The house of Industry : a new estate of the realm

28 THE HOUSE OF INDUSTRY

This homely little story leads to large conclusions. If the House of Industry accepts as its responsibility the control and co-ordination of industry, it follows that it must also accept responsibility for the maintenance of all the workers in every industry and trade. Each industry must maintain its quota of employees.

From this follows another conclusion of great magnitude.

If all the workers are to be maintained, in or out of employment, in good or bad health, then the present structure of health and unemployment insurance must in the course of time disappear. And a good thing too. For unemployment benefit was originally imposed upon us to stabilise wages at a competitive and not an equitable standard. The wage-earner pays for it, in part by a reduced wage ; in part by indirect taxation. Thus the dog lives on its own vanishing fat, while the political vets stand round surprised and pained at its loss of weight and diminished vitality.

DEMOCRACY AND NOSES

It is proposed to elect the House of Industry by a vertical or industrial vote. ‘‘Vertical’’ is used in contrast with the horizontal or political vote and to imply election by groups differently graded in the industrial hierarchy. From the bottom to the top, so to speak. The end sought is to secure adequate representation of every economic group. Thus selection is blended with election and the