Immediatelytheproletariathasconqueredpoliticalpowersuchameasuredictatedinthepublicinterestswillbejustaseasytocarryoutasotherexpropriationsandbilletingsarebytheexistingstate。
　　However，ourProudhonistisnotsatisfiedwithhispreviousachievementsinthehousingquestion。Hemustraisethequestionfromthelevelgroundintothesphereofthehighersocialisminorderthatitmayprovetherealsoanessential"fractionalpartofthesocialquestion"：
　　"Letusnowassumethattheproductivityofcapitalisreallytakenbythehorns，asitmustbesoonerorlater，forinstancebyatransitionallawwhichfixestheinterestonallcapitalsatonepercent，butmarkyou，withthetendencytomakeeventhisrateofinterestapproximatemoreandmoretothezeropointsothatfinallynothingmorewouldbepaidthanthelabournecessarytoturnoverthecapital。Likeallotherproducts，housesanddwellingsarenaturallyalsoincludedwithintheframeworkofthislaw……Theownerhimselfwouldbethefirstonetoagreetoasalebecauseotherwisehishousewouldremainunusedandthecapitalinvestedinitwouldbesimplyuseless。"ThispassagecontainsoneofthechiefarticlesoffaithoftheProudhonistcatechismandoffersastrikingexampleoftheconfusionprevailinginit。
　　The"productivityofcapital"isanabsurditythatProudhonismtakesoveruncriticallyfromthebourgeoiseconomists。Thebourgeoiseconomists，itistrue，alsobeginwiththestatementthatlabouristhesourceofallwealthandthemeasureofvalueofallcommodities;buttheyalsohavetoexplainhowitcomesaboutthatthecapitalistwhoadvancescapitalforanindustrialorhandicraftbusinessreceivesbackattheendofitnotonlythecapitalwhichheadvanced，butalsoaprofitoverandaboveit。Inconsequencetheyarecompelledtoentanglethemselvesinallsortsofcontradictionsandalsotoascribetocapitalacertainproductivity。
　　NothingprovesmoreclearlyhowdeeplyProudhonremainsentangledinthebourgeoisideologythanthefactthathehastakenoverthisphraseabouttheproductivityofcapital。Wehavealreadyseenatthebeginningthattheso-called"productivityofcapital"isnothingbutthequalityattachedtoit（underpresent-daysocialrelations，withoutwhichitwouldnotbecapitalatall）ofbeingabletoappropriatetheunpaidlabourofwageworkers。
　　However，Proudhondiffersfromthebourgeoiseconomistsinthathedoesnotapproveofthis"productivityofcapital，"but，onthecontrary，findsitaviolationof"eternaljustice。"Itisthiswhichpreventstheworkerfromreceivingthefullproceedsofhislabour。Itmustthereforebeabolished。Buthow？Byloweringtherateofinterestbycompulsorylegislationandfinallybyreducingittozero。Andthen，accordingtoourProudhonist，capitalwouldceasetobeproductive。
　　Theinterestonloanedmoneycapitalisonlyapartofprofit;
　　profit，whetheronindustrialorcommercialcapital，isonlyapartofthesurplusvaluetakenbythecapitalistclassfromtheworkingclassintheformofunpaidlabour。Theeconomiclawswhichgoverntherateofinterestareasindependentofthosewhichgoverntherateofsurplusvalueascouldpossiblybethecasebetweenlawsofoneandthesamesocialform。
　　Butasfarasthedistributionofthissurplusvalueamongtheindividualcapitalistsisconcerned，itisclearthatforthoseindustrialistsandbusinessmenwhohavelargequantitiesofcapitalintheirbusinessesadvancedbyothercapitalists，therateoftheirprofitmustrise——allotherthingsbeingequal——tothesameextentastherateofinterestfalls。Thereductionandfinalabolitionofinterestwouldthereforebynomeansreallytaketheso-called"productivityofcapital""bythehorns";itwoulddonomorethanre-arrangethedistributionamongtheindividualcapitalistsoftheunpaidsurplusvaluetakenfromtheworkingclass;itwouldnot，therefore，giveanadvantagetotheworkerasagainsttheindustrialcapitalist，buttotheindustrialcapitalistasagainsttherentier。
