A.B.C. OF ANARCHISM I must remind you that the more intelligent employers are beginning to see that it pays to improve their factories, make them more sanitary and hygienic, and generally better the conditions of labour. They realise it is a good investment : it results in the increased <'ontentment and consequent greater efficiency of their workers. T);ie principle is sound. To-day, of course, it is being exploited for the sole purpose of bigger profits, But under Anarchism it would be applied not for the sake of personal gain, but in the interest of theworkers' health, for the lightening of labour. Our progress in mechanics is so great and continually advancing that most of tho. hard toil could be eliminated by the use of modern machinery and labour-saving devices. In many industries, as in coal mining, for instance, new safety and sanitary appliances are not introduced because of the masters' indifference to the welfare of their employees. and on account of the expenditure involved. But in a non-profit system technical science would work exclusively with the aim of making labour safer, healthier, lighter, and more pleasant. " But however light you'll make work, eight hours a day of it is no pleasure," objects your friend. You are perfectly right. But did you ever stop to consider wh) we have to work eight hours a day ? Do you know that not so lonE ago people used to slave twelve to fourteen hours, and that it is still the case in backward countries like China and India ? It can be statistically proved that three hours' work a day, at most_ is sufficient to feed, shelter, and clothe the world and supply it no1 only with_ necessities but also with all modern comforts of life. The point is that not one man in. five is· to-day doing any productive work. The entire world is supported by a small minority of toilers. , First of all, consider the amount of work done in present-day society that would become unnecessary under Anarchist conditions. Take the armies and navies of the world, and think how many millions of men would be released for useful and productive effort once war is abolished, as would of course·be the case under Anarchy. In ~very country to-day labour supports the millions who con· tribute nothing to the welfare of the country, who create nothing, and perform no useful work whatever. Those millions are only consumers, without being producers. In the United States, for instance, out of a population of , 20 millions there are less than 30 million workers, farmers included. A similar situation is the rule in every land. Is it any wonder that labour has to toil long hours, since there are only 30 workers to every 130 persons ? The large busines· classeswith their clerks, assistants, agents, and commercial travellers i 34 Biblioteca Gino Bianco
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