Immediatelytheproletariathasconqueredpoliticalpowersuchameasuredictatedinthepublicinterestswillbejustaseasytocarryoutasotherexpropriationsandbilletingsarebytheexistingstate。
However，ourProudhonistisnotsatisfiedwithhispreviousachievementsinthehousingquestion。Hemustraisethequestionfromthelevelgroundintothesphereofthehighersocialisminorderthatitmayprovetherealsoanessential\"fractionalpartofthesocialquestion\"：
\"Letusnowassumethattheproductivityofcapitalisreallytakenbythehorns，asitmustbesoonerorlater，forinstancebyatransitionallawwhichfixestheinterestonallcapitalsatonepercent，butmarkyou，withthetendencytomakeeventhisrateofinterestapproximatemoreandmoretothezeropointsothatfinallynothingmorewouldbepaidthanthelabournecessarytoturnoverthecapital。Likeallotherproducts，housesanddwellingsarenaturallyalsoincludedwithintheframeworkofthislaw……Theownerhimselfwouldbethefirstonetoagreetoasalebecauseotherwisehishousewouldremainunusedandthecapitalinvestedinitwouldbesimplyuseless。\"ThispassagecontainsoneofthechiefarticlesoffaithoftheProudhonistcatechismandoffersastrikingexampleoftheconfusionprevailinginit。
The\"productivityofcapital\"isanabsurditythatProudhonismtakesoveruncriticallyfromthebourgeoiseconomists。Thebourgeoiseconomists，itistrue，alsobeginwiththestatementthatlabouristhesourceofallwealthandthemeasureofvalueofallcommodities;buttheyalsohavetoexplainhowitcomesaboutthatthecapitalistwhoadvancescapitalforanindustrialorhandicraftbusinessreceivesbackattheendofitnotonlythecapitalwhichheadvanced，butalsoaprofitoverandaboveit。Inconsequencetheyarecompelledtoentanglethemselvesinallsortsofcontradictionsandalsotoascribetocapitalacertainproductivity。
NothingprovesmoreclearlyhowdeeplyProudhonremainsentangledinthebourgeoisideologythanthefactthathehastakenoverthisphraseabouttheproductivityofcapital。Wehavealreadyseenatthebeginningthattheso-called\"productivityofcapital\"isnothingbutthequalityattachedtoit（underpresent-daysocialrelations，withoutwhichitwouldnotbecapitalatall）ofbeingabletoappropriatetheunpaidlabourofwageworkers。
However，Proudhondiffersfromthebourgeoiseconomistsinthathedoesnotapproveofthis\"productivityofcapital，\"but，onthecontrary，findsitaviolationof\"eternaljustice。\"Itisthiswhichpreventstheworkerfromreceivingthefullproceedsofhislabour。Itmustthereforebeabolished。Buthow？Byloweringtherateofinterestbycompulsorylegislationandfinallybyreducingittozero。Andthen，accordingtoourProudhonist，capitalwouldceasetobeproductive。
Theinterestonloanedmoneycapitalisonlyapartofprofit;
profit，whetheronindustrialorcommercialcapital，isonlyapartofthesurplusvaluetakenbythecapitalistclassfromtheworkingclassintheformofunpaidlabour。Theeconomiclawswhichgoverntherateofinterestareasindependentofthosewhichgoverntherateofsurplusvalueascouldpossiblybethecasebetweenlawsofoneandthesamesocialform。
Butasfarasthedistributionofthissurplusvalueamongtheindividualcapitalistsisconcerned，itisclearthatforthoseindustrialistsandbusinessmenwhohavelargequantitiesofcapitalintheirbusinessesadvancedbyothercapitalists，therateoftheirprofitmustrise——allotherthingsbeingequal——tothesameextentastherateofinterestfalls。Thereductionandfinalabolitionofinterestwouldthereforebynomeansreallytaketheso-called\"productivityofcapital\"\"bythehorns\";itwoulddonomorethanre-arrangethedistributionamongtheindividualcapitalistsoftheunpaidsurplusvaluetakenfromtheworkingclass;itwouldnot，therefore，giveanadvantagetotheworkerasagainsttheindustrialcapitalist，buttotheindustrialcapitalistasagainsttherentier。
Proudhon，fromhislegalstandpoint，explainsinterest，ashedoesalleconomicfacts，notbytheconditionsofsocialproduction，butbythestatelawsinwhichtheseconditionsreceivetheirgeneralexpression。
Fromthispointofview，whichlacksanyinklingoftheinter-relationbetweenthestatelawsandtheconditionsofproductioninsociety，thesestatelawsnecessarilyappearaspurelyarbitraryorderswhichatanymomentcouldbereplacedjustaswellbytheirexactopposite。NothingisthereforeeasierforProudhonthantoissueadecree——assoonashehasthepowertodoso——reducingtherateofinteresttoonepercent。Andifalltheothersocialconditionsremainedastheywere，thenindeedthisProudhonistdecreewouldexistonpaperonly。Therateofinterestwillcontinuetobegovernedbytheeconomiclawstowhichitissubjecttoday，despitealldecrees。Personspossessingcreditwillcontinuetoborrowmoneyattwo，three，fourandmorepercent，accordingtocircumstances，justasmuchasbefore，andtheonlydifferencewillbethatthefinancierswillbeverycarefultoadvancemoneyonlytopersonsfromwhomnosubsequentcourtproceedingsmightbeexpected。Moreoverthisgreatplantodeprivecapitalofits\"productivity\"isasoldasthehills;itisasoldas-theusurylawswhichaimedatnothingelsebutlimitingtherateofinterest，andwhichhavesincebeenabolishedeverywherebecauseinpracticetheywerecontinuallybrokenorcircumvented，andthestatewascompelledtoadmititsimpotenceagainstthelawsofsocialproduction。Andthereintroductionofthesemediaevalandunworkablelawsisnow\"totaketheproductivityofcapitalbythehorns\"？OneseesthatthecloserProudhonismisexaminedthemorereactionaryitappears。
When，now，inthisfashiontherateofinteresthasbeenreducedtozero，andinterestoncapitalthereforeabolished，then\"nothingmorewouldbepaidthanthelabournecessarytoturnoverthecapital。\"Thismeansthattheabolitionofinterestisequivalenttotheabolitionofprofitandevenofsurplusvalue。Butifitwerepossiblereallytoabolishinterestbydecreewhatwouldbetheconsequence？Theclassofrentierswouldnolongerhaveanyinducementtoloanouttheircapitalintheformofadvances，butwouldinvestitindustriallythemselvesorinjoint-stockcompaniesontheirownaccount。Themassofsurplusvalueextractedfromtheworkingclassbythecapitalistclasswouldremainthesame;onlyitsdistributionwouldbealtered，andeventhatnotmuch。