　　Proudhon，fromhislegalstandpoint，explainsinterest，ashedoesalleconomicfacts，notbytheconditionsofsocialproduction，butbythestatelawsinwhichtheseconditionsreceivetheirgeneralexpression。
　　Fromthispointofview，whichlacksanyinklingoftheinter-relationbetweenthestatelawsandtheconditionsofproductioninsociety，thesestatelawsnecessarilyappearaspurelyarbitraryorderswhichatanymomentcouldbereplacedjustaswellbytheirexactopposite。NothingisthereforeeasierforProudhonthantoissueadecree——assoonashehasthepowertodoso——reducingtherateofinteresttoonepercent。Andifalltheothersocialconditionsremainedastheywere，thenindeedthisProudhonistdecreewouldexistonpaperonly。Therateofinterestwillcontinuetobegovernedbytheeconomiclawstowhichitissubjecttoday，despitealldecrees。Personspossessingcreditwillcontinuetoborrowmoneyattwo，three，fourandmorepercent，accordingtocircumstances，justasmuchasbefore，andtheonlydifferencewillbethatthefinancierswillbeverycarefultoadvancemoneyonlytopersonsfromwhomnosubsequentcourtproceedingsmightbeexpected。Moreoverthisgreatplantodeprivecapitalofits"productivity"isasoldasthehills;itisasoldas-theusurylawswhichaimedatnothingelsebutlimitingtherateofinterest，andwhichhavesincebeenabolishedeverywherebecauseinpracticetheywerecontinuallybrokenorcircumvented，andthestatewascompelledtoadmititsimpotenceagainstthelawsofsocialproduction。Andthereintroductionofthesemediaevalandunworkablelawsisnow"totaketheproductivityofcapitalbythehorns"？OneseesthatthecloserProudhonismisexaminedthemorereactionaryitappears。
　　When，now，inthisfashiontherateofinteresthasbeenreducedtozero，andinterestoncapitalthereforeabolished，then"nothingmorewouldbepaidthanthelabournecessarytoturnoverthecapital。"Thismeansthattheabolitionofinterestisequivalenttotheabolitionofprofitandevenofsurplusvalue。Butifitwerepossiblereallytoabolishinterestbydecreewhatwouldbetheconsequence？Theclassofrentierswouldnolongerhaveanyinducementtoloanouttheircapitalintheformofadvances，butwouldinvestitindustriallythemselvesorinjoint-stockcompaniesontheirownaccount。Themassofsurplusvalueextractedfromtheworkingclassbythecapitalistclasswouldremainthesame;onlyitsdistributionwouldbealtered，andeventhatnotmuch。
　　Infact，ourProudhonistfailstoseethat，evennow，nomoreispaidontheaverageincommoditypurchaseinbourgeoissocietythan"thelabournecessarytoturnoverthecapital"（itshouldread，necessaryfortheproductionofthecommodityinquestion）。Labouristhemeasureofvalueofallcommodities，andinpresent-daysociety——apartfromfluctuationsofthemarket——itisabsolutelyimpossiblethatonatotalaveragemoreshouldbepaidforcommoditiesthanthelabournecessaryfortheirproduction。
　　No，no，mydearProudhonist，thedifficultylieselsewhere：itiscontainedinthefactthat"thelabournecessarytoturnoverthecapital"（touseyourconfusedterminology）isnotfullypaid！HowthiscomesaboutyoucanlookupinMarx（Capital）。
　　Butthatisnotenough。Ifinterestoncapitalisabolished，houserentisalsoabolishedwithit;for，"likeallotherproducts，housesanddwellingsarenaturallyalsoincludedwithintheframeworkofthislaw。"
　　ThisisquiteinthespiritoftheoldMajorwhosummonedoneofthenewrecruitsanddeclared：
　　"Isay，Ihearyouareadoctor;youmightreportfromtimetotimeatmyquarters;whenonehasawifeandsevenchildrenthereisalwayssomethingtopatchup。"
　　Recruit："Excuseme，Major，butIamadoctorofphilosophy。"
　　Major："That’sallthesametome;onesawbonesisthesameasanother。"
