“Soon after the beginning of the first millennium, the three great governments of the world were consolidated into one. This was found desirable in order to have equal and uniform laws regarding the regulation of population, education the administration of justice and the establishment of a uniform language. This latter object was accomplished by means of the universal state schools. A language was invented on scientific principles, as to its grammar, with words borrowed from different languages. This was taught, in every school[208] together with the native language of the country in which the school was located. This was kept up for 50 years, by which time practically everybody understood the new language, and then the others were dropped from the curriculum and only the new was thenceforth taught. There continued to be some differences of race however for several thousand years, but it is now difficult to trace any race distinction. “The population of the earth is not now quite so great as it was in the year 2070. It has gradually been contracted to about 10,000,000,000. It was much larger during the first millennium, but the people were much given to flitting about, following the seasons like the birds, in consequence of which in some places the crowds became too great for comfort. Rather than make arbitrary rules to repress travel, they contracted the population by increasing the proportion of third sex children and diminishing that of the others. You understand no attempt was ever made to regulate the size of the family—that was left to nature—only its sex. The average number of children to a family has long been about 18, sixteen of whom are of the third sex. The people live mostly in cities, but the land is cultivated to such crops as clover, alfalfa, the grasses etc, the entire crops being chemically treated and the food principles extracted from them. Large tracts are, however, reserved for the public. They are beautified and adorned in every direction—and parks and flower gardens are everywhere, and here the people are fond of congregating in pleasant weather wheeling[209] their motor cars over the solid smooth roadways or flitting about in their flyers. As eating and drinking are no longer fashionable or practicable pastimes, there is a conspicuous absence of restaurants and saloons. Yet many of the people are supplied with little vials containing their standard food of which they partake if need be. But they have no stated hours for eating, no cooking, no cooks, no meals. Each one eats when his feelings tell him he needs it, and is not governed by the appetite of others. Yet, as a practical fact, most persons do fall into habits of some regularity. Nature is a stickler for habit.”
“I suppose,” said I, “the state furnishes many things that were left to individuals to do in my time, but how is the state supported? Who does the work?”
“Everybody works, but not much is required of anyone. The society is largely but not exclusively socialistic. The state makes everything necessary for existence, but no superfluities. In these necessaries it has the monopoly, and no one else is allowed to make or sell them. The state thus makes all food and clothing and clothing material builds all houses, makes all furniture, carriages, flying machines, furnishes heat, light and power, takes care of the young and educates them. Everybody works; is obliged to work in fact for his living. Eight tenths of the people work for the state, and not over two-tenths directly for other employers. In this two-tenths are included authors, ministers and priests, lecturers on new[210] and unaccepted theories, artists, some milliners, dressmakers etc.
“The state fixes the wages it will pay according to the desirability or undesirability of the work, the undesirable of course being the best paid—the kind that would have been the worst paid in your day. An average of one hour a day of labor for the state will furnish lodging food and necessary clothing. So in five or six weeks one can lay up enough to maintain him a year, and have the rest of his time to do as he pleases. Notwithstanding the cheapness of everything, nothing is sold by the state except at a trifling advance upon its cost, which constitutes the only kind of taxation that is imposed. The surplus thus raised pays the expenses of state officials, courts, education etc. If anyone wants more than the modest living he can get by working at the rate of six weeks in a year; he can get it by working longer. By working steadily for a year he can accumulate enough to travel around the world. Or he can indulge in a fine painting or two, or a musical instrument or contribute money to some institution not supported by the state, as a church or philosophical society. Or he can lay up money in the state savings institution, until he accumulates a fortune for some pet enterprise or for use in old age. For several thousand years little or nothing has been spent on new public works. Everything really needed was long since built on principles of eternal durability, and repairs are light. Railways, canals etc., of course pay their own way. On the surface of the[211] earth almost everything may be said to be practically finished. The largest fields for discovery are under ground. Stores of mineral wealth never dreamed of in your day have been unearthed and utilized. Thousands of miles of tunnels have been constructed and some mountain ranges have been perforated in so many directions that their interiors are more familiar than their bleak and inhospitable surfaces. Enormous unsuspected caves and openings have been found, from many of which the contained material was ejected by volcanic action in ancient times.
“In a great number of places tunnels have penetrated to regions of insupportable heat, and this heat transformed into electricity has been conveyed to the surface and its power distributed to great distances. This plan has been largely practiced in the mountainous regions of Asia and South America, Scandinavia, Alaska and other countries. In such regions heat can be reached without descending, and so the tunnels are self draining. This source of power helps out the sun in the rainy seasons etc.”
“You mentioned something about state savings institutions just now; I suppose they receive the money of the people and pay interest on it—or how?”
