themselves
thought proper.

On the other hand, a hundred miners having taken twenty days to extract
eight thousand tons of coal, coal would be worth two hours a ton, and
the sixteen thousand cheques of one hour each, received by the Guild of
Miners, would be divided among their members according to their own
appreciation.

If the miners protested and said that a ton of steel should only cost
six hours' work instead of eight; if the professor wished to have his
day paid four times more than the nurse, then the State would interfere
and would settle their differences.

Such is, in a few words, the organization the collectivists wish to see
arise out of the Social Revolution. As we see, their principles are:
Collective property of the instruments of production, and remuneration
to each according to the time spent in producing, while taking into
account the productivity of his labour. As to the political system, it
would be the Parliamentary system, modified by _positive instructions_
given to those elected, and by the _Referendum_--a vote, taken by _noes_
or _ayes_ by the nation.

Let us own that this system appears to us simply unrealizable.

Collectivists begin by proclaiming a revolutionary principle--the
abolition of private property--and then they deny it, no sooner than
proclaimed, by upholding an organization of production and consumption
which originated in private property.

They proclaim a revolutionary principle, and ignore the consequences
that this principle will inevitably bring about. They forget that the
very fact of abolishing individual property in the instruments of
work--land, factories, road, capital--must launch society into
absolutely new channels; must completely overthrow the present system of
production, both in its aim as well as in its means; must modify daily
relations between individuals, as soon as land, machinery, and all other
instruments of production are considered common property.

They say, "No private property," and immediately after strive to
maintain private property in its daily manifestations. "You shall be a
Commune as far as regards production: fields, tools, machinery, all that
has been invented up till now--factories, railways, harbours, mines,
etc., all are yours. Not the slightest distinction will be made
concerning the share of each in this collective property.

"But from to-morrow you will minutely debate the share you are going to
take in the creation of new mac