　　OurProudhonistbehavesjustlikethis：houserentorinterestoncapital，itisallthesametohim。Interestisinterest;sawbonesissawbones。
　　Wehaveseenabovethattherentpricecommonlycalledhouserentiscomposedasfollows：
　　apartwhichisgroundrent;
　　apartwhichisinterestonthebuildingcapital，includingtheprofitofthebuilder;
　　apartwhichisforcostsofrepairsandinsurance;
　　apartwhichhastoamortizethebuildingcapitalinclusiveofprofitinannualdeductionsaccordingtotherateatwhichthehousegraduallydepreciates。
　　Andnowitmusthavebecomecleareventotheblindestthat"theownerhimselfwouldbethefirstonetoagreetoasalebecauseotherwisehishousewouldremainunusedandthecapitalinvestedinitwouldbesimplyuseless。"Ofcourse。Iftheinterestonloanedcapitalisabolishedthennohouseownercanobtainapennypieceinrentforhishouse，simplybecausehouserentisspokenofasinterestandbecausetherentcontainsapartwhichisreallyinterestoncapital。Sawbonesissawbones。Thoughitwasonlypossibletomaketheusurylawsrelatingtoordinaryinterestoncapitalineffectivebycircumventingthem，yettheynevertouchedevenremotelytherateofhouserent。ItwasreservedforProudhontoimaginethathisnewusurylawwouldwithoutmoreadoregulateandgraduallyabolishnotonlysimpleinterestoncapital，butalsothecomplicatedhouserentsofdwellings。Whythenthe"simplyuseless"houseshouldbepurchasedforgoodmoneyfromthehouseowner，andhowitisthatundersuchcircumstancesthehouseownerwouldnotalsopaymoneyhimselftogetridofthis"simplyuseless"houseinordertosavehimselfthecostofrepairs，wearenottold。
　　Afterthistriumphantachievementinthesphereofhighersocialism（MasterProudhoncalleditsuper-socialism）ourProudhonistconsidershimselfjustifiedinflyingstillhigher："Allthathasnowtobedoneistodrawsomeconclusionsinordertocastcompletelightfromallsidesonoursoimportantsubject。"Andwhataretheseconclusions？Theyarethingswhichfollowaslittlefromwhathasbeensaidbefore，asthatdwellinghouseswouldbecomevaluelessontheabolitionofinterest。Deprivedofthepompousandsolemnphraseologyoftheirauthor，theymeannothingmorethanthat，inordertofacilitatethebusinessofredemptionofrenteddwellings，whatisdesirableis：1。exactstatisticsonthesubject;2。
　　agoodsanitaryinspectionforce;and3。co-operativesofbuildingworkerstoundertakethebuildingofnewhouses。Allthesethingsarecertainlyveryfineandgood，but，despitealltheclothingofquackphrases，theybynomeanscast"completelight"intotheobscurityofProudhonistmentalconfusion。
　　OnewhohasachievedsomuchfeelshehastherighttodeliverthefollowingseriousexhortationtotheGermanworkers：
　　"Inouropinion，suchandsimilarquestionsarewellworththeattentionofSocial-Democracy……Letthemtherefore，ashereinconnectionwiththehousingquestion，seektobecomeclearonotherandequallyimportantquestionssuchascredit，statedebts，privatedebts，taxation，"etc。Thus，ourProudhonistherefacesuswiththeprospectofawholeseriesofarticleson"similarquestions，"andifhedealswiththemallasthoroughlyasthepresent"soimportantsubject，"thentheVolksstaatwillhavecopyenoughforayear。Butweareinapositiontoanticipate：——itallamountstowhathasalreadybeensaid：interestoncapitalistobeabolishedandwiththattheinterestonpublicandprivatedebtsdisappears，creditwillbegratis，etc。Thesamemagicformulaisappliedtoeverysubjectandineachseparatecasethesameastonishingresultisobtainedwithinexorablelogic，namely，thatwheninterestoncapitalhasbeenabolishednomoreinterestwillhavetobepaidonborrowedmoney。
　　Theyarefinequestions，bythewaywithwhichourProudhonistthreatensus：credit！Whatcreditdoestheworkerneedapartfromthatfromweektowee’-，orthecreditheobtainsfromthepawnshop？Whetherhegetsthiscreditfreeoratinterest，evenattheusuriousinterestsofthepawnshop，howmuchdifferencedoesthatmaketohim？Andifhedid，generallyspeaking，obtainsomeadvantagefromit，thatistosay，ifthecostsofproductionoflabourpowerwerereduced，wouldnotthepriceoflabourpowernecessarilyfallalso？Butforthebourgeois，andinparticularforthepettybourgeois，creditisanimportantmatteranditwouldthereforebeaveryfinethingforthem，andinparticularforthepettybourgeois，ifcreditcouldbeobtainedatanytimeand，inaddition，withoutpaymentofinterest。"Statedebts！"’Theworkingclassknowsverywellthatitdidnotmakethestatedebt，andwhenitcomestopoweritwillleavethepaymentofittothosewhodidmakeit。"Privatedebts！"——seecredit。
　　"Taxes"！Mattersthatinterestthebourgeoisieverymuch，buttheworkeronlyverylittle。Whattheworkerpaysintaxesgoesinthelongrunintothecostsofproductionoflabourpowerandmustthereforebecompensatedforbythecapitalist。Allthesethingswhicharehelduptoushereashighlyimportantquestionsfortheworkingclassareinrealityofessentialinterestonlytothebourgeoisie，andinparticulartothepettybourgeoisie，and，despiteProudhon，weassertthattheworkingclassisnotcalledupontolookaftertheinterestsoftheseclasses。
　　OurProudhonisthasnotawordtosayaboutthegreatquestionwhichreallyconcernstheworkers，thatoftherelationbetweencapitalistandwageworker，thequestionofhowitcomesaboutthatthecapitalistcanenrichhimselffromthelabourofhisworkers。Hislordandmasteritistrue，didoccupyhimselfwithit，butintroducedabsolutelynoclearnessintoit，andeveninhislatestwritingshehasgotessentiallynofartherthanhewasinhisPhilosophicdelaMisere[PhilosophyofPoverty]whichMarxdisposedofsoconclusivelyinallitsemptinessin1847。
　　Itwasbadenoughthatfortwenty-fiveyearstheworkersoftheLatincountrieshadalmostnoothersocialistmentalnourishmentthanthewritingsofthis"SocialistoftheSecondEmpire，"anditwouldbeadoublemisfortuneifGermanywerenowtobeinundatedwiththeProudhonisttheory。
　　However，thereneedbenofearofthis。ThetheoreticalstandpointoftheGermanworkersisfiftyyearsaheadofthatofProudhonism，anditwillbesufficienttomakeanexampleofitinthisonequestionofhousinginordertosaveanyfurthertroubleinthisrespect。
　　TheHousingQuestion——Part2THEHOUSINGQUESTIONparttwoHOWTHEBOURGEOISIESOLVESTHEHOUSINGQUESTIONbyFREDERICKENGELSI
　　InthesectionontheProudhonistsolutionofthehousingquestionitwasshownhowgreatlythepettybourgeoisieisdirectlyinterestedinthisquestion。However，thebigbourgeoisiealsoisverymuchinterestedinit，ifindirectly。Modernnaturalsciencehasprovedthattheso-called"poordistricts"inwhichtheworkersarecrowdedtogetherarethebreedingplacesofallthoseepidemicswhichfromtimetotimeafflictourtowns。Cholera，typhus，typhoidfever，small-poxandotherravagingdiseasesspreadtheirgermsinthepestilentialairandthepoisonedwateroftheseworking-classquarters。Inthesedistricts，the，germshardlyeverdieoutcompletely，andassoonascircumstancespermitittheydevelopintoepidemicsandthenspreadbeyondtheirbreedingplacesalsointothemoreairyandhealthypartsofthetowninhabitedbythecapitalists。Capitalistrulecannotallowitselfthepleasureofcreatingepidemicdiseasesamongtheworkingclasswithimpunity;the’consequencesfallbackonitandtheangelofdeathragesinitsranksasruthlesslyasintheranksoftheworkers。