Infact，ourProudhonistfailstoseethat，evennow，nomoreispaidontheaverageincommoditypurchaseinbourgeoissocietythan\"thelabournecessarytoturnoverthecapital\"（itshouldread，necessaryfortheproductionofthecommodityinquestion）。Labouristhemeasureofvalueofallcommodities，andinpresent-daysociety——apartfromfluctuationsofthemarket——itisabsolutelyimpossiblethatonatotalaveragemoreshouldbepaidforcommoditiesthanthelabournecessaryfortheirproduction。
No，no，mydearProudhonist，thedifficultylieselsewhere：itiscontainedinthefactthat\"thelabournecessarytoturnoverthecapital\"（touseyourconfusedterminology）isnotfullypaid！HowthiscomesaboutyoucanlookupinMarx（Capital）。
Butthatisnotenough。Ifinterestoncapitalisabolished，houserentisalsoabolishedwithit;for，\"likeallotherproducts，housesanddwellingsarenaturallyalsoincludedwithintheframeworkofthislaw。\"
ThisisquiteinthespiritoftheoldMajorwhosummonedoneofthenewrecruitsanddeclared：
\"Isay，Ihearyouareadoctor;youmightreportfromtimetotimeatmyquarters;whenonehasawifeandsevenchildrenthereisalwayssomethingtopatchup。\"
Recruit：\"Excuseme，Major，butIamadoctorofphilosophy。\"
Major：\"That’sallthesametome;onesawbonesisthesameasanother。\"
OurProudhonistbehavesjustlikethis：houserentorinterestoncapital，itisallthesametohim。Interestisinterest;sawbonesissawbones。
Wehaveseenabovethattherentpricecommonlycalledhouserentiscomposedasfollows：
apartwhichisgroundrent;
apartwhichisinterestonthebuildingcapital，includingtheprofitofthebuilder;
apartwhichisforcostsofrepairsandinsurance;
apartwhichhastoamortizethebuildingcapitalinclusiveofprofitinannualdeductionsaccordingtotherateatwhichthehousegraduallydepreciates。
Andnowitmusthavebecomecleareventotheblindestthat\"theownerhimselfwouldbethefirstonetoagreetoasalebecauseotherwisehishousewouldremainunusedandthecapitalinvestedinitwouldbesimplyuseless。\"Ofcourse。Iftheinterestonloanedcapitalisabolishedthennohouseownercanobtainapennypieceinrentforhishouse，simplybecausehouserentisspokenofasinterestandbecausetherentcontainsapartwhichisreallyinterestoncapital。Sawbonesissawbones。Thoughitwasonlypossibletomaketheusurylawsrelatingtoordinaryinterestoncapitalineffectivebycircumventingthem，yettheynevertouchedevenremotelytherateofhouserent。ItwasreservedforProudhontoimaginethathisnewusurylawwouldwithoutmoreadoregulateandgraduallyabolishnotonlysimpleinterestoncapital，butalsothecomplicatedhouserentsofdwellings。Whythenthe\"simplyuseless\"houseshouldbepurchasedforgoodmoneyfromthehouseowner，andhowitisthatundersuchcircumstancesthehouseownerwouldnotalsopaymoneyhimselftogetridofthis\"simplyuseless\"houseinordertosavehimselfthecostofrepairs，wearenottold。
Afterthistriumphantachievementinthesphereofhighersocialism（MasterProudhoncalleditsuper-socialism）ourProudhonistconsidershimselfjustifiedinflyingstillhigher：\"Allthathasnowtobedoneistodrawsomeconclusionsinordertocastcompletelightfromallsidesonoursoimportantsubject。\"Andwhataretheseconclusions？Theyarethingswhichfollowaslittlefromwhathasbeensaidbefore，asthatdwellinghouseswouldbecomevaluelessontheabolitionofinterest。Deprivedofthepompousandsolemnphraseologyoftheirauthor，theymeannothingmorethanthat，inordertofacilitatethebusinessofredemptionofrenteddwellings，whatisdesirableis：1。exactstatisticsonthesubject;2。
agoodsanitaryinspectionforce;and3。co-operativesofbuildingworkerstoundertakethebuildingofnewhouses。Allthesethingsarecertainlyveryfineandgood，but，despitealltheclothingofquackphrases，theybynomeanscast\"completelight\"intotheobscurityofProudhonistmentalconfusion。
OnewhohasachievedsomuchfeelshehastherighttodeliverthefollowingseriousexhortationtotheGermanworkers：
\"Inouropinion，suchandsimilarquestionsarewellworththeattentionofSocial-Democracy……Letthemtherefore，ashereinconnectionwiththehousingquestion，seektobecomeclearonotherandequallyimportantquestionssuchascredit，statedebts，privatedebts，taxation，\"etc。Thus，ourProudhonistherefacesuswiththeprospectofawholeseriesofarticleson\"similarquestions，\"andifhedealswiththemallasthoroughlyasthepresent\"soimportantsubject，\"thentheVolksstaatwillhavecopyenoughforayear。Butweareinapositiontoanticipate：——itallamountstowhathasalreadybeensaid：interestoncapitalistobeabolishedandwiththattheinterestonpublicandprivatedebtsdisappears，creditwillbegratis，etc。Thesamemagicformulaisappliedtoeverysubjectandineachseparatecasethesameastonishingresultisobtainedwithinexorablelogic，namely，thatwheninterestoncapitalhasbeenabolishednomoreinterestwillhavetobepaidonborrowedmoney。
Theyarefinequestions，bythewaywithwhichourProudhonistthreatensus：credit！Whatcreditdoestheworkerneedapartfromthatfromweektowee’-，orthecreditheobtainsfromthepawnshop？Whetherhegetsthiscreditfreeoratinterest，evenattheusuriousinterestsofthepawnshop，howmuchdifferencedoesthatmaketohim？Andifhedid，generallyspeaking，obtainsomeadvantagefromit，thatistosay，ifthecostsofproductionoflabourpowerwerereduced，wouldnotthepriceoflabourpowernecessarilyfallalso？Butforthebourgeois，andinparticularforthepettybourgeois，creditisanimportantmatteranditwouldthereforebeaveryfinethingforthem，andinparticularforthepettybourgeois，ifcreditcouldbeobtainedatanytimeand，inaddition，withoutpaymentofinterest。\"Statedebts！\"’Theworkingclassknowsverywellthatitdidnotmakethestatedebt，andwhenitcomestopoweritwillleavethepaymentofittothosewhodidmakeit。\"Privatedebts！\"——seecredit。
\"Taxes\"！Mattersthatinterestthebourgeoisieverymuch，buttheworkeronlyverylittle。Whattheworkerpaysintaxesgoesinthelongrunintothecostsofproductionoflabourpowerandmustthereforebecompensatedforbythecapitalist。Allthesethingswhicharehelduptoushereashighlyimportantquestionsfortheworkingclassareinrealityofessentialinterestonlytothebourgeoisie，andinparticulartothepettybourgeoisie，and，despiteProudhon，weassertthattheworkingclassisnotcalledupontolookaftertheinterestsoftheseclasses。
