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nized and directed by committees and officers elected by the shareholders； so shall they in future belong to the State； that is； the whole people … and they shall be organized and directed by committees and officers elected by the community。
‘Under existing circumstances the community is exposed to the danger of being invaded and robbed and massacred by some foreign power。 Therefore the community has organized and owns and controls an Army and Navy to protect it from that danger。 Under existing circumstances the community is menaced by another equally great danger … the people are mentally and physically degenerating from lack of proper food and clothing。 Socialists say that the community should undertake and organize the business of producing and distributing all these things； that the State should be the only employer of labour and should own all the factories； mills； mines； farms； railways； fishing fleets； sheep farms； poultry farms and cattle ranches。
‘Under existing circumstances the community is degenerating mentally and physically because the majority cannot afford to have decent houses to live in。 Socialists say that the community should take in hand the business of providing proper houses for all its members； that the State should be the only landlord； that all the land and all the houses should belong to the whole people。。。
‘We must do this if we are to keep our old place in the van of human progress。 A nation of ignorant； unintelligent； half…starved； broken…spirited degenerates cannot hope to lead humanity in its never…ceasing march onward to the conquest of the future。
‘Vain。 mightiest fleet of iron framed； Vain the all…shattering guns Unless proud England keep； untamed； The stout hearts of her sons。
‘All the evils that I have referred to are only symptoms of the one disease that is sapping the moral； mental and physical life of the nation； and all attempts to cure these symptoms are foredoomed to failure； simply because they are the symptoms and not the disease。 All the talk of Temperance； and the attempts to compel temperance； are foredoomed to failure； because drunkenness is a symptom； and not the disease。
‘India is a rich productive country。 Every year millions of pounds worth of wealth are produced by her people； only to be stolen from them by means of the Money Trick by the capitalist and official class。 Her industrious sons and daughters； who are nearly all tdtal abstainers； live in abject poverty； and their misery is not caused by laziness or want of thrift； or by Intemperance。 They are poor for the same reason that we are poor … Because we are Robbed。
‘The hundreds of thousands of pounds that are yearly wasted in well…meant but useless charity accomplish no lasting good； because while charity soothes the symptoms it ignores the disease； which is … the PRIVATE OWNERSHIP of the means of producing the necessaries of life； and the restriction of production； by a few selfish individuals for their own profit。 And for that disease there is no other remedy than the one I have told you of … the PUBLIC OWNERSHIP and cultivation of the land； the PUBLIC OWNERSHIP OF the mines； railways； canals； ships； factories and all the other means of production； and the establishment of an Industrial Civil Service … a National Army of Industry … for the purpose of producing the necessaries； comforts and refinements of life in that abundance which has been made possible by science and machinery … for the use and benefit of THE WHOLE OF THE PEOPLE。'
‘Yes： and where's the money to come from for all this？' shouted Crass； fiercely。
‘Hear； hear；' cried the man behind the moat。
‘There's no money difficulty about it；' replied Barrington。 ‘We can easily find all the money we shall need。'
‘Of course；' said Slyme； who had been reading the Daily Ananias； ‘there's all the money in the Post Office Savings Bank。 The Socialists could steal that for a start； and as for the mines and land and factories； they can all be took from the owners by force。'
‘There will be no need for force and no need to steal anything from anybody。'
‘And there's another thing I objects to；' said Crass。 ‘And that's all this 'ere talk about hignorance： wot about all the money wots spent every year for edication？'
‘You should rather say … 〃What about all the money that's wasted every year on education？〃 What can be more brutal and senseless than trying to 〃educate〃 a poor little； hungry； ill…clad child？ Such so…called 〃instruction〃 is like the seed in the parable of the Sower； which fell on stony ground and withered away because it had no depth of earth； and even in those cases where it does take root and grow； it becomes like the seed that fell among thorns and the thorns grew up and choked it； and it bore no fruit。
‘The majority of us forget in a year or two all that we learnt at school because the conditions of our lives are such as to destroy all inclination for culture or refinement。 We must see that the children are properly clothed and fed and that they are not made to get up in the middle of the night to go to work for several hours before they go to school。 We must make it illegal for any greedy； heartless profit…hunter to hire them and make them labour for several hours in the evening after school； or all day and till nearly midnight on Saturday。 We must first see that our children are cared for； as well as the children of savage races； before we can expect a proper return for the money that we spend on education。'
‘I don't mind admitting that this 'ere scheme of national ownership and industries is all right if it could only be done；' said Harlow； ‘but at present； all the land； railways and factories； belongs to private capitalists； they can't be bought without money； and you say you ain't goin' to take 'em away by force； so I should like to know how the bloody 'ell you are goin' to get 'em？'
‘We certainly don't propose to buy them with money； for the simple reason that there is not sufficient money in existence to pay for them。
‘If all the gold and silver money in the World were gathered together into one heap； it would scarcely be sufficient to buy all the private property in England。 The people who own all these things now never really paid for them with money … they obtained possession of them by means of the 〃Money Trick〃 which Owen explained to us some time ago。'
‘They obtained possession of them by usin' their brain；' said Crass。 ‘Exactly；' replied the lecturer。 ‘They tell us themselves that that is how they got them away from us； they call their profits the 〃wages of intelligence〃。 Whilst we have been working； they have been using their intelligence in order to obtain possession of the things we have created。 The time has now arrived for us to use our intelligence in order to get back the things they have robbed us of； aid to prevent them from robbing us any more。 As for how it is to be done； we might copy the methods that they have found so successful。'
‘Oh； then you DO mean to rob them after all；' cried Slyme； triumphantly。 ‘If it's true that they robbed the workers； and if we're to adopt the same method then we'll be robbers too！'
‘When a thi