to some sewing work, but the other girls 
 laughed at her because she had not kept her man. She 
 stayed away one day, and the superintendent warned her, 
 and next time he discharged her. She had been wandering 
 about ever since, mostly in the country, but in the evening 
 she went round the backs of the houses, and some of the 
 people gave her food. They had their own troubles, and 
 could not do much for her. She had always kept herself 
 straight : she knew plenty who had not, and one drowned 
 herself in the sea ; nobody seemed to miss her, and perhaps
 
 MIRA. 187 
 
 that was the best way, but she did not dare. She wanted to 
 get away from this horrible place ; she had friends in England 
 who would be good to her, but the police would not let 
 anyone go on the boat. She could not think why they made 
 her stop here, where nobody wanted her ; but some said they 
 did not want the people in England to know what was 
 going on. She would gladly promise not to tell. This 
 evening she had been wandering about the back gardens, 
 the fences were all broken down, and nobody took any 
 trouble with them now. She had found a bottle with brandy 
 in it in a shed, and then she had found Frank lying on the 
 ground. She thought he was dead, and was frightened, but 
 then she remembered the brandy, and went for it, and it had 
 revived him. 
 
 Her tale being finished, Frank thanked her for what she 
 had done, and begged her to come with him, and he would 
 put her under Blanche's care. Probably the Government 
 would not allow her to live with them — their house w?.s 
 watched — but she might come there whenever she liked, and 
 they would do whatever they could for her. At first she 
 was frightened on learning who Frank was, but he reassured 
 her, and they went together to Liberty Street. A few words 
 sufficed to explain the situation to Blanche, who gladly 
 responded to Frank's appeal. 
 
 Frank left the two girls together and went to his room. 
 His head ached, but otherwise he was feeling better, and he 
 wanted to be alone. Hour after hour he sat in his cold 
 room, thinking, thinking. This poor girl's pitiful story had 
 profoundly touched him. Who was responsible for her evil 
 plight ? Sam Deacon, no doubt ; but who had provided the 
 environment in which Sam and Mira had been actors ? He, 
 Frank Ledingham. He turned to his own wrongs. He, a 
 man of spirit, had been beaten like a cur, beaten with a 
 whip. For what? For skulking. For shirking the work 
 that had been given him to do. And he had been skulking, 
 there was no question about that. He had hidden in a 
 corner where he thought nobody would see him. He, Frank 
 Ledingham ! What had brought him to that ? The forces
 
 1 88 NEWiERA. 
 
 he himself had set in motion. And Walter Grimshaw, with 
 his absurd title. He had been a decent workman in his 
 father's works. He was now a brutal tyrant. How had it 
 come about ? And Walter Sinclair, his old friend — what of 
 him ? A haughty official who had left his friend in the 
 lurch. And Blanche — a spiritless, peevish drudge. And 
 Sam Deacon and his victims ? And the many others who 
 had enacted tragedies similar to that of Mira ? Little more 
 than a year ago all these had been happy, useful members 
 of society. Who was responsible for their degradation ? 
 He, Frank Ledingham. Yet he had acted for the best. He 
 had aspired to set up a society which should be an example 
 to the world. His ideal had been a high one; he had 
 followed it zealously and unselfishly, giving up a princely 
 fortune, a position of honour and power, to follow the calling 
 of a common scavenger. His ideal was a high one. The 
 society he had pictured in his imagination and striven to 
 realize, was a society which should be free from the abuses 
 which marred the society in which he had been reared — the 
 exploitation of man by man and of woman by man, the 
 arrogant use of power, the grinding poverty, squalor, 
 unemployment — he laughed bitterly as he contrasted his 
 ideal with the reality he had succeeded in producing, and 
 contrasted that reality with the society to which it was to be 
 a model. Yes, his ideal had been a noble one, but the 
 means he had chosen to attain it — what of them ? What 
 of socialism ? The best part of his adult life had been spent 
 in the endeavour to persuade his countrymen to adopt these 
 very means which had wrought such havoc and disaster. 
 His countrymen had laughed at him as a crank and a fanatic. 
 He had despised them as selfish and unfeeling. Perhaps 
 they were — some of them certainly were — but all their 
 selfishness had failed to produce a tithe of the misery that 
 had followed his attempt at unselfish idealism. 
 
 And now what was to be done ? How undo the evil for 
 which he held himself responsible ? Clearly he could do 
 nothing here. He was an atom of dust beneath the heel of 
 the Grimshaw tyranny. He must get out of the island, he
 
 MIRA. 189 
 
 and Blanche. Then he would consider what steps to take. 
 To liberate the slaves of Newsera must be his first task, and 
 then ? To devote his life to opposing the socialistic forces 
 which he had been foremost in abetting. Before he laid his 
 head on the pillow his resolution was taken ; it only remained 
 to formulate plans for his escape.
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 FREEDOM. 
 
