The duties of the Jewish Company and the Society of Jews cannot be
kept strictly apart in this outline. These two great bodies will have
to work constantly in unison, the Company depending on the moral
authority and support of the Society, just as the Society cannot
dispense with the material assistance of the Company. For example, in
the organizing of the clothing industry, the quantity produced will at
first be kept down so as to preserve an equilibrium between supply and
demand; and wherever the Company undertakes the organization of new
industries the same precaution must be exercised.
But individual enterprise must never be checked by the Company with
its superior force. We shall only work collectively when the immense
difficulties of the task demand common action; we shall, wherever
possible, scrupulously respect the rights of the individual. Private
property, which is the economic basis of independence, shall be
developed freely and be respected by us. Our first unskilled laborers
will at once have the opportunity to work their way up to private
proprietorship.
The spirit of enterprise must, indeed, be encouraged in every possible
way. Organization of industries will be promoted by a judicious system
of duties, by the employment of cheap raw material, and by the
institution of a board to collect and publish industrial statistics.
But this spirit of enterprise must be wisely encouraged, and risky
speculation must be avoided. Every new industry must be advertised for
a long period before establishment, so as to prevent failure on the
part of those who might wish to start a similar business six months
later. Whenever a new industrial establishment is founded, the Company
should be informed, so that all those interested may obtain
information from it.
Industrialists will be able to make use of centralized labor agencies,
which will only receive a commission large enough to ensure their
continuance. The industrialists might, for example, telegraph for 500
unskilled laborers for three days, three weeks, or three months. The
labor agency would then collect these 500 unskilled laborers from
every possible source, and despatch them at once to carry out the
agricultural or industrial enterprise. Parties of workmen will thus be
systematically drafted from place to place like a body of troops.
These men will, of course, not be sweated, but will work only a
seven-hour day; and, in spite of their change of locality, they will
preserve their organization, work out their term of service, and
receive commands, promotions, and pensions. Some establishments may,
of course, be able to obtain their workmen from other sources, if they
wish, but they will not find it easy to do so. The Society will be
able to prevent the introduction of non-Jewish work-slaves by
boycotting obstinate employers, by obstructing traffic, and by
various other methods. The seven-hour workers will therefore have to
be taken, and we shall thus bring our people gradually, and without
coercion, to adopt the normal seven-hour day.