seven-hour
day with success. The attempts to do so in Belgium and England are
well known. Some advanced political economists who have studied the
subject, declare that a five-hour day would suffice. The Society of
Jews and the Jewish Company will, in any case, make new and extensive
experiments which will benefit the other nations of the world; and if
the seven-hour day proves itself practicable, it will be introduced in
our future State as the legal and regular working day.
Meantime, the Company will always allow its employees the seven-hour
day; and it will always be in a position to do so.
The seven-hour day will be the call to summon our people in every part
of the world. All must come voluntarily, for ours must indeed be the
Promised Land....
Whoever works longer than seven hours receives his additional pay for
overtime in cash. Seeing that all his needs are supplied, and that
those members of his family who are unable to work are provided for by
transplanted and centralized philanthropic institutions, he can save a
little money. Thrift, which is already a characteristic of our people,
should be greatly encouraged, because it will, in the first place,
facilitate the rise of individuals to higher grades; and secondly, the
money saved will provide an immense reserve fund for future loans.
Overtime will only be permitted on a doctor's certificate, and must
not exceed three hours. For our men will crowd to work in the new
country, and the world will see then what an industrious people we
are.
I shall not describe the mode of carrying out the Truck system, nor,
in fact, the innumerable details of any process, for fear of confusing
my readers. Women will not be allowed to perform any arduous labor,
nor to work overtime.
Pregnant women will be relieved of all work, and will be supplied with
nourishing food by the Truck. We want our future generations to be
strong men and women.
We shall educate children as we wish from the commencement; but this I
shall not elaborate either.
My remarks on workmen's dwellings, and on unskilled laborers and their
mode of life, are no more Utopian than the rest of my scheme.
Everything I have spoken of is already being put into practice, only
on an utterly small scale, neither noticed nor understood. The
"Assistance par le Travail," which I learned to know and understand in
Paris, was of great service to me in the solution of the Jewish
question.
RELIEF BY LABOR
The
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