OurProudhonisthasnotawordtosayaboutthegreatquestionwhichreallyconcernstheworkers，thatoftherelationbetweencapitalistandwageworker，thequestionofhowitcomesaboutthatthecapitalistcanenrichhimselffromthelabourofhisworkers。Hislordandmasteritistrue，didoccupyhimselfwithit，butintroducedabsolutelynoclearnessintoit，andeveninhislatestwritingshehasgotessentiallynofartherthanhewasinhisPhilosophicdelaMisere[PhilosophyofPoverty]whichMarxdisposedofsoconclusivelyinallitsemptinessin1847。
Itwasbadenoughthatfortwenty-fiveyearstheworkersoftheLatincountrieshadalmostnoothersocialistmentalnourishmentthanthewritingsofthis\"SocialistoftheSecondEmpire，\"anditwouldbeadoublemisfortuneifGermanywerenowtobeinundatedwiththeProudhonisttheory。
However，thereneedbenofearofthis。ThetheoreticalstandpointoftheGermanworkersisfiftyyearsaheadofthatofProudhonism，anditwillbesufficienttomakeanexampleofitinthisonequestionofhousinginordertosaveanyfurthertroubleinthisrespect。
TheHousingQuestion——Part2THEHOUSINGQUESTIONparttwoHOWTHEBOURGEOISIESOLVESTHEHOUSINGQUESTIONbyFREDERICKENGELSI
InthesectionontheProudhonistsolutionofthehousingquestionitwasshownhowgreatlythepettybourgeoisieisdirectlyinterestedinthisquestion。However，thebigbourgeoisiealsoisverymuchinterestedinit，ifindirectly。Modernnaturalsciencehasprovedthattheso-called\"poordistricts\"inwhichtheworkersarecrowdedtogetherarethebreedingplacesofallthoseepidemicswhichfromtimetotimeafflictourtowns。Cholera，typhus，typhoidfever，small-poxandotherravagingdiseasesspreadtheirgermsinthepestilentialairandthepoisonedwateroftheseworking-classquarters。Inthesedistricts，the，germshardlyeverdieoutcompletely，andassoonascircumstancespermitittheydevelopintoepidemicsandthenspreadbeyondtheirbreedingplacesalsointothemoreairyandhealthypartsofthetowninhabitedbythecapitalists。Capitalistrulecannotallowitselfthepleasureofcreatingepidemicdiseasesamongtheworkingclasswithimpunity;the’consequencesfallbackonitandtheangelofdeathragesinitsranksasruthlesslyasintheranksoftheworkers。
Assoonasthisfacthadbeenscientificallyestablishedthephilanthropicbourgeoisbegantocompetewithoneanotherinnobleeffortsonbehalfofthehealthoftheirworkers。Societieswerefounded，bookswerewritten，proposalsdrawnup，lawsdebatedandpassed，inordertoclosethesourcesoftheever-recurringepidemics。Thehousingconditionsoftheworkerswereexaminedandattemptsweremadetoremedythemostcryingevils。InEnglandparticularly，wherethegreatestnumberoflargetownsexistedandwherethebourgeoisieitselfwasmostimmediatelythreatened，greatactivitybegan。Governmentcommissionswereappointedtoinquireintothehygienicconditionsoftheworkingclasses;theirreports，honorablydistinguishedfromallcontinentalsourcesbytheiraccuracy，completenessandimpartiality，providedthebasisfornew，moreorless，radicallyeffective，laws。Incompleteastheselawsare，theyarestillinfinitelyaheadofeverythingthathasbeendoneinthisdirectionuptothepresentonthecontinent。Nevertheless，thecapitalistorderofsocietyreproducesagainandagaintheevilswhicharetoberemediedwithsuchinevitablenecessitythateveninEnglandtheremedyingofthemhashardlyadvancedasinglestep。
Asusual，Germanyneededamuchlongertimebeforethechronicsourcesofinfectionexistingtherealsoreachedtheacutedegreenecessarytoarousetheindolentbigbourgeoisie。Buthewhogoesslowlygoessurely，andsoamongusalsotherefinallyaroseabourgeoisliteratureonpublichealthandthehousingquestion，awateryextractofitsforeign，andinparticularitsEnglish，predecessors，towhichitwassoughttogiveadeceptivesemblanceofahigherconceptionbymeansoffine-soundingandsolemnphrases。DieWohnungszustandederarbeitendenKlassenundihreReform[TheHousingConditionsoftheWorkingClassesandtheirReform]
byDr。EmilSax，Vienna，1869。belongstothisliterature。
Ihaveselectedthisbookinordertopresentthebourgeoistreatmentofthehousingquestiononlybecauseitmakestheattempttosummarizeasfaraspossiblethebourgeoisliteratureonthesubject。Andafineliteratureitiswhichservesourauthorashis\"sources\"！OftheEnglishparliamentaryreports，therealmainsources，onlythreeoftheoldestarementionedbyname;thewholebookprovesthatitsauthorhasneverglancedatevenasingleoneofthem。Ontheotherhand，awholeseriesofbanal，bourgeois，well-meaningphilistineandhypocriticalphilanthropicwritingsareenumerated：Ducpeptiaux，Roberts，Hole，Huber，theproceedingoftheEnglishcongressesonsocialscience（orrathersocialbosh），thejournaloftheAssociationfortheWelfareoftheLaboringClassesinPrussia，theofficialAustrianreportontheWorldExhibitioninParis，theofficialBonapartistreportsonthesamesubject，theIllustratedLondonNews，UberLandundMeer[OnLandandSea]andfinallya\"recognizedauthority，\"amanof\"acutepracticalperception，\"of\"convincingimpressivenessofspeech，\"
namely——JuliusFaucher！AllthatismissinginthislistofsourcesistheGartenlaube，KlepdderadatschandtheFusilierKutschke。[PseudonymofaGermanpatrioticpoet-Ed。]
InorderthatnomisunderstandingmayariseconcerningthestandpointofDr。Sax，hedeclaresonpage22：
\"Bysocialeconomywemeanpoliticaleconomyinitsapplicationtosocialquestions;or，toputitmoreprecisely，thetotalityofthewaysandmeanswhichthisscienceoffersusforraisingtheso-called（！）propertylessclassestothelevelofthepropertiedclasses，onthebasisofits’iron’lawswithintheframeworkoftheorderofsocietyatpresentprevailing。\"Weshallnotbothertodealwiththeconfusedideathat\"economics\"or\"Politicaleconomy\"dealsatallwithanyotherthan\"social\"questions。
Letusgetdowntothemainpointimmediately。Dr。Saxdemandsthatthe\"ironlaws\"ofbourgeoiseconomics，the\"frameworkoftheorderofsocietyatpresentprevailing，\"inotherwords，thatthecapitalistmodeofproductionmustcontinuetoexistunchanged，butnevertheless\"theso-calledpropertylessclasses\"aretoberaised\"tothelevelofthepropertiedclasses。\"However，itisanunavoidablepreliminaryconditionofthecapitalistmodeofproductionthatareally，andnotaso-called，propertylessclass，shouldexist，aclasswhichhasnothingtosellbutitslaborpowerandwhichisthereforecompelledtosellitslaborpowertotheindustrialcapitalists。ThetaskofthenewscienceofsocialeconomyinventedbyDr。Saxisthereforetofindwaysandmeans，inastateofsocietyfoundedontheantagonismofcapitalists，ownersofallrawmaterials，instrumentsofproductionandfoodstuffs，ontheonehand，andofpropertylesswageworkers，whoownonlytheirlaborpowerandnothingelse，ontheotherhand，bywhich，insidethissocialorder，allwageworkerscanbeturnedintocapitalistswithoutceasingtobewageworkers。Dr。Saxthinkshehassolvedthisquestion。
PerhapshewouldbesogoodastoshowushowallthesoldiersoftheFrencharmy，eachofwhomcarriesamarshal’sbatoninhisknapsacksincethedaysoftheoldNapoleon，canbeturnedintofieldmarshalswithoutatthesametimeceasingtobeprivatesoldiers？OrhowitcouldbebroughtaboutthatallthefortymillionsubjectsoftheGermanEmpirecouldbemadeintoGermankaisers。
Itistheessenceofbourgeoissocialismtowanttomaintainthebasisofalltheevilsofpresent-daysocietyandatthesametimetowanttoabolishtheevilsthemselves。AsalreadypointedoutinTheCommunistManifesto，thebourgeoissocialist\"isdesirousofredressingsocialgrievancesinordertosecurethecontinuedexistenceofbourgeoissociety，\"hewants\"abourgeoisiewithoutaproletariat。\"WehavealreadyseenthatDr。Saxformulatesthequestioninexactlythesamefashion。Thesolutionhefindsinthesolutionofthehousingquestion。Heisoftheopinionthat\"byimprovingthehousingoftheworkingclassesitwouldbepossiblesuccessfullytoremedythematerialandspiritualmiserywhichhasbeendescribed，andthereby——byaradicalimprovementofthehousingconditionsalone——toraisethegreaterpartoftheseclassesoutofthemorassoftheiroftenhardlyhumanconditionsofexistencetothepureheightsofmaterialandspiritualwell-being。\"（Page14。）Incidentally，itisintheinterestsofthebourgeoisietodisguisethefactoftheexistenceofaproletariatcreatedbythebourgeoisproductionrelationsanddeterminingthecontinuedexistenceoftheseproductionrelations。
And，therefore，Dr。Saxtellsus（page21）thattheexpressionworkingclassesistobeunderstoodasincludingall\"impecunioussocialclasses，\"
\"andingeneral，peopleinasmallway，suchashandicraftsman，widows，pensioners（！），subordinateofficials，etc。，\"aswellasactualworkers。
Bourgeoissocialismextendsitsbandtothepetty-bourgeoisvariety。
Whencethencomesthehousingshortage？Howdiditarise？Asagoodbourgeois，Dr。Saxisnotsupposedtoknowthatitisanecessaryproductofthebourgeoissocialorder;thatitcannotfailtobepresentinasocietyinwhichthegreatmassesoftheworkersareexclusivelydependentuponwages，thatistosay，onthesumoffoodstuffsnecessaryfortheirexistenceandforthepropagationoftheirkind;inwhichimprovementsoftheexistingmachinerycontinuallythrowmassesofworkersoutofemployment;
inwhichviolentandregularlyrecurringindustrialvacillationsdetermineontheonehandtheexistenceofalargereservearmyofunemployedworkers，andontheotherhanddrivelargemassesoftheworkerstemporarilyunemployedontothestreets;inwhichtheworkersarecrowdedtogetherinmassesinthebigtowns，ataquickerratethandwellingscomeintoexistenceforthemunderexistingconditions;inwhich，therefore，theremustalwaysbetenantsevenforthemostinfamouspigsties;andinwhichfinallythehouseownerinhiscapacityascapitalisthasnotonlytheright，but，inviewofthecompetition，toacertainextentalsothedutyofruthlesslymakingasmuchoutofhispropertyinhouserentashepossiblycan。Insuchasocietythehousingshortageisnoaccident;itisanecessaryinstitutionanditcanbeabolishedtogetherwithallitseffectsonhealth，etc。，onlyifthewholesocialorderfromwhichitspringsisfundamentallyrefashioned。
That，however，bourgeoissocialismdarenotknow。Itdarenotexplainthehousingshortagefromtheexistingconditions。Andthereforenothingremainsforitbuttoexplainthehousingshortagebymeansofmoralphrasesastheresultofthebasenessofhumanbeings，astheresultoforiginalsin，sotospeak。
\"Andherewecannotfailtorecognize——andinconsequencewecannotdeny\"（daringconclusion！）——thattheresponsibilityrestspartlywiththeworkersthemselves，thosewhowantdwellings，andpartly，themuchgreaterpartitistrue，withthosewhoundertaketosupplytheneed，orthosewho，althoughtheyhavesufficientmeans，makenoattempttosupplytheneed，viz。，thepropertied，highersocialclasses。Theresponsibilityoftheselastconsistsinthefactthattheydonotmakeittheirbusinesstoprovideforasufficientsupplyofgooddwellings。\"JustasProudhontakesusfromthesphereofeconomicsintothesphereoflegalphrasessoourbourgeoissocialisttakesusfromtheeconomicsphereintothemoralsphere。Andnothingismorenatural。Whoeverdeclaresthatthecapitalistmodeofproduction，the\"ironlaws\"ofpresent-daybourgeoissociety，areinviolable，andyetatthesametimewouldliketoabolishtheirunpleasantbutnecessaryconsequences，hasnootherresourcebuttodelivermoralsermonstothecapitalists，moralsermonswhoseemotionaleffectsimmediatelyevaporateundertheinfluenceofprivateinterestsand，ifnecessary，ofcompetition。Thesemoralsermonsareineffectexactlythesameasthoseofthehenattheedgeofthepondinwhichsheseesthefamilyofducklingsshehashatchedoutgailyswimming。Ducklingstaketothewateralthoughitisnotdryland，andcapitalistsgrabafterprofitalthoughitisheartless。\"Thereisnoroomforsentimentinmoneymatters，\"
wassaidalreadybyoldHansemann，whoknewmoreaboutitthanDr。Sax。
[Hansemann，Prussianfinancierand\"progressive\"politician。HewasFinanceMinisterin1893，andlaterattheheadoftheBankofPrussia。HefoundedtheDiskonto-Gesellschaft。——Ed。]
\"Gooddwellingsaresoexpensivethatitisabsolutelyimpossibleforthegreaterpartoftheworkerstousethem。Bigcapital……
isshyofinvestinginhousesfortheworkingclasses——andasaresulttheseclassesandtheirhousingneedsfallforthegreaterpartintothehandsofspeculators。\"Disgustingspeculation——bigcapitalnaturallyneverspeculates！Butitisnotillwill，itisonlyignorancewhichpreventsbigcapitalfromspeculatinginworkers’houses：
\"Houseownersdonotknowwhatagreatandimportantroleisplayedbyanormalsatisfactionofhousingneeds;theydonotknowwhattheyaredoingtothepeoplewhentheygivethem，asageneralrule，suchirresponsiblybadanddeleteriousdwellings，and，finally，theydonotknowhowtheydamagethemselvesthereby。\"（Page27。）However，theignoranceofthecapitalistsmustbesupplementedbytheignoranceoftheworkersinorderthatthehousingshortagemaybecreated。AfterDr。Saxhasadmittedthat\"Theverylowestsections\"oftheworkers\"areobliged（！）toseekanight’slodgingwhereverandhowevertheycanfinditinordernottoremainaltogetherwithoutshelterandinthisconnectiontheyareabsolutelydefenselessandhelpless，\"hetellsus，\"foritisawell-knownfacthowmanyamongthem（theworkers）fromcarelessness，butchieflyfromignorance，deprivetheirbodies。
Oneisalmostinclinedtosay。withvirtuosity，oftheconditionsofnaturaldevelopmentandhealthyexistence，inthattheyhaveriotthefaintestideaofrationalhygieneand，inparticular，oftheenormousimportanceplayedbythedwellinginthishygiene。\"
（Page27。）Here，however，thebourgeoisdonkey’searsprotrude。Whereas，sofarasthecapitalistsareconcerned，their\"guilt\"disappearsinignorance，wheretheworkersareconcernedignoranceisonlythecauseoftheirguilt。Listen：
\"Thusitcomes（namelythroughignorance）thatiftheycanonlysavesomethingontherenttheywillmoveintodark，dampandinadequatedwellings，whichareinshortamockeryofallthedemandsofhygiene……thatoftenseveralfamiliestogetherrentasingledwelling，indeedevenasingleroom——allthisinordertospendaslittleaspossibleforrent，whileontheotherhandtheysquandertheirincomeinareallysinfulfashionondrinkandallsortsofidlepleasures。\"Themoneywhichtheworkers\"wasteonspiritsandtobacco\"（page28），the\"public-houselifewithallitsregrettableconsequenceswhichdragstheworkersagainandagainlikealeadweightbackintothemire\"liesindeedlikealeadweightinDr。Sax’sstomach。Thefactthatunderexistingcircumstancesdrunkennessamongtheworkersisaninevitableproductoftheirlivingconditions，justasinevitableastyphus，crime，vermin，thebailiffandothersocialills，soinevitableinfactthattheaveragefiguresofthosewhosuccumbtochronicdrunkennesscanbecalculatedinadvance，isagainsomethingthatDr。Saxcannotallowhimselftoknow。Myoldelementaryteacherusedtosay，bytheway：\"Thecommonpeoplegotothepublichousesan’dthepeopleofqualitygototheclubs，\"andasIhavebeeninbothIaminapositiontoconfirmit。
Thewholetalkaboutthe\"ignorance\"ofbothpartiesamountstonothingbuttheoldphrasesabouttheharmonyofinterestsoflaborandcapital。Ifthecapitalistsknewtheirtrueinterests，thentheywouldgivetheworkersgoodhousesandputtheminabetterpositioningeneral，andiftheworkersunderstoodtheirtrueintereststheywouldnotgoonstrike，theywouldnotgoinforSocialDemocracy，theywouldnottakepartinpolitics，butdocilelyfollowtheirsuperiors，thecapitalist。
Unfortunately，bothsidesfindtheirrealinterestsaltogetherelsewherethaninthesermonsofDr。Saxandhisnumerous;predecessors。Thegospelofharmonybetweenlaborandcapitalhasbeenpreachednowforalmostfiftyyears，andbourgeoisphilanthropyhasexpendedlargesumsofmoneytoprovethisharmonyofinterestsbybuildingmodelinstitutions，and，asweshallseelater，wearetodayexactlywherewewerefiftyyearsago。
Ourauthornowproceedstothepracticalsolutionofthe。question。
HowlittlerevolutionaryProudhon’sproposaltomaketheworkersintotheownersoftheirdwellingswas，canbeseenfromthefactthatbourgeoissocialismevenbeforehim。triedtocarryitoutinpracticeandisstilltryingtodoso。Dr。Saxalsodeclaresthatthehousingquestioncanbecompletelysolvedonlybytransferringpropertyindwellingstothehandsoftheworkers。（Pages58and59。）Morethanthat。hefallsintopoeticrapturesattheideaandbreaksoutwiththefollowingflightofenthusiasm：
\"Thereissomethingpeculiaraboutthelonginginmankindtoownland;itisanurgewhichnoteventhefeverishlypulsatingbusinesslifeofthepresentdayhasbeenabletoweaken。Itistheunconsciousappreciationofthesignificanceoftheeconomicachievementrepresentedbylandownership。Withittheindividualobtainsasecurehold;heisrootedfirmlyintheearth，andeveryeconomy（！）hasitsmostpermanentbasisinit。However，theblessingsoflandownershipextendfarbeyondthesematerialadvantages。Whoeverisfortunateenoughtocallapieceoflandhisownhasreachedthehighestconceivablestageofeconomicindependence;hehasaterrainonwhichhecanrulewithsovereignpower;heishisownmaster;hehasacertainpowerandasecureguaranteeintimeofneed;hisself-confidencedevelopsandwiththishismoralpower。Andfromthiscomesthedeepsignificanceofpropertyinthequestionbeforeus……Theworker，todayhelplesslyexposedtoallthechangingcircumstancesofeconomiclife，andinconstantdependenceonhisemployer，wouldtherebyberescuedtoacertainextentfromthisprecarioussituation;hewouldbecomeacapitalistandbesafeguardedagainstthedangersofunemploymentorincapacitytowork，asaresultoftherealestatecreditwhichwouldtherebybeopentohim。Hewouldtherebyberaisedoutoftheranksofthepropertylessintotheclassofthepropertyowners。\"（Page63。）Dr。Saxseemstoassumethatmanisessentiallyapeasant，otherwisehewouldnotascribetotheworkersofourbigcitiesalongingforpropertyinland，alongingwhichnooneelsehasdiscovered。Forourworkersinthebigcitiesfreedomofmovementisthefirstconditionoftheirexistence，andlandownershipcouldonlybeahindrancetothem。Givethemtheirownhouses，chainthemonceagaintothesoilandyoubreaktheirpowerofresistancetothewagecuttingofthefactoryowners。Theindividualworkermightbeabletosellhishouseonoccasion，butduringabigstrikeorageneralindustrialcrisisallthehousesbelongingtotheaffectedworkerswouldhavetocomeontothemarketforsaleandwouldthereforefindnopurchasersorbesoldofffarbelowtheircostprice。Andeveniftheyallfoundpurchasers，thewholegreatsolutionofthehousingquestionofDr。Saxwouldhavecometonothingandhewouldhavetostartfromthebeginningagain。However，poetsliveinaworldoffantasy，andsodoesDr。Sax，whoimaginesthatalandownerhas\"reachedthehighest……stageofeconomicindependence，\"thathehas\"asecurehold，\"thathehas\"becomeacapitalistand……safeguardedagainstthedangersofunemploymentorincapacitytowork，asaresultoftherealestatecreditwhichwouldtherebybeopentohim，\"etc。Dr。SaxshouldtakealookattheFrenchpeasantsandatourownsmallpeasantsintheRhineland;theirhousesandfieldsareloadeddownwithmortgages，theirharvestsbelongtotheircreditorsbeforetheyarebroughtin，anditisnottheywhorulewithsovereignpowerontheir\"terrain\"buttheusurer，thelawyerandthebailiff。Thatcertainlyrepresentsthehighestconceivablestageofeconomicindependence——fortheusurer！Andinorderthattheworkersmaybringtheirlittlehousesasquicklyaspossibleunderthesamesovereigntyoftheusurer，ourwell-meaningDr。Saxcarefullypointstotherealestatecreditwhichtheycanmakeuseofintimesofunemploymentorincapacitytoworkinsteadofbecomingaburdenonthepoorrate。
Inanycase，Dr。Saxhassolvedthequestionraisedinthebeginning：
theworker\"becomesacapitalist\"byacquiringhisownlittlehouse。
Capitalisthecommandovertheunpaidlaborofothers。Thehouseoftheworkercanonlybecomecapitalthereforeifherentsittoathirdpersonandappropriatesapartofthelaborproductofthisthirdpersonintheformofrent。Bythefactthattheworkerlivesinithimselfthehouseispreventedfrombecomingcapital，justasacoatceasestobecapitalthemomentIbuyitfromthetailorandputiton。Theworkerwhoownsalittlehousetothevalueofathousandtalersiscertainlynolongeraproletarian，butonemustbeDr。Saxtocallhimacapitalist。
However，thecapitalistcharacterofourworkerhasstillanotherside。Letusassumethatina’givenindustrialareaithasbecometherulethateachworkerownshisownlittlehouse。Inthiscasetheworkingclassofthatarealivesrentfree;expensesforrentnolongerenterintothevalueofitslaborpower。Everyreductioninthecostofproductionoflaborpower，thatistosay，everypermanentpricereductionintheworker’snecessitiesoflifeisequivalent\"onthebasisoftheironlawsofpoliticaleconomy\"toareductioninthevalueoflaborpowerandwillthereforefinallyresultinacorrespondingfallinwages。Wageswouldfallonanaveragecorrespondingtotheaveragesumsavedonrent，thatis，theworkerwouldpayrentforhisownhouse，butnot，asformerly，inmoneytothehouseowner，butinunpaidlabortothefactoryownerforwhomheworks。Inthiswaythesavingsoftheworkerinvestedinhislittlehousewouldcertainlybecomecapitaltosomeextent，butnotcapitalforhim，butforthecapitalistemployinghim。
Dr。Saxisthusunabletosucceedevenonpaperinturninghisworkerintoacapitalist。
Incidentally，whathasbeensaidaboveappliestoallso-calledsocialreformswhichaimatsavingorcheapeningthemeansofsubsistenceoftheworker。Eithertheybecomegeneralandthentheyarefollowedbyacorrespondingreductionofwages，ortheyremainquiteisolatedexperiments，and-thentheirveryexistenceasisolatedexceptionsprovesthattheirrealizationonageneralscaleisincompatiblewiththeexistingcapitalistmodeofproduction。Letusassumethatinacertainareaageneralintroductionofconsumers’co-operativessucceedsinreducingthecostoffoodstuffsfortheworkersby20percent;inthelongrunwageswouldfallinthatareabyapproximately20percent，thatistosay，inthesameproportionasthefoodstuffsinquestionenterintothemeansofsubsistenceoftheworkers。Iftheworker，forexample，spendsthree-quartersofhisweeklywageonthesefoodstuffs，thenwageswouldfinallyfallbythree-quartersof20=15percent。Inshort，assoonasanysuchsavingsreformhasbecomegeneral，theworkerreceivesinthesameproportionlesswages，ashissavingspermithimtolivecheaper。Giveeveryworkerasaved，independentincomeof52talersayearandhisweeklywagemustfinallyfallbyonetaler。Therefore：themorehesavesthelesshewillreceiveinwages。
Hesavesthereforenotinhisowninterests，butintheinterestsofthecapitalist。Isanythingelsenecessaryinorder\"tostimulateinthemostpowerfulfashiontheprimaryeconomicvirtue，thrift\"？（Page64。）
Fortherest，HerrSaxtellsusimmediatelyafterwardsthattheworkersaretobecomehouseownersnotsomuchintheirowninterestsasintheinterestsofthecapitalists：
\"However。notonlytheworkingclass。butsocietyasawholehasthegreatestinterestinseeingasmanyofitsmembersaspossiblebound（！）totheland\"（IshouldliketoseeDr。Saxhimselfinthisposition。）\"……Allthesecretforceswhichsetonfirethevolcanocalledthesocialquestionwhichglowsunderourfeet，theproletarianbitterness，thehatred……thedangerousconfusionofideas……mustdisappearlikemistbeforethemorningsunwhen……
theworkersthemselvesenterinthisfashionintotheranksofthepropertyowners。\"（Page65。）Inotherwords，HerrSaxhopesthatbyanalterationoftheirproletarianstatussuchaswouldbebroughtaboutbytheacquisitionofhouseproperty，theworkerswouldalsolosetheirproletariancharacterandbecomeonceagainobedienttoadiesliketheirforefatherswhowerealsohouseowners。
TheProudhonistsshouldtakethattoheart。
HerrSaxbelieveshehastherebysolvedthesocialproblem：
\"Ajusterdistributionofgoods，theriddleoftheSphinxwhichsomanyhavealreadytriedinvaintosolve，doesitnotnowliebeforeusasatangiblefact，hasitnottherebybeentakenfromtheregionofidealsandbroughtintotherealmofreality？Andifitiscarriedoutisnottherebyoneofthehighestaimsachieved，onewhicheventhesocialistsoftheextremisttendencypresentastheculminatingpointoftheirtheories？\"（Page66。）Itisreallyluckythatwehaveworkedourwaythroughasfarasthis，becausethisshoutoftriumphistheculminatingpointofHerrSax’sbook，andafterthatitgentlydescendsfrom\"theregionofideals\"intoinsipidreality，andwhenwehavedescendedweshallfindthatnothing，nothingatall，haschangedinourabsence。
Ourleadercausesustotakethefirststepdownwardsbyinformingusthattherearetwosystemsofworkers’dwellings：thecottagesysteminwhicheachworking-classfamilyhasitsownlittlehouseandifpossiblealittlegardenaswell，asinEngland;andthebarracksystemoflargebuildingscontainingnumerousworkers’dwellings，asinParis，Vienna，etc。BetweenthetwoisthesystemusualinNorthernGermany。Nowitistruethatthecottagesystemissaidtobetheonlycorrectone，andtheonlyonewherebytheworkercouldacquiretheownershipofhisownhouse，whilefurtherthebarracksystemhasverygreatdisadvantageswithregardtohygiene，moralityanddomesticpeace——butunfortunatelythecottagesystemisnotrealizablejustinthecentresofthehousingshortage，inthebigcities，onaccountofthehighpriceofland，andoneshouldthereforebegladifhouseswerebuiltcontainingfromfourtosixdwellingsinsteadofbigbarracks，oratleastthedisadvantagesofthebigtenementsystemmadeupforbyvariousbuildingrefinements。（Pages71-92。）
Wehavedescendedquitealongwayalready，havewenot？Thetransformationoftheworkersintocapitalists，thesolutionofthesocialquestion，ahouseofhisownforeachworker，allthesethingshavebeenleftbehind，upabovein\"theregionofideals。\"Allthatremainsforustodoistointroducethecottagesystemintothecountryareasandtomaketheworkers’
barracksinthetownsastolerableaspossible。
Onitsownadmission，therefore，thebourgeoissolutionofthehousingquestionhascometogrief-ithascometogriefowingtotheantithesisoftownandcountry。Andwiththiswehavearrivedatthekerneloftheproblem。Thehousingquestioncanonlybesolvedwhensocietyhasbeensufficientlytransformedforastarttobemadetowardsabolishingtheantithesisbetweentownandcountry，whichhasbeenbroughttoanextremepointbypresent-daycapitalistsociety。Farfrombeingabletoabolishthisantithesis，capitalistsocietyonthecontraryiscompelledtointensifyitdaybyday。Ontheotherhandthefirstmodernutopiansocialists，OwenandFourier，alreadycorrectlyrecognizedthis。Intheirmodelplanstheantithesisbetweentownandcountrynolongerexists。ConsequentlytheretakesplaceexactlythecontraryofthatwhichHerrSaxcontends;itisnotthesolutionofthehousingquestionwhichsimultaneouslysolvesthesocialquestion，butonlybythesolutionofthesocialquestion，thatis，bytheabolitionofthecapitalistmodeofproduction，isthesolutionofthehousingquestionmadepossible。Towanttosolvethehousingquestionwhileatthesametimedesiringtomaintainthemodernbigcitiesisanabsurdity。Themodernbigcities，however，willbeabolishedonlybytheabolitionofthecapitalistmodeofproduction，andwhenthisisonceonthewaythentherewillbequiteotherthingtodothansupplyingeachworkerwithalittlehouseforhisownpossession。
Inthebeginning，however，eachsocialrevolutionwillhavetotakethingsasitfindsthemanddoitsbesttogetridofthemostcryingevilswiththemeansatitsdisposal。Andwehavealreadyseenthatthehousingshortagecanberemediedimmediatelybyexpropriatingapartoftheluxurydwellingsbelongingtothepropertiedclassesandbyquarteringworkersintheremainingpart。
Continuing，HerrSaxoncemoreleavesthebigcitiesanddeliversalengthyverbosediscourseuponworkingclasscoloniestobeestablishednearthetowns;hedescribesallthebeautiesofsuchcolonieswiththeirjoint’\"watersupply，gaslighting，airorhotwaterheating，washhouses，dryingrooms，bathrooms，etc。，\"withtheir\"creche，school，prayerhall（！），readingroom，library……wineandbeerhall，dancingandconcerthallinallrespectability，\"withsteampowerlaidontoallthehousessothat\"toacertainextentproductioncanberelayedfromthefactoryintodomesticworkshops\";butthisdoesnotalterthesituationatall。
ThecolonyHerrSaxdescribeshasbeendirectlyborrowedbyMr。HuberfromthesocialistsOwenandFourierandmerelymadeentirelybourgeoisbydiscardingeverythingsocialistaboutthem。Thereby，however，itbecomesreallyutopian。
Nocapitalisthasanyinterestinestablishingsuchcolonies，andinfactnonesuchexistsanywhereintheworld，exceptinGuiseinFranceandthatwasbuiltbyafollowerofFourier，notasprofitablespeculationbutasasocialistexperiment。[Andthisonealsobasfinallybecomeamerecentreofworkingclassexploitation。（SeetheParisSocialisteof1886。）——NotebyF。EngelstothesecondGermanedition。]HerrSaxmightjustaswellhavequotedinsupportofbigbourgeoisproject-spinningtheexampleofthecommunistcolony\"HarmonyHall\"foundedbyOweninHampshireatthebeginningofthe’fortiesandlongsincedefunct。
Inanycase，allthistalkaboutcolonizationisnothingmorethanalameattempttosoaragaininto\"theregionofideals\"anditisimmediatelyafterwardsagainabandoned。Wedescendrapidlyagain。Thesimplestsolutionthenis\"thattheemployers，thefactoryowners，shouldassisttheworkerstoobtainsuitabledwellings，whethertheydosobybuildingsuchthemselvesorbyencouragingandassistingtheworkerstodotheirownbuildingandbyprovidingthemwithland，advancingthembuildingcapital，etc。\"（Page106。）Withthisweareonceagainoutofthebigtownswheretherecanbenoquestionofanythingofthesortandbackinthecountry。HerrSaxthenprovesthathereitisintheinterestsofthefactoryownersthemselvesthattheyshouldassisttheirworkerstoobtaintolerabledwellings，ontheonehandbecauseitisagoodinvestment，andontheotherhandbecausetheinevitable\"resultingupliftoftheworkers……mustresultinanincreaseoftheirmentalandphysicalworkingcapacity，whichnaturally——noless——isofadvantagetotheemployers。Withthis，however，therightpointofviewfortheparticipationofthelatterinthesolutionofthehousingquestionisgiven;itappearsastheoutcomeofalatentassociation，astheoutcomeofthecareoftheemployersforthephysicalandeconomic，mentalandmoralwell-beingoftheirworkers，whichisconcealedforthemostpartunderthecloakofhumanitarianeffortsandwhichisitsownpecuniaryrewardbecauseofitsresultsinproducingandmaintainingadiligent，skilled，willing，contentedanddevotedworkingclass。\"（Page108。）Thephrase\"latentassociation\"，withwhichHuberattemptstoimposeonthisbourgeoisphilanthropicdrivel\"ahighersignificance，\"doesnotalterthesituationatall。Evenwithoutthisphrasethebigruralfactoryowners，particularlyinEngland，havelongagorecognizedthatthebuildingofworkers’dwellingsisnotonlyanecessity，apartofthefactoryequipmentitself，butalsothatitpaysverywell。InEnglandwholevillageshavegrownupinthisway，andsomeofthemhavelaterdevelopedintotowns。
Theworkers，however，insteadofbeingthankfultothephilanthropiccapitalists，havealwaysraisedveryconsiderableobjectionstothis\"cottagesystem。\"
Notonlyaretheycompelledtopaymonopolypricesforthesehousesbecausethefactoryownerhasnocompetitors，butimmediatelyastrikebreaksouttheyarehomeless，becausethefactoryownerthrowsthemoutofhishouseswithoutanymoreadoandthusrendersanyresistancedifficult。
FurtherdetailscanbestudiedinmyConditionoftheWorkingClassinEngland，pp。184and256。HerrSax，however，thinksthattheseobjections\"hardlydeserverefutation。\"（Page111。）Butdoeshenotwanttomaketheworkertheownerofhisdwelling？Certainly，but，as\"theemployersmustalwaysbeinapositiontodisposeofthedwellinginorderthatwhentheydismissaworkertohaveroomfortheonewhoreplaceshim，\"wellthen，thereisnothingforitbut\"tomakesomeprovisionforsuchcasesbyagreementfortherevocationofownership。\"（Page11。3。）
[Inthisrespectalso。theEnglishcapitalistshavelongagonotonlyfulfilledbutfarexceededallthecherishedwishesofHerrSax。OnMonday，October14，1872，thecourtinMorpethhadtoadjudicateonanapplicationonbehalfof2，000minerstohavetheirnamesenrolledonthelistofparliamentaryvoters。Ittranspiredthatthegreaternumberoftheseminers，accordingtotheregulationsofthemineatwhichtheywereemployed，werenottoberegardedastenantsofthedwellingsinwhichtheylived，but，asoccupyingthesedwellingsonsufferance，andtheycouldbethrownoutofthematanymomentwithoutnotice。（Thelandownerandhouseownerwerenaturallyoneandthesameper-on。）Thejudgedecidedthatthesemenwerenottenantsbutservants，andthereforeassuchnotentitledtobeincludedinthelistofvoters。（DailyNews，October15，1872。）——NotebyF。Engels。]
II
Thistimewehavecomedownwithunexpectedsuddenness。Firstitwassaidtheworkermustownhisownlittlehouse。Thenweareinformedthatthisisimpossibleinthetownsandcanbecarriedoutonlyin-thecountry。
Andnowwearetoldthatownershipeveninthecountryistobe\"revocablebyagreement\"！WiththisnewsortofpropertyfortheworkersdiscoveredbyHerrSax，withthistransformationoftheworkersintocapitalists\"revocablebyagreement，\"wehavesafelyarrivedagainonfirmground，andhaveheretoexaminewhatthecapitalistsandotherphilanthropistshaveactuallydonetosolvethehousingquestion。
IfwearetobelieveourworthyDr。Sax，muchhasalreadybeendonebyMessieursthecapitaliststoremedythehousingshortage;andtheproofhasbeenprovidedthatthehousingquestioncanbesolvedonthebasisofthecapitalistmodeofproduction。
Aboveall，HerrSaxquotesustheexampleof——BonapartistFrance！
Asisknown，LouisBonaparteappointedacommissionatthetimeoftheParisWorldExhibitionostensiblytoreportuponthesituationoftheworkingclassesinFrance，butinrealitytodescribetheirsituationasblissfulintheextreme，tothegreatergloryoftheEmpire。Anditistothisreport，drawnupbyacommissioncomposedofthecorruptesttoolsofBonapartism，thatHerrSaxrefers，particularlybecausetheresultsofitsworkare\"accordingtothecommittee’sownstatementfairlycompleteforFrance。\"
Andwhataretheseresults？Ofeighty-ninebigindustrialistsorjoint-stockcompanieswhichgaveinformationtothecommission，thirty-onehadbuiltnoworkers’dwellingsatall。AccordingtotheestimateofDr。Saxhimself，thedwellingsthatwerebuilthouseatthemostfrom50，000to60，000people，andthedwellingsthemselvesconsistalmostexclusivelyofnomorethantworoomsforeachfamily。
Itisobviousthateverycapitalistwhoistieddowntoaparticularruraldistrictbytheconditionsofhisindustry——waterpower，thepositionofcoalmines，iron-stonedepositsandothermines，etc。——mustbuilddwellingsforhisworkersifnoneareavailable。Toseeinthisaproofof\"latentassociation，\"\"aneloquenttestimonytoagrowingunderstandingofthequestionanditswideimport，\"a\"verypromisingbeginning\"（page115），allthisdemandsaveryhighlydevelopedhabitofself-deception。
Fortherest，theindustrialistsofthevariouscountriesdifferfromeachotherinthisrespectalsoaccordingtonationalcharacter。Forinstance，HerrSaxinformsus（page117）：
\"InEnglandonlyrecentlyhasincreasedactivityonthepartofemployersinthisdirectionbeenobservable。Thisrefersinparticulartothemoreoutofthewayhamletsintheruralareas……Thecircumstancethatotherwisetheworkersoftenhavetowalkalongwayfromthenearestvillagetothefactoryandarrivetheresoexhaustedthattheydonotperformenoughworkisthechiefreasonwhichfurnishestheemployerswiththemotiveforbuildingdwellingsfortheirworkers。However，thenumberofthosewhohaveadeeperunderstandingofconditionsandwhocombinewiththecauseofhousingreformmoreorlessalltheotherelementsoflatentassociationisalsoincreasing，anditisthesepeopletowhomcreditisduefortheestablishmentofthoseflourishingcolonies……ThenamesofAshtoninTiyde，AshworthinTuxton，GrantinBury，GreginBollington，MarshallinLeeds，StrattinBelper，SaltinSaltaire，AckroidinCopley，andothersareknownonthisaccountthroughouttheUnitedKingdom。\"Blessedsimplicityandstillmoreblessedignorance！TheEnglishruralfactoryownershave\"onlyrecently\"beguntobuildworkers’dwellings！
No，mydearHerrSax，theEnglishcapitalistsarereallybigindustrialists，notonlyasregardstheirpurses，butalsoasregardstheirbrains。LongbeforeGermanypossessedareallylarge-scaleindustry，theyhadrealizedthatforfactoryproductionintheruraldistrictsexpenditureonworkers’
dwellingswasanecessarypartofthetotalinvestmentofcapitalandaveryprofitableone，bothdirectlyandindirectly。LongbeforethestrugglebetweenBismarckandtheGermanbourgeoisiehadgiventheGermanworkersfreedomofassociation，theEnglishfactory，mineandfoundryownershadhadpracticalexperienceofthepressuretheycouldexertonstrikingworkersiftheywereatthesametimethelandlordsofthoseworkers。The\"flourishingcolonies\"ofGreg，AshtonandAshworthareso\"recent\"thatevenfortyyearsagotheywerehailedbythebourgeoisieasmodelexamples，asImyselfdescribedtwenty-eightyearsago。（TheConditionoftheWorkingClassinEngland，Noteonpage186。）ThecoloniesofMarshallandAkroyd（thatishowthemanspellshisname）areaboutasold，andthecolonyofStruttismucholder，itsbeginningsreachingbackintothelastcentury。SinceinEnglandtheaveragedurationofaworker’sdwellingisreckonedasfortyyears，HerrSaxcancalculateonhisfingersthedilapidatedconditioninwhichthese\"flourishingcolonies\"aretoday。Inaddition，themajorityofthesecoloniesarenownolongerinthecountryside。Thecolossalexpansionofindustryhassurroundedmostofthemwithfactoriesandhousestosuchanextentthattheyarenowsituatedinthemiddleofdirty，smokytownswith20，000，30，000，andmoreinhabitants。ButallthisdoesnotpreventGermanbourgeoisscience，asrepresentedbyHerrSax，fromdevoutlyrepeatingtodaytheoldEnglishpaeansofpraiseof184，0，whichnolongerhaveanyapplication。
AndtogiveusoldAkroydasanexample！Thisworthywascertainlyaphilanthropistofthefirstwater。Helovedhisworkers，andinparticularhisfemaleemployees，tosuchanextentthathislessphilanthropiccompetitorsinYorkshireusedtosayofhimthatheranhisfactoriesexclusivelywithhisownchildren！ItistruethatDr。Saxcontendsthat\"illegitimatechildrenarebecomingmoreandmorerare\"intheseflourishingcolonies。（Page118。）
Yes，thatistruesofarasitreferstoillegitimatechildrenbornoutofwedlock，forintheEnglishindustrialdistrictstheprettygirlsmarryveryyoung。