 It was Thursday, and the little steamer from the mainland 
 could be seen on the horizon laboriously making her weekly 
 journey to Newsera. All was bustle on the little stone jetty ; 
 porters were carrying sacks and parcels from the warehouse 
 near by, and placing them in readiness to be put on board. 
 An official from the town hall paced up and down, keeping a 
 sharp eye on all that was going on, and occasionally stopping 
 to exchange a word with the superintendent of police, who 
 stood by the gate halfway down the jetty, and sharply scru- 
 tinized every person and package that passed through. As the 
 steamer drew up, a squad of uniformed police marched down 
 the road, and took up their position on either side of the 
 gate. There had been one or two ugly rushes for liberty of 
 late, and an extra strong body of police had been told off to 
 deal with any emergency. The steamer made fast to the 
 jetty, and the captain, stepping ashore, handed his papers to 
 the town hall official. The porters from the warehouse then 
 went on board, and soon were seen emerging from the 
 hatchway with parcels of goods, while the little hand crane 
 on the jetty was got to work, lifting off the heavier packages. 
 The foreign trade of Newaera had shrunk to very small 
 dimensions, and the loading and unloading was soon accom- 
 plished. There were no passengers. Some enterprising 
 newspaper correspondents had from time to time attempted 
 to gain access to the colony, but such inquisitive persons 
 never got beyond the jetty. They were informed that a full 
 account of the colony's doings could be read in the Newcera 
 Record, some copies of which were regularly sent to the
 
 FREEDOM. 191 
 
 mainland, and generally reprinted and distributed broadcast 
 by the English socialist Press. 
 
 All was now ready ; the whistle was blown, and the 
 gangway was being drawn up when a porter was seen 
 struggling under a large sack, on his way from the warehouse. 
 The sack appeared to be too heavy for him, his legs bent 
 beneath its weight, and he staggered from side to side as he 
 made his way down the steep road. The captain saw him 
 coming, and with an impatient exclamation signed to the 
 men at the gangway to hold their hands. Slowly the man 
 with the sack approached ; he was on the jetty, and had 
 almost reached the cordon of police, when suddenly he 
 appeared to be seized with faintnegs ; he reeled, recovered 
 himself, reeled again, and before ahyone could give him a 
 helping hand, he had fallen over the side with his burden, 
 and struck the water with a splash. The tide was up, and 
 the water was deep ; everyone on the jetty rushed to the 
 side, and craned over, watching for him to rise. The sack 
 could be seen floating on the surface, and soon the man's 
 head appeared. He struck out feebly, evidently with the 
 intention of reaching the sack, though it seemed doubtful 
 whether his strength would hold out. The police were 
 clustered thick along the side of the jetty, which had no 
 parapet ; one called for a rope, another for a boat, but as 
 these articles did not appear of their own accord, there 
 seemed some danger that the man would drown. The 
 excitement was at its height when two policemen emerged 
 from a cottage near the entrance to the jetty, and ran at full 
 speed to the scene of the accident. One of them, anxious 
 to see what was happening in the water, peered between the 
 heads of two policemen who were watching the struggle 
 below them, and in his eagerness, pushed one of them so 
 that he lost his balance. This man clutched at his neigh- 
 bour to save himself, and in a moment both were in the 
 water. The policeman who had been the cause of this 
 accident, called loudly for a boat, and himself led the way 
 on to the steamer, where a boat was already being cut loose 
 on the davits. There were no boats in the harbour, as it had
 
 ig 2 NEW.ERA. 
 
 been deemed advisable to remove all possible temptation to 
 any who might have attempted a perilous escape. Soon the 
 boat was lowered, and the three men were hauled out of the 
 water. The two policemen were none the worse, but the 
 unfortunate porter was in a state of collapse. He was 
 carried up the steps and laid out on the flags, where a crowd 
 of policemen were ready to assist him. Meanwhile the 
 boat was rowed back to the ship and hauled up, the gangway 
 raised, and the steamer cast off. The captain refused to 
 wait for the sack of merchandise which was still floating in 
 the bay. 
 
 When the steamer was about a mile from land, the 
 captain had occasion to go below, and was astonished to see 
 two Newaera policeman sitting in the saloon. He knew 
 of the elaborate arrangements for preventing the escape of 
 Newserans, and had no idea that any were on board. As he 
 entered the saloon, one of the men advanced to meet him, 
 and taking off his helmet, offered to shake hands. The 
 captain gazed at him, then uttered an exclamation of 
 surprise, — " Mr. Ledingham ! " He had often taken Frank 
 across in the days when Newsera was being prepared for its 
 inhabitants. He glanced rather sharply at Frank's com- 
 panion, but Frank stood partly in front of him, muttering 
 something about " a friend of his, " and the captain forbore 
 to ask questions. 
 
 The situation was soon explained, and the captain laughed 
 heartily at the clever acting of honest Joe Deacon, with 
 his bag of chips. 
 
 Arrived at the small seaport town on the mainland, Frank 
 and his companion took rooms at an hotel. Frank made 
 an expedition into the town, and returned in a decent, 
 if too obviously ready-made, suit of clothes. He was soon 
 followed by an assistant from one of the ladies' outfitting 
 shops, and that evening he and Blanche sat down to the 
 first good dinner they had had for many a month. 
 
 Next day, they set out for London, where they put up 
 at a first-class hotel. They felt like children out for a 
 holiday, and for two days gave themselves up to the mere
 
 FREEDOM. 193 
 
 enjoyment of living, with no spies to dog their foot- 
 steps. 
 
 But Frank had important matters to attend to, and on the 
 third day after his arrival, betook himself to the city office 
 of his father's old friend and solicitor, Mr. Clarke. 
 
 N. O
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 VACCINATION. 
 
 " Why, Frank ! This is good. I thought you were king 
 of — New-Era, isn't it ? and wouldn't deign to travel without 
 your court, or to speak to a poor commoner like me." 
 
 Frank took the chair that Mr. Clarke offered him. " No, " 
 he said, " I wasn't exactly a king, and I certainly had no 
 court. You see, I have left Newsera : Blanche and I came 
 away on Friday." 
 