“The state savings institutions receive money and take care of it, but they pay no interest. They do not loan it, so get no income from it and cannot pay any. In fact their fundamental ideas of business have undergone a radical change for these many ages back. They deny that it is fair business[212] to take a profit on any transaction. If a man lends his money to another he is entitled to pay for the time it takes him to make the loan and collect it, but he is not entitled to interest for use of the money. If a man borrows a plow worth ten dollars and wears it to the amount of one dollar, he should pay the owner the one dollar, but it is for repairs, not interest. If he borrows ten dollars in money and returns the full amount there is no wear to make good. If a man borrows ten dollars for which he must pay one dollar interest, then buys a plow and wears it one dollar’s worth he is out two dollars. So he must charge one dollar above its cost, for his crop, when he sells it, and this is called profit. He does not keep it, however, but must pass it over to the capitalist. He might charge two dollars profit, in which case, he would keep one for his profit and give the other to the capitalist for his. In both cases they say, it is wrong and unsound as a business transaction, because it is getting or giving something for nothing. The idea of the legitimacy of profits and interest arose in ancient times in connection with the uncertainty or the gambling element that entered into all business. This was due to individualism or the practice of each one doing business for himself, taking his own risks and chances in a thousand ways. If one spent his time and money in making something to sell, he was not absolutely sure he would be able to find a buyer. And if one loaned his money to be used in business he shared the risks of it and could not be absolutely sure of getting it back again. Up to the amount[213] of the risks, profit and interest were under the conditions legitimate. But while under the individual system everybody charged for the risk of loss, the losses in reality fell on only a part, and so the rest got something for nothing. When insurance companies were organized to distribute part of the risks, making those who did not lose, contribute to make up the loss of those who did, the risks of all were diminished, and the profit and interest charges on that account reduced. If insurance with its distribution of risks had extended to every form of risk, and if the members of the companies or insured persons had embraced everyone in the community instead of only a part, then the special risks to each one would have been altogether eliminated, the insurance would have become a part of the cost of the goods to be added to their sale value, and profits above this no longer legitimate. For if one is entitled to profits so are all those with whom he exchanges and nobody gains; unless the profits of one are higher than those of another in which case someone is cheated or in other words robbed. Now when the state undertook practically all business and all transportation, and owned all houses, shops and factories, all risks of all forms were at once distributed to all the people, without the ceremony of insurance. If a building burned, or tools, or machinery became superseded by better ones, or goods became unsalable, or employes dishonest, or incompetent, the loss was fully insured, for it fell upon all, and there was nobody outside of this “all” to make it good. There could therefore be no possible[214] honest end to be gained by profits; and interest on money falls with profits. As all the people work some time or other and receive wages, all have a bank account, for they are taught to be careful and economical, and they understand that one cannot spend a dollar and still have it.”
“How do they encourage and pay for inventions and discoveries—or has everything been invented and discovered?”
“No, they are discovering something new all the time. A good many people who have got something ahead and have leisure find congenial employment in invention. If they produce anything valuable the state takes and uses it paying them for their time, and also distinguishing them by honorable mention and in some cases by decorations or medals. If the development of the idea requires the use of expensive machinery or materials, it is submitted to the judgment, of experts whether the would be inventor shall be furnished these things at public expense. If they think his idea not of sufficient value, he must either drop it or pursue it at his own expense, and take his chances of getting the glory and the pay when it is demonstrated, and these considerations seem to be enough to bring out their best endeavor in that line.”
“Then it seems they don’t value brain work any higher than hand work?”
“They value brains, but do not pay extra for them for the reason that they regard them as owing their best thoughts to the state. They say, that whatever one is, the state has made him, and[215] if he is above the average he owes more than the average.”
“Did you say, Professor, that the houses belong to the state?”
“Yes the state has built houses enough to accommodate the whole population. In each town or city the houses are of uniform height for that place. Thus there are two story towns or four or ten story towns. A very large place may be twenty or thirty stories in the middle and lower further out. But no differences are allowed on any block. The roofs are flat and continuous over each block and connected with neighboring blocks by bridges over the streets. The flyers are all kept on the roofs and the flyers’ entrance to the buildings is by a roof entrance connecting with the elevator. Wheeled vehicles are kept upon the streets. There are generally vacant apartments to be had if any one wishes to move from one city to another. But the population has its fads and whims and sometimes the popularity of some place will attract more people than the houses can accommodate. In that case the government will build some new houses. Houses are rented by the year for one per cent of their cost plus the one-fifth of one per cent for repairs. The latter sum is paid back to the tenant if the repairs are not required. Thus if a house costs ten thousand dollars, the rent would be one hundred, the theory being that its cost would be repaid in 100 years. But as houses last 1,000 years—in fact are indestructible except by an earthquake—the state has accumulated a large fund from rents of houses[216] that have long since paid for themselves, and this fund builds new ones when they are wanted.”
“I suppose there is no woodwork used in building a house.”
“They use what they call wood, but it is an artificial product made of mineral. It is almost as light as wood, can be cut and formed as wood can, but is much stronger and cannot be burned and never rots. By slight differences in its manufacture several varieties are produced imitating various sorts of wood. It has totally displaced wood and is used for all purposes from fine furniture to railway ties. It is the accumulation of indestructible things that makes existence so cheap in these latter days. The people enjoy the fruits of labor performed ages ago. And the things they make now are all made to endure. Even their clothes are made to last a life time—textile fabrics from mineral wool and mineral cotton. Even their food is provided for years ahead. It............