The Next Step: A Plan for Economic World Federation

Chapter 15

Chapter 15328 wordsPublic domain

units, engaged in activities that fell within one of the main divisions of industry. It would be the judge of its own economic affairs and would be autonomous in all matters affecting only the district.

3. SUGGESTIONS FOR THE ORGANIZATION OF A GEOGRAPHIC DIVISION WITHIN A GIVEN INDUSTRIAL OR OCCUPATIONAL GROUP.

a. The division would consist of a convenient geographic area, in so far as possible contiguous and closely bound together by transport facilities, related economic interests, etc. North America, South America, South Africa, and Mediterranean Basin, Northern Europe, Northern Asia, Eastern Asia, Southern Asia, and Australia might be agreed upon as such divisions.

b. The organization of the division is, in the main, a replica of the organization of the district, with two exceptions:

A. The scope of the organization is limited geographically to the division in question, and covers all of this division, whereas the district organization includes a group of local economic units, which are not necessarily contiguous, and are in no particular geographic relation to one another. While the district organization is strictly industrial, the divisional organization is industrial and geographic.

B. The organization is definitely limited to the major occupational groups, each of the groups covering the whole of the division. Hence there would be, in each division, a division organization of transport workers, a division organization of agricultural workers, a division organization of those engaged in manufacturing and so on, making a divisional organization for each of the major industrial groups. A district might comprise only one branch of an industry such as textile manufacturing or electric transport. All of these districts would be included, however, in the particular divisional organization with which they would logically affiliate. Thus there might be a district organization for the textile workers of Lyons and vicinity, and another district organization for the metal workers of St. Etienne and vicinity. Both districts would be included in the divisional organization of the manufacturing industries of the Mediterranean Basin.