 " Ah, and how is your sister ? I suppose you have got 
 your model society working, and have come to invite us to 
 go and look at it." 
 
 " No, not just that : the fact is, Newaera has not turned out 
 as well as I expected, and that is what I wanted to see you 
 about." 
 
 " Oh ho ! that's it, is it ? Then I'm afraid you have come 
 to the wrong shop, my boy. I have had to straighten out 
 some pretty crooked affairs in my time, but — an island full 
 of socialists — no, Frank, you must really excuse me." 
 
 " I didn't think of asking you to straighten Newaera out. 
 I merely wanted to talk things over with you, and ask your 
 advice as to what steps I had best take in view of what has 
 happened there." 
 
 " Very well ; in that case you must tell me what has 
 happened there. I have seen one or two copies of that 
 veracious paper, the Newcera Record, and I thought — 
 well, I won't tell you what I thought. Let us have your 
 story." 
 
 Frank ran over the chief events in the history of Newsera, 
 ending with a description of the present state of the society 
 in the island. When he had finished Mr. Clarke gave a long 
 whistle.
 
 VACCINATION. 195 
 
 " Well," he said, " I expected something of the kind to 
 happen, but I scarcely thought events would march quite so 
 rapidly. Now, what do you want my advice about ? " 
 
 " In the first place, I want to know what is the best way 
 to get those poor folks out of the pickle I have got them 
 into." 
 
 " My advice on that point is very simple. They are 
 socialists ; they have got socialism. Let 'em stew in their own 
 gravy." 
 
 11 You mean leave them to their fate ? I feel that I ought 
 not to do that. There is my good friend, Joe Deacon, who 
 helped me to escape. I can't leave him in the lurch. Then 
 there is poor little Mira, and plenty more like her, innocent 
 victims of my folly. I feel a heavy responsibility for their 
 fate, and I want to do what I can for them, though a great 
 deal of the mischief can never be undone." 
 
 " You want to organize a rescue party ? I think there 
 need be no difficulty about that. This is a free country — we'll 
 send a man-of-war over. Leave all that to me : I'll approach 
 the proper authorities, and nobody shall be kept there against 
 his will. Then as to Mira and the rest, we'll consider what 
 can be done for them. I think you should not take too much 
 upon yourself; they were all free agents, and are only 
 suffering the consequences of their own acts. Now, is there 
 anything else ? " 
 
 " Yes, there is. You know my father was a very rich man. 
 A great deal of his money has been sunk in Newaera ; that is 
 gone. But there is still a good deal of property that will 
 come to me when the two years are up. I want to devote it 
 to undoing the harm I have done — to fighting socialism, in 
 fact." 
 
 " By Jove, Frank, you are something like a convert ! but 
 you are too impulsive — that was always your fault. Let your 
 money stay where it is ; it will do a lot more good than if 
 you spent it in some new heroic scheme." 
 
 " I may be impulsive, but I have thought this matter over 
 very carefully, and I am quite determined to strike a blow at 
 cosialism, if only I can see how to set about it." 
 
 2 o
 
 196 NEW^RA. 
 
 " Why, Frank, don't you see that you have already given 
 socialism the shrewdest knock it has ever had in this country ? 
 Nothing remains but to rub it in, and that can easily be 
 accomplished. Publish a full and true account of everything 
 that happened in Newsera ; there are any number of papers 
 that will be only too glad to have the account, and pay you 
 handsomely into the bargain. It can afterwards be published 
 in book form, and will sell like wildfire. What more do 
 you want ? " 
 
 " I will certainly publish an account, but I should like to 
 do something more, something permanent — to endow an 
 institution for fighting socialism, or something of that kind. 
 You see, an account of Newaera may have some effect for a 
 little time, but it will be forgotten, and then the lesson 
 will have to be learnt again, and there will be nobody to 
 teach it." 
 
 Mr. Clarke sat looking thoughtfully out of the window for 
 a few minutes ; then he turned to Frank. 
 
 "You know," he said, "that there was a time when the 
 small-pox was a terrible scourge in this country ; whole 
 towns were decimated by it, and when once it got a hold, 
 nobody knew how to fight it. It was like a fire that had to 
 burn itself out, and die down for want of fuel. Then a clever 
 man discovered a remedy. He introduced the poison in a 
 mild form into one of the limbs. This caused severe local 
 inflammation and suffering, but did not seriously affect the 
 rest of the body, and the ultimate result was that the whole 
 body was rendered immune. But only for a time, They say 
 the vaccination should be repeated every seven years, then 
 there is very little danger of small-pox getting a hold, and, 
 as a matter of fact, the disease has become comparatively 
 rare since vaccination has been generally adopted. You 
 follow me ? " 
 
 "Yes, I follow you, but what has that to do with " 
 
 " With socialism ? It has everything to do with it. Let 
 me explain. Human society has been subject to the ravages 
 of a disease that is as old as small-pox, and quite as deadly. 
 Whole nations have been destroyed by it. England at the
 
 VACCINATION. 197 
 
 present time is sick with it. A clever man arose — I am 
 speaking to him now — and he vaccinated his country. He 
 applied the virus to an outlying island, and the local inflam- 
 mation was very severe, according to the account you have 
 just given me. But I think the country will be immune, for a 
 few years at any rate ; then the effect will pass off. You ask me 
 what should be done. I say vaccinate the country again and 
 again, as often as the disease shows signs of reappearing. 
 Now do you follow me ? " 
 
 " I think I begin to see what you mean ; but tell me how 
 you would apply the remedy." 
 
