op which an army of them have
been sacrificed under capitalism by the capitalists; this which the
workers of ages and ages have contributed their mite towards; have
laboured long and suffered silently to create; this is an
evil!!!"[343]

British Socialists do their utmost to convert the workers into
shirkers by teaching them not only that work is an evil in itself, but
by constantly admonishing them, "on scientific grounds," to work as
little as possible during the time they are employed. "It is the
interest of the employer to get as much work out of his hands as
possible for as little wages as possible. It is the interest of the
workers to get as high a wage as possible for as little labour as
possible."[344] "The workers have been taught by the practical
economists of the trade-unions, and have learnt for themselves by
bitter experience, that every time any of them in a moment of ambition
or good will does one stroke of work not in his bond, he is increasing
the future unpaid labour not only of himself, but of his
fellows."[345]

The Independent Labour Party has issued a leaflet entitled "Are you a
Socialist?" in which the question occurs, "Do you believe that every
individual should have sufficient leisure to cultivate his higher
faculties and enjoy life to the fullest extent?" and the answer is,
"If you say 'Yes,' join the Independent Labour Party and help to carry
its principles into effect."[346]

Many Socialists promise the workers that the Socialist State of the
future will abolish the curse of work by greatly diminishing the hours
of labour. A leading English Socialist writer says: "It is as plainly
demonstrable as that twice four make eight that a due system of
organised effort would enable your 43,000,000 of people to win from
Nature an overflowing superfluity of all that man desires, without
one-fourth the effort put forth now to win a beggarly subsistence so
far short of what your community requires that 13,000,000 of your
people live continually upon the very verge of starvation."[347] A
leading American Socialist promises somewhat vaguely, "A few hours of
work will secure to everybody all necessaries, decencies, and comforts
of life."[348] William Morris tells us that four hours' work will
suffice, and that it will not all be "mere machine-tending."[349]
Morrison-Davidson prophesies that the "hours of labour will probably
not exceed a minimum of two and a maximum of five daily."[350] Hyndman
feels qu