　　Assoonasthisfacthadbeenscientificallyestablishedthephilanthropicbourgeoisbegantocompetewithoneanotherinnobleeffortsonbehalfofthehealthoftheirworkers。Societieswerefounded，bookswerewritten，proposalsdrawnup，lawsdebatedandpassed，inordertoclosethesourcesoftheever-recurringepidemics。Thehousingconditionsoftheworkerswereexaminedandattemptsweremadetoremedythemostcryingevils。InEnglandparticularly，wherethegreatestnumberoflargetownsexistedandwherethebourgeoisieitselfwasmostimmediatelythreatened，greatactivitybegan。Governmentcommissionswereappointedtoinquireintothehygienicconditionsoftheworkingclasses;theirreports，honorablydistinguishedfromallcontinentalsourcesbytheiraccuracy，completenessandimpartiality，providedthebasisfornew，moreorless，radicallyeffective，laws。Incompleteastheselawsare，theyarestillinfinitelyaheadofeverythingthathasbeendoneinthisdirectionuptothepresentonthecontinent。Nevertheless，thecapitalistorderofsocietyreproducesagainandagaintheevilswhicharetoberemediedwithsuchinevitablenecessitythateveninEnglandtheremedyingofthemhashardlyadvancedasinglestep。
　　Asusual，Germanyneededamuchlongertimebeforethechronicsourcesofinfectionexistingtherealsoreachedtheacutedegreenecessarytoarousetheindolentbigbourgeoisie。Buthewhogoesslowlygoessurely，andsoamongusalsotherefinallyaroseabourgeoisliteratureonpublichealthandthehousingquestion，awateryextractofitsforeign，andinparticularitsEnglish，predecessors，towhichitwassoughttogiveadeceptivesemblanceofahigherconceptionbymeansoffine-soundingandsolemnphrases。DieWohnungszustandederarbeitendenKlassenundihreReform[TheHousingConditionsoftheWorkingClassesandtheirReform]
　　byDr。EmilSax，Vienna，1869。belongstothisliterature。
　　Ihaveselectedthisbookinordertopresentthebourgeoistreatmentofthehousingquestiononlybecauseitmakestheattempttosummarizeasfaraspossiblethebourgeoisliteratureonthesubject。Andafineliteratureitiswhichservesourauthorashis"sources"！OftheEnglishparliamentaryreports，therealmainsources，onlythreeoftheoldestarementionedbyname;thewholebookprovesthatitsauthorhasneverglancedatevenasingleoneofthem。Ontheotherhand，awholeseriesofbanal，bourgeois，well-meaningphilistineandhypocriticalphilanthropicwritingsareenumerated：Ducpeptiaux，Roberts，Hole，Huber，theproceedingoftheEnglishcongressesonsocialscience（orrathersocialbosh），thejournaloftheAssociationfortheWelfareoftheLaboringClassesinPrussia，theofficialAustrianreportontheWorldExhibitioninParis，theofficialBonapartistreportsonthesamesubject，theIllustratedLondonNews，UberLandundMeer[OnLandandSea]andfinallya"recognizedauthority，"amanof"acutepracticalperception，"of"convincingimpressivenessofspeech，"
　　namely——JuliusFaucher！AllthatismissinginthislistofsourcesistheGartenlaube，KlepdderadatschandtheFusilierKutschke。[PseudonymofaGermanpatrioticpoet-Ed。]
　　InorderthatnomisunderstandingmayariseconcerningthestandpointofDr。Sax，hedeclaresonpage22：
　　"Bysocialeconomywemeanpoliticaleconomyinitsapplicationtosocialquestions;or，toputitmoreprecisely，thetotalityofthewaysandmeanswhichthisscienceoffersusforraisingtheso-called（！）propertylessclassestothelevelofthepropertiedclasses，onthebasisofits’iron’lawswithintheframeworkoftheorderofsocietyatpresentprevailing。"Weshallnotbothertodealwiththeconfusedideathat"economics"or"Politicaleconomy"dealsatallwithanyotherthan"social"questions。
　　Letusgetdowntothemainpointimmediately。Dr。Saxdemandsthatthe"ironlaws"ofbourgeoiseconomics，the"frameworkoftheorderofsocietyatpresentprevailing，"inotherwords，thatthecapitalistmodeofproductionmustcontinuetoexistunchanged，butnevertheless"theso-calledpropertylessclasses"aretoberaised"tothelevelofthepropertiedclasses。"However，itisanunavoidablepreliminaryconditionofthecapitalistmodeofproductionthatareally，andnotaso-called，propertylessclass，shouldexist，aclasswhichhasnothingtosellbutitslaborpowerandwhichisthereforecompelledtosellitslaborpowertotheindustrialcapitalists。ThetaskofthenewscienceofsocialeconomyinventedbyDr。Saxisthereforetofindwaysandmeans，inastateofsocietyfoundedontheantagonismofcapitalists，ownersofallrawmaterials，instrumentsofproductionandfoodstuffs，ontheonehand，andofpropertylesswageworkers，whoownonlytheirlaborpowerandnothingelse，ontheotherhand，bywhich，insidethissocialorder，allwageworkerscanbeturnedintocapitalistswithoutceasingtobewageworkers。Dr。Saxthinkshehassolvedthisquestion。
　　PerhapshewouldbesogoodastoshowushowallthesoldiersoftheFrencharmy，eachofwhomcarriesamarshal’sbatoninhisknapsacksincethedaysoftheoldNapoleon，canbeturnedintofieldmarshalswithoutatthesametimeceasingtobeprivatesoldiers？OrhowitcouldbebroughtaboutthatallthefortymillionsubjectsoftheGermanEmpirecouldbemadeintoGermankaisers。
　　Itistheessenceofbourgeoissocialismtowanttomaintainthebasisofalltheevilsofpresent-daysocietyandatthesametimetowanttoabolishtheevilsthemselves。AsalreadypointedoutinTheCommunistManifesto，thebourgeoissocialist"isdesirousofredressingsocialgrievancesinordertosecurethecontinuedexistenceofbourgeoissociety，"hewants"abourgeoisiewithoutaproletariat。"WehavealreadyseenthatDr。Saxformulatesthequestioninexactlythesamefashion。Thesolutionhefindsinthesolutionofthehousingquestion。Heisoftheopinionthat"byimprovingthehousingoftheworkingclassesitwouldbepossiblesuccessfullytoremedythematerialandspiritualmiserywhichhasbeendescribed，andthereby——byaradicalimprovementofthehousingconditionsalone——toraisethegreaterpartoftheseclassesoutofthemorassoftheiroftenhardlyhumanconditionsofexistencetothepureheightsofmaterialandspiritualwell-being。"（Page14。）Incidentally，itisintheinterestsofthebourgeoisietodisguisethefactoftheexistenceofaproletariatcreatedbythebourgeoisproductionrelationsanddeterminingthecontinuedexistenceoftheseproductionrelations。
　　And，therefore，Dr。Saxtellsus（page21）thattheexpressionworkingclassesistobeunderstoodasincludingall"impecunioussocialclasses，"
　　"andingeneral，peopleinasmallway，suchashandicraftsman，widows，pensioners（！），subordinateofficials，etc。，"aswellasactualworkers。
　　Bourgeoissocialismextendsitsbandtothepetty-bourgeoisvariety。
　　Whencethencomesthehousingshortage？Howdiditarise？Asagoodbourgeois，Dr。Saxisnotsupposedtoknowthatitisanecessaryproductofthebourgeoissocialorder;thatitcannotfailtobepresentinasocietyinwhichthegreatmassesoftheworkersareexclusivelydependentuponwages，thatistosay，onthesumoffoodstuffsnecessaryfortheirexistenceandforthepropagationoftheirkind;inwhichimprovementsoftheexistingmachinerycontinuallythrowmassesofworkersoutofemployment;
　　inwhichviolentandregularlyrecurringindustrialvacillationsdetermineontheonehandtheexistenceofalargereservearmyofunemployedworkers，andontheotherhanddrivelargemassesoftheworkerstemporarilyunemployedontothestreets;inwhichtheworkersarecrowdedtogetherinmassesinthebigtowns，ataquickerratethandwellingscomeintoexistenceforthemunderexistingconditions;inwhich，therefore，theremustalwaysbetenantsevenforthemostinfamouspigsties;andinwhichfinallythehouseownerinhiscapacityascapitalisthasnotonlytheright，but，inviewofthecompetition，toacertainextentalsothedutyofruthlesslymakingasmuchoutofhispropertyinhouserentashepossiblycan。Insuchasocietythehousingshortageisnoaccident;itisanecessaryinstitutionanditcanbeabolishedtogetherwithallitseