A.B.C. OF ANARCHISM that the more advanced proletarian, the radical and the revolutionary, reflect upon this more earnestly, for to most of them, even to some Anarchists, this is only a pious wish, a distant hope. They fail to realise the transcending importance of efforts in that direction. Yet it is no mere dream. Large numbers of progressive worki'ngmen are coming to this understanding: the Industrial Workers of the World and the revolutionary Anarchist-syndicalists in every country are devoting themselves to thi.s end. lt is the most pressing need of the present. It cannot be stressed too much that only the right organisation of the workers can accomplish what we are striving for. In it lies the salvation of labour and of the future. Organisation from the bottom up, beginning with the shop and factory, on the foundation of the joint interests of the workers everywhere, irrespective of trade, race, or country, by means of mutual effort and united will, alone can solve the labour question and serve the true emancipation of man. " You were speaking of the workers taking over the industries," your friend reminds you. "How are they going to do it?" · Yes, I was on the subject when you made that remark about organisation. But it is well that the matter was discussed, because there i~ nothing more vital in the problems we are examining. To return to the taking over of the industries. It means not only taking them over, but the running of them by labour. As concerns the taking over, you must consider that the workers are actually now in the industries. The taking over consists in the workers remaining where they are, yet remaining not as employees but as the rightful collective possessors. • Grasp this point, my friend, The expropriation of the capitalist class during the social revolution-the taking over of the industriesrequires tactics directly the reverse of those you now use in. a strike. In the latter you quit work and leave the boss in full possession of the mill, factory, or mine. 11is an idiotic proceeding, of course, for you give the master the entire advantage: hi: can put scabs in.your place, and you remain out in the cold.. · In expropriating, on the contrary, you stay on the job and you put the boss out. He may remain only on equal terms with the rest : a worker among workers. The labour organisations of a given place take charge of the public utilities, of the means.of communication, of production and distribution in their particular locality. That is, the telegraphers, the telephone and electrical workers, the railroarl men, and so on, take possession (by means of their revolutionary shop committees) of the workshop, factory, or other establis.hment. The capitalistic foremen, 74· B,blloteca G ro Bia11co
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