 " Very simply. You have set up a socialist colony, and 
 invited the socialists of the country to work it in their own 
 way. They have given their countrymen a lesson that will 
 not soon be forgotten. But eventually the effect will pass 
 away ; socialism will raise its ugly head again. Very well, 
 Newaera is still there. You keep the buildings in repair ; 
 that will not cost very much. When the time comes to 
 repeat the vaccination, you merely invite the new crop of 
 socialists to give a demonstration of their precious system ; 
 you set them up with six months' supplies, and — there you 
 are. Either they refuse and confess themselves humbugs, 
 or they accept and the vaccination process is repeated." 
 
 " I think that is a splendid scheme," . said Frank, 
 delighted. " I will gladly devote the rest of my fortune to 
 carrying it out." 
 
 " Not so fast young man. Don't be so impulsive. Why 
 should you take it all on yourself ? Keep your fortune where 
 it is; there are plenty of people who will be glad to make 
 a sacrifice in order to save their country from socialism ; 
 I am among their number. What I propose is this : you 
 invite subscriptions to a vaccination fund; if you like to head 
 the subscription list, well and good. You raise a fairly large 
 sum of money and invest it. When the time comes to 
 repeat the vaccination, sufficient interest will have accumu- 
 lated to start the colony afresh. The capital will remain 
 intact, and the process can be repeated ad infinitum." 
 
 " Thank you," said Frank. " May I ask you to take the
 
 198 NEW^RA. 
 
 necessary steps for raising the subscription ? I will of 
 course bear the initial expenses." 
 
 " With all the pleasure in the world. In the meantime, you 
 get on with your ' History of Newsera ' ; when that is 
 published it will be time enough to open our vaccination 
 fund." 
 
 Frank rose to go. " I have been very reluctant to take up 
 this position," he said. " I feel like a traitor to a cause that 
 was very dear to me. But I am absolutely convinced that 
 I am right. Fancy England undergoing the horrors of 
 Newasra ! " 
 
 " You need have no misgivings, Frank, and the country is 
 deeply indebted to you. As to socialism, I would put it this 
 way : A socialist society is a pyramid standing on its apex. 
 Theoretically, there is no reason why it should not stand ; 
 there is no reason why it should fall in one direction rather 
 than another ; but in practice, there is sure to be some slight 
 disturbance, which, however minute, is sufficient to put it 
 out of balance. Then it falls by its own weight. A socialist 
 society of perfect beings might stand, theoretically, but if 
 there is in that society a single individual who has in his 
 composition the slightest trace of the Old Adam, he will at 
 once be at an advantage over all the others. If he is less 
 industrious, less unselfish, less efficient than the rest, he will 
 at once be in the position of receiving more from his fellows 
 than they receive from him. The equilibrium of the pyramid 
 is upset, and the fall must follow. Of course, if the pyramid 
 is a very small one, a single strong man may hold it up. 
 Such a man was your Robert Owen. He set up his pyramid 
 of New Harmony, nicely balanced on its apex, with the 
 rewards at the bottom and the penalties at the top. He 
 held it in that position until he was called away for a few 
 months. He left his pyramid nicely balanced ; when he 
 came back it was leaning ominously. He pushed it up again, 
 and held it by sheer force for several years. Then he decided 
 to divide the labour with three or four others. It seemed an 
 ideal arrangement — one at each corner, propping it up ; but 
 there was just this defect — when one felt the weight coming
 
 VACCINATION. 199 
 
 his way, he gave a vigorous shove, the man opposite thought 
 it was on him, and shoved harder. Soon they were all 
 shoving against each other. Then one let go, and — crash ! 
 down it came. Was it splintered to atoms ? No, not at all. 
 A wonderful thing happened. The pyramid turned right 
 over on to its base, and the next thing we see is an ordinary 
 village community, standing on its broad base of capital and 
 competition — the rewards at the top, and the penalties at 
 the bottom. It needed no propping up now, and poor old 
 Robert left in disgust." 
 
 Frank laughed ruefully, and left the office.
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 ADDRESSED TO THE READER. 
 
 My friend, you have followed me patiently, or perhaps 
 impatiently, thus far, and now I wish a word with you before 
 we part. Perhaps you are a socialist. They are of many 
 types. I have heard that there are socialists who regard 
 socialism as a means for acquiring other people's property — 
 persons who have the instincts of the burglar without his 
 courage. I never met a socialist of this type, and perhaps 
 they do not exist. If not, it is small thanks to those of your 
 leaders who, in the ardour of their proselytizing zeal, spend 
 themselves in appeals to almost all the evil passions of 
 depraved humanity. If such socialists do exist, and if you 
 are one of them, then, my friend, I have nothing to say to 
 you. One does not argue with burglars. I expect the men 
 in blue will deal with you, if ever you develop the courage 
 of your convictions. 
 
 But I do not think you are a socialist of that type. I 
 think you are a man or a woman who has seen poverty, 
 disease and squalor existing side by side with riches, idle- 
 ness, and wanton luxury. You have seen the deserving who 
 have not half a chance, and the undeserving who have oppor- 
 tunities showered on them. You have seen the idle living 
 on their dividends, and the industrious seeking work. You 
 
 have seen But there is no need to remind you of these 
 
 things : your books are full of them, and of little else. And 
 you believe that in socialism you have a remedy. There I 
 differ from you. I believe that socialism would aggravate 
 every one of the evils you and I deplore. That is why I 
 oppose it. I have no cure-all to offer you in its place. I 
 believe that all preventable human suffering is the result of 
 the violation of laws, moral or economic. I believe that the
 
 ADDRESSED TO THE READER. 201 
 
 only conceivable way of preventing this suffering is to put an 
 end to the violation of these laws — that the surest, and 
 indeed the only way in which the violation of law can be 
 prevented, is by ensuring that the evil results of the law 
 breaking shall fall with the utmost directness and intensity 
 on the law breaker. And I believe that the surest way of 
 increasing the violation of law, and the suffering it infallibly 
 entails, is to shield the law breaker from the evil results of 
 his actions, and to spread these evil results over the com- 
 munity at large. That is the very essence of socialism, as I 
 have tried to show. 
 
 Do not misunderstand me. I do not say that all those 
 who suffer are law breakers. Many are innocent. Wrong 
 doing always causes the innocent to suffer, and there is 
 besides a great deal of suffering that is not the result of 
 wrong doing but of accident. Fires, burglaries, unemploy- 
 ment, sickness — all cause suffering, mostly economic in its 
 nature. This suffering cannot be prevented, but it can be 
 mitigated. The prudent insure against it — not by State 
 insurance, but by private insurance, especially that kind of 
 insurance which consists in money saved. But many cannot 
 afford it ? When it ceases to be true, as it is true, that the 
 class which habitually neglects this and all other forms of 
 insurance, is precisely the class which spends the largest 
 proportion of its income in harmful luxuries — then, and not 
 till then, will it be useful to inquire whether insurance can be 
 afforded. At present the disability is not economic, but 
 moral. The people cannot save because they have not self- 
 restraint. They can acquire self-restraint in one way only 
 — by exercising it, not by being relieved of the necessity to 
 exercise it. 
 
 Of course I have not convinced you. You will say that 
 the deplorable things that happened in Newaera would not 
 happen in an actual socialist community. And you will say 
 this, although you may be aware, as you should be aware, 
 that many of these deplorable things did happen in one 
 or other of the very numerous socialist communities (nearly 
 a hundred, I think) which have been founded in hope, and
 
 202 NEW^RA. 
 
 which have uniformly failed. For you believe that their 
 failure was due to accident, to mismanagement, to environ- 
 ment, to — anything but socialism. You believe, in short, that 
 the pyramid will stand on its point. It is only a matter of 
 balancing, and you know how to do the trick. Perhaps you 
 are a plain man, and would not claim so much for yourself; 
 but you assuredly believe that you could vote for some other 
 plain man, and thereby confer on him that superhuman 
 wisdom and virtue, which (according to your creed) are 
 inherent in the plain man who has been voted for and has 
 become an official. 
 
 Perhaps you are right in this belief. Perhaps you or your 
 proxy can perform this balancing feat. What I have to ask 
 you is this : Will you not show us how it is done ? Give us 
 an actual demonstration ? Do not, I pray you, use your 
 country as the subject of your demonstration. Your 
 country's welfare is dear to you, and, remember, accidents 
 have happened. No ; your demonstration shall be made in 
 some secluded English Newasra of your own choosing, your 
 own planning, your own managing ; you shall do everything 
 except bear the expense. Perhaps you may be willing or 
 may think it advisable to contribute to that, as the Newaerans 
 did ; but that shall be left to you to decide. 
 
 You must not plead that the demonstration cannot be 
 made because society is not yet good enough for socialism. 
 That society is not good enough for socialism is true. That 
 society never will be good enough for socialism is, I think, 
 equally true. On this point you may differ. You may 
 believe that capitalism, if allowed to continue long enough, 
 will so improve and regenerate society that it will ulti- 
 mately be good enough for socialism. I have no such faith 
 in the regenerative force of capitalism ; but let that pass. 
 Consider what you are asking. Cast your eyes into the 
 future, and tell me if you think it likely that in this England 
 of ours there will ever exist a society — a natural develop- 
 ment of our present society — which will not contain one 
 individual who will object to hand over his property to the 
 State — one individual who will detest this system of yours,
 
 ADDRESSED TO THE READER. 203 
 
 who will do his utmost to prevent its working smoothly, and 
 his utmost to turn it to his personal advantage — not one idle 
 loafer, rich or poor — not one greedy capitalist — not one 
 person morally diseased. You must admit that you will 
 always have many such individuals to deal with, and that 
 they will make your task infinitely difficult. But I am asking 
 you to make your demonstration in a community where none 
 of these elements shall exist — a community every member of 
 which shall be a convinced and ardent socialist — a socialist 
 of your own choosing, who will do his utmost to make your 
 demonstration successful. Is it likely that you will ever 
 meet with such ideal conditions outside your Newasra ? You 
 must admit that it is more than unlikely : it is impossible. Your 
 socialists will not be perfect — they will be human beings ; 
 but your system is capable of being applied to human beings, 
 is it not ? Else, " why cumbereth it the ground " ? 
 
 And remember, you are not asked to produce a perfect 
 society — merely a society that will stand. Capitalist 
 societies stand, have stood for ages : never stood more firmly 
 than now. Show me a socialist society that will stand — a 
 socialist society in which the conditions of life shall be not 
 worse than the conditions in the capitalist society around it 
 — a socialist society which shall be tolerable to its socialist 
 members — that is all I ask. You cannot do it. There is a 
 direct challenge, will you take it up ? 
 
 " But," you may object, " is this to be a game of heads 
 you win, tails I lose ? If the experiment fails socialism will 
 be discredited ; if it succeeds — what then ? Will it not be 
 said that, although socialism may succeed in a society of 
 picked individuals, it would be a very different matter to 
 apply it to a nation of heterogeneous individuals ? " This 
 would be said, and it would be true, but it need not deter 
 you in the least. We are agreed, you and I, that society is 
 not good enough for socialism ; but we differ in this — that you 
 believe socialism is a desirable ideal which would work under 
 proper conditions, whereas I believe socialism is an undesirable 
 ideal which would not work under any conditions. Prove 
 that you are right, and your battle will be won. You will
 
 2o 4 NEWiERA. 
 
 have proved to your countrymen that socialism is a good 
 thing, an ideal to aspire to and to prepare for. This will 
 surely be very easy, for you will only need to point your 
 countrymen to your Newsera and say, " See this heaven 
 on earth — this is what England would be like under 
 socialism." 
 
 There is one further consideration which I hesitate to 
 place before you, because it seems so like an appeal to 
 avarice. The Newasrans will be very wealthy. Your High 
 Priest, Hyndman, has explained that your capitalist employer 
 robs you of three-fourths of the wealth you produce. Under 
 socialism the whole will be yours, and your present earnings 
 will be increased fourfold. But this is not all. Prophet 
 Bax assures you that under socialism labour will be five 
 times as productive as it is under capitalism. You must 
 multiply again by five, your income will be twenty times 
 what it is at present. You need feel no hesitation about 
 accepting this estimate, for there can be no doubt that these 
 gentlemen will join the colony and show how the thing is 
 done. 
 
 And now you, my anti-socialist friend — you who recognize 
 socialism as a curse. Perhaps you are a capitalist. If so, I 
 expect you are a working man : most capitalists are working 
 men — indeed, I suspect the greater number of them are 
 members of what is called the working class, the hand- 
 working, wage-earning class. But, capitalist or not, I want 
 to ask you what you think of my vaccination scheme. Do 
 you not think it time your country was vaccinated ? And 
 will you not see that it is vaccinated, and without loss of 
 time ? For my scheme is an eminently practicable one, and 
 it is intended to be put in practice. I have in mind one of 
 the charming islands of the Scilly group, with an ideal 
 climate, a fertile soil, and few inhabitants. Other islands 
 may be more suitable or more easily available. Indeed, an 
 island may not be necessary, though I think it would be 
 preferable. I hear to-day of a newly-built and recently- 
 deserted village on the mainland, with a deserted factory 
 thrown in.
 
 ADDRESSED TO THE READER. 205 
 
 The site selected, it only remains to erect on it a Newaera, 
 capable, I suggest, of accommodating say, 10,000 souls, a 
 village or small town of the size of Holyhead. This village 
 would be stocked with provisions and raw materials for, say, 
 six months. Any socialist will tell you what articles and 
 how many of each are consumed by 10,000 persons in six 
 months. The Newaera Committee will give you a list of 
 articles ; you will buy them, and there your task will end. 
 For it is an essential feature of the scheme that it shall be 
 managed entirely by socialists. 
 
 And the cost ? I do not know what that would be. The 
 site may be provided free by some patriotic landowner, and 
 for the rest it will be easy to get an estimate. Model villages 
 are built cheaply nowadays. I do not think the cost will 
 trouble you. I would remind you that millions of pounds 
 are being taken from you yearly for the furtherance of 
 socialistic schemes, municipal and national. One purpose 
 of my scheme will be to show the country whither it is 
 tending, and to check this ceaseless demoralising drain. 
 After all, you cannot take your money with you when you 
 die, and any that you spend now will be no longer available 
 for death duties for the promotion of socialism. Will not 
 some Sir Philip Ledingham come forward, or several of 
 them? 
 
 " But," you say, " it is useless to set the snare in sight of 
 the birds. The socialists will have nothing to do with it." 
 
 The scheme is not a snare. It is merely an opportunity 
 for socialists to put in practice that which they claim to be 
 practicable. You and I believe it to be impracticable. We 
 present them with an opportunity of proving we are wrong. 
 If they are honest in their professions — and we must credit 
 them with honesty — they will embrace the opportunity. If 
 they decline — why, then, their fangs are drawn, and our 
 object is gained. A socialist who offers a scheme which he 
 dare not put in practice, under conditions of his own 
 choosing, is not a very dangerous person. There can be 
 no doubt that very many socialists are honestly convinced 
 of the practicability of their system, and will be glad of the
 
 206 NEW^ERA. 
 
 opportunity to put it to the proof. We, on the other hand, 
 shall have given proof of the genuineness and disinterestedness 
 of our opposition to it by finding most of the money for the 
 experiment. 
 
 On two points a warning is necessary. It is probable that 
 some of the leaders will do their utmost to dissuade their 
 followers from taking part in the demonstration. I can 
 imagine that they will fill the air with clouds of rhetoric 
 about capitalism, wage-slavery, exploitation, surplus value, 
 and the rest of it, and will then call their hearers to witness 
 that since they have now proved socialism to be a cure for 
 every social ill, no practical demonstration is necessary. 
 The patient may struggle a little, but he must be vaccinated 
 nevertheless. If the more intelligent socialists decline to 
 assist in the demonstration, the result will be the same, but 
 it may be reached a little sooner. 
 
 The other point is, that you must not be content with a 
 single demonstration . Socialists will say that the colony would 
 not have failed if this or that arrangement had been different. 
 They must be permitted, nay, encouraged, and, if necessary, 
 compelled to repeat the experiment. The vaccination must 
 be repeated as often as the disease reappears, and your 
 arrangements must be made accordingly. 
 
 Lastly, I wish to speak to you, my friend, who are neither 
 socialist nor anti-socialist : you who have not looked into 
 the matter closely, but are inclined to regard socialism as 
 something sociable and friendly — a plan for helping one 
 another, redressing wrongs, removing poverty, giving every 
 one a chance, and generally producing a heaven on earth. 
 
 I have tried to show you what socialism is, and what 
 results it is likely to produce. But I do not ask you to take 
 my word for it. As to what socialism is, you can best find 
 this out by reading the literature of the subject, a sufficiently 
 dreary task, I can assure you, and one beset with difficulties, 
 since socialists are very chary about making practical 
 proposals, and very far from unanimous when they do 
 make them. 
 
 This is a very real difficulty to anyone who would
 
 ADDRESSED TO THE READER. 207 
 
 endeavour to construct a socialist Utopia as I have done, for 
 he must constantly make choice between the many divergent 
 policies which socialists advocate, and often he must formu- 
 late a policy, because, in matters of the utmost importance, 
 they give him no guidance whatever. Further, he has the 
 difficulty of giving his characters the appearance of sanity, 
 while making them talk the language of orthodox socialism. 
 In order to guard against the charge of misrepresentation, 
 which might be made by socialists, and against the charge of 
 exaggeration, which might be made by those who are 
 unfamiliar with the subject, I have adopted the plan of putting 
 into the mouths of my socialist characters verbatim extracts 
 from the writings of prominent socialists, whenever I found 
 it necessary for them to use arguments or express sentiments 
 which might lay them open to the suspicion of being mentally 
 unhinged. I have not indicated where such quotations 
 occur, because to do so would give an air of unreality to 
 the story — people do not spout quotations in real life. I 
 take this opportunity of expressing my indebtedness to 
 Messrs. Blatchford, Bax and Quelch, Gronlund, Hyndman, 
 Kautsky, Davidson, Snowden, and Suthers, whose writings 
 have been laid under contribution. 
 
 As to the results that socialism would produce, this can 
 best be ascertained by experiment. Many experiments have 
 been made, and their results may be summed up in one 
 word — Failure. Socialists claim that these experiments were 
 not conducted under fair conditions. The conditions 
 were in all cases chosen by socialists. All the experiments 
 were on too small a scale, but this was entirely in their 
 favour. A family is a socialist community which is capable 
 of working perfectly. 
 
 My vaccination scheme is intended to give socialists an 
 opportunity of conducting an experiment under conditions 
 which they must consider fair. The conditions will be 
 entirely under their own control. I ask you to support this 
 scheme. You need not regard it as a vaccination scheme, 
 but as a crucial experiment to be watched with impartial 
 eyes.
 
 208 NEW.ERA. 
 
 Believe me, this is a question which concerns you very 
 nearly. Your country is rapidly drifting in the direction of 
 socialism : therefore it behoves you to know whether socialism 
 is good or bad, whether it is to heaven or to hell that you 
 are being hurried. 
 
 England will never become a socialist nation. It would 
 cease to exist as a nation long before it arrived there : for 
 a nation may be destroyed by socialism, without being a 
 socialist nation. The Roman Empire was far from being a 
 socialist State, but the socialist measures which it adopted 
 were among the principal causes of its destruction. Mr. 
 Lecky says : — 
 
 " Above all, the public distribution of corn, and occasionally 
 of money, was carried on to such an extent, that so far as 
 the first necessaries of life were concerned, the whole free 
 population of Rome was supported gratuitously by the Govern- 
 ment. To effect this distribution promptly and lavishly was 
 the main object of the imperial policy, and its consequences 
 were worse than could have resulted from the most extra- 
 vagant poor laws, or the most excessive charity. The mass 
 of the people were supported in absolute idleness by corn 
 which was given without any reference to desert, and was 
 received, not as a favour, but as a right, while gratuitous public 
 amusements still further diverted them from labour. Under 
 these influences the population rapidly dwindled away. 
 Productive enterprise was almost extinct in Italy, and an 
 unexampled concurrence of causes made a vicious celibacy 
 the habitual condition." 
 
 " But," you will say, " what has this to do with us ? We 
 are not likely to adopt the free distribution of corn." Do 
 not be too sure. Rome adopted the socialist principle that 
 the State is responsible for the maintenance of those who do 
 not maintain themselves. Rome applied that principle, and 
 Rome fell. For centuries England has adopted the same 
 principle in a limited form in her Poor Laws, and untold 
 suffering has been caused ; but within the last few years the 
 application of this principle has been vastly extended. It 
 has come to be accepted that the State is responsible for the
 
 ADDRESSED TO THE READER. 209 
 
 maintenance of two large classes of the population — the young 
 whose parents do not maintain them, and the old who have 
 made no provision for their own maintenance. Already there 
 are insistent demands that others shall be added to the class 
 of the State-maintained. 
 
 Very likely you think this is a good thing. You think that 
 the principle which caused demoralization, suffering, and 
 extinction in the Roman Empire will produce the contrary 
 results in the British Empire. Would it not be well to be 
 sure before going any further in this direction ? The experi- 
 ment can be tried. The socialists believe in this State- 
 maintenance principle, and, with your support and assistance, 
 will set up a miniature State, which shall guarantee to its 
 members immunity from poverty and almost all other evils. 
 You shall watch the experiment, and, if the result pleases 
 you, then you will go forward with a light heart in the path 
 you are now treading. If the result does not please you, 
 then I hope you will turn back. 
 
 Rome was not destroyed by State maintenance alone. 
 Two minor causes are said to have contributed to bring about 
 her downfall — the gladiatorial games, and slavery. 
 
 We have no gladiators. Our popular theatre is degrading 
 enough, and now there is a demand that it shall be made 
 national and free — as in Rome. 
 
 And slavery ? We have done with that ! I think not. 
 You and I are compelled to work so many weeks each year 
 for our common taskmaster. We have to hand over the 
 earnings of these weeks in rates and taxes, and every year a 
 few more days of compulsory labour is demanded from us. 
 Year by year the State and the Municipality increase their 
 demands, and increase also their encroachments on what 
 used to be the domain of the individual. You see no danger 
 in this : you think it is a good thing : you acknowledge that 
 the Government official can spend your earnings to better 
 purpose than you can spend them yourself. 
 
 Would it not be well to make quite sure that there is no 
 danger — to test the capacity of the Government official 
 before entrusting him further with the spending of your 
 
 N. P
 
 2io NEW^RA. 
 
 earnings and the management of your affairs ? The 
 socialists say that you and all your affairs should be 
 managed by officials. They are steadily pushing your 
 country in that direction. Let them first show a miniature 
 State official-managed. If the result pleases you — well. 
 If not — then I think you will decide in future to spend your 
 own earnings in your own way, and to manage your own 
 affairs with the least possible assistance from officials. 
 
 " But," you will say, " is not social action, co-operation, 
 a good thing ? Does it not distinguish the civilized from the 
 barbarous community ? " 
 
 Yes, co-operation is a very good thing ; the more we have 
 of it the better. If A, B, and C unite their forces to 
 accomplish what they desire, they gain not only in power 
 to accomplish their end, but in character also. And be very 
 sure that if any end is worth co-operating for, men will 
 co-operate. But there is a kind of co-operation which is 
 not a good thing — when A compels B, C, and D to co- 
 operate with him to accomplish an end that they may or 
 may not desire. 
 
 Let me give an example. Nearly every town in England 
 has a free lending library — that is to say, a library which is 
 not free, but which is paid for mainly by those who do not 
 want it, and used mainly by those who do not need it. 
 
 Of the small minority of people who use the lending 
 library, some are wealthy, many are well-to-do, a few are 
 really poor. 
 
 The library is paid for by this small minority, and by the 
 large majority who do not want it, judging by the fact that 
 they do not use it. Of whom does this majority consist — 
 this majority of people who are compelled to pay for a 
 library they do not want ? The socialists will tell you that 
 about half of them are "very poor," and that about a third 
 of them are " on the verge of starvation," that many of 
 them are unemployed, that some of them are (in Mr. 
 Snowden's words) " living, eating, working, dying, in one 
 room, for which a vampire landlord will take in rent " 
 [and rates] " one half of all the family can earn by working
 
 ADDRESSED TO THE READER. 211 
 
 day and night." These people do not realize that their 
 miserable pence are being taken from them week by week 
 that the parson, the doctor, the merchant, the shopkeeper, 
 may have a good supply of novels without paying for them. 
 They perhaps look on the library as a kind of Blessing from 
 Above — but not for them, of course they have no time 
 for reading novels — and they are being diligently taught 
 that it is the " vampire landlord " who makes their rent go 
 up and up. They are being dragged across the line that 
 separates the self-supporting from the pauper; they are being 
 encouraged to cross that line ; they are being compelled to 
 contribute to the support of those who have crossed it, 
 willingly or unwillingly — and their socialist sympathizers are 
 urging that their burden shall be made heavier ; that 
 municipal extravagance shall be increased until their rents 
 are doubled ; that they shall be forced to feed not only their 
 own children, but also the children of their idle neighbours. 
 
 A library is a good thing. That people who want a 
 library should co-operate to institute one is a good thing, 
 and if they wish to allow their poorer neighbours to use it 
 without payment there is no reason why they should not do 
 so. That is social action, and social action is a good thing. 
 But that the industrious should be compelled to support the 
 idle, and to pay for luxuries they do not want, for the benefit 
 of those who are often far richer than themselves — this is 
 not social action, but socialism. 
 
 Take another example. Our society has been confronted 
 with two problems of great difficulty — to relieve the poor 
 who are sick, and to relieve the poor who are not sick. The 
 first problem was met by social action, and the second by 
 socialistic action. The result was what might have been 
 anticipated ; our hospital system is a magnificent success, and 
 our workhouse system a deplorable failure. The socialists 
 of the Minority Report suggest that we should take a double 
 dose of socialism to cure the evils wrought by socialism. 
 I suggest that we should sweep away the whole demoralizing 
 system. The State is incompetent to relieve the poor 
 " Leave them to starve ? " you ask. The poor will starve.
 
 212 NEWyERA. 
 
 if it is indeed true that Englishmen are only humane so long 
 as they have a taxgatherer at their elbow. But it is not 
 true. The workhouses will be succeeded by institutions 
 managed by social, not socialistic, action ; institutions which 
 will claim public support by earning public confidence, and 
 which will accomplish their purpose, sympathetically and 
 economically, like the hospitals. The difference between 
 social and socialistic action is the difference between a 
 subscription and a rate. 
 
 Whether socialism is a good thing or a very bad thing 
 you are to judge ; and you can best judge this, if you are 
 still in doubt, by helping the socialists to carry out their 
 policy in an experimental colony of socialists, and by watching 
 the results that follow when that policy is carried out in its 
 entirety. 
 
 BRADBURY, AGNEW, & CO. LD., PRINTERS, LONDON AND TONBR1DGE.
 
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