Manual of References and Exercises in Economics for Use with Volume II. Modern Economic Problems
CHAPTER 31
SOME ASPECTS OF SOCIALISM
REFERENCES.
_Brooks, J. G._, The problem of syndicalism. A. E. Rev., 4 (no. 1, supp.): 115-130. 1914. Round table discussion of above, 131-157.
_Clark, J. B._, Social justice without socialism. 1914.
_Ensor, R. C. K._, (Ed.), Modern socialism. 2d ed., 1907. (Selections from socialistic sources.)
_Gladden, Washington_, Tools and the man. 1893. (One example of a large number of American books appealing for the application of Christian ethics to social questions.)
_Hillquit, M._, History of socialism in the United States. 1903.
_Hillquit, M._, Socialism in theory and practice. 1909.
_Hinds, W. A._, American communities. 2d ed., 1908. (Describes many experiments, all failures; by a sympathizer with socialism.)
_Kirkup, T._, Inquiry into socialism. 3d ed., 1907. (A sympathetic, but not a partizan statement.)
_Lockwood, G. B._, The New Harmony movement. 2d ed., 1907.
_Martin, John_, An attempt to define socialism. A. E. Assn. Bul., 4th ser., 1 (no. 2): 347-354. 1911. Round table discussion of above, 355-367.
_Menger, A._, The right to the whole produce of labor. Trans. 1899. (Masterly criticism.)
_Rae, John_, Contemporary socialism. 3d ed., 1901. (Standard work by a non-socialist.)
_Schaeffle, A._, The quintessence of socialism. Ed., 1898. (Exposition by a non-socialist, so favorable that it is used by the socialists as a tract.)
_Spahr, C. B._, Present distribution of wealth in the United States. 1896.
_Spargo, John_, Socialism. 1906. (Pro.)
_Walling, W. E._, Socialism as it is. 1912. (Pro.)
_Walling, W. E._, and others, The socialism of to-day. 1916. (A source book.)
_Watkins, G. P._, Growth of large fortunes. 1907.
_Wells, H. G._, New worlds for old. 1908. (An appeal for juster distribution; Fabian school.)
QUESTIONS.
1. In the last analysis is there anyone--retired capitalist or unskilled day-worker--whose title to the real income he receives is derived solely from the property he owns, or solely from the labor he performs?
2. What is it to earn a living? How many people do it?
3. If capital is needed in production why is the question of justice raised when its use is paid for?
4. What is the doctrine of economic harmonies? Give three examples (distinct in kind) in modern legislation which run counter to this doctrine, with the justification for each of these.
5. Define charity. Apply the general principles of charity to free schools, free libraries, and free clothing to school children.
6. What is economic freedom? How different from political freedom?
7. Is custom a better regulator of economic action than competition?
8. What are vested rights? Do they ever stand in the way of progress? Examples.
9. Distinguish between the socialistic and the competitive principles of distribution.
10. What classes of thinkers are most inclined to take up socialism? (Classes considered socially, industrially, as to race, as to economic and historical training.)
11. If socialism reduced the total product, would it still be desirable because of the better distribution?
12. What effect would it have if the state should make laborers work for unsuccessful employers at lower wages than for successful ones? Or should reduce rents for the less capable merchants and manufacturers?
13. Is there any rule for determining the limits of state interference?
14. If you had the power, what single public measure that you believe would be practicable and effective would you put on the statute books, in order to make a juster division of the social income? Give reasons.
15. The wealth of the United States increased from $7,000,000,000 in 1850 to $188,000,000,000 in 1912. How was this wealth distributed according to (a) the socialistic theory of value? (b) the single tax theory? (c) the theory of value under competitive conditions?
16. What are the chief ways in which the rule of competitive value has been nullified in this period.
17. Would socialism guarantee steadiness or regularity in economic activity, thus eliminating the phenomena of economic crises and depressions?
18. In what way does taxation now shift the distribution of real incomes as among persons? By what other methods and in what degree could such taxation be extended?
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TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES
1. All errors and inconsistencies in spelling, punctuation, italicization have been retained, except as noted below.
2. On p. 9, the title 'The geography of commerce' had a lower case 't' in 'The' in the original.
3. On p. 10, the question 'What is meant by the "Factory System"?' appeared in the original as 'What is meant by the "Factory System."'
4. On p. 12, the question 'What are the principal things besides money uses that cause a demand for gold and silver?' had a full stop (period) instead of a question mark in the original.
5. On p. 15, in the phrase 'piece of the same denomination' the original had 'demonination'.
6. On p. 17, in the reference to 'chs. VI, VII, XIII.', the name 'Phillips' was not italicized in the original.
7. In the table at the top of p. 18 labelled 'Average prices for', there was no comma after 'Wool' in the original.
8. On p. 18 the penultimate sentence in question 7, with the phrase 'weighting affect your first', lacked a question mark in the original.
9. On p. 21 question 9, about 'Two men A and B', had 'transacton' instead of 'transaction' in the original.
10. On p. 23, question 17, 'Suppose that this bank...', had two full stops (periods) instead of one after '$102'.
11. On p. 38, the hanging indent after the reference beginning 'Virtue,' was a regular indent in the original.
12. On p. 42, in the reference beginning 'United States', the abbreviation 'Bul.' was italicized in the original, although it was not italicized in its other occurrences.
13. On p. 44, the word 'and' in the reference beginning 'Warren, B.' was italicized in the original.
14. On p. 46, the hanging indent after the reference to 'The work of rural organization' was a normal indent in the original.
15. On p. 47, the author of 'Tenancy in the southern states', B. H. Hibbard, was shown as H. E. Hibbard in the original.
16. On p. 49, the question 'How do urban and rural...' had a full stop (period) instead of a question mark in the original.
17. On p. 53, presumably either the phrase 'these five plants produced 75 per cent.' was meant to be 'these five plants produced 25 per cent.' or the phrase 'the remaining 75 per cent.' was meant to be 'the remaining 25 per cent.'
18. On p. 55, the initials of LeRossignol were not italicized in the original.
19. On p. 56, the phrase 'its prices elsewhere' was 'its prices elsewere' in the original.
20. On p. 58, in the question about the 'doctrine of economic harmonies', the word 'justification' was 'justificaton' in the original.
21. On p. 59, the question about 'unsuccessful employers' had 'unsuccesful' in the original.
22. The phrase 'land owners' occurs once in the text; the word 'land-owners', broken across lines, occurs once. This discrepancy has been retained, with the word 'land-owners' rather than 'landowners' being arbitrarily chosen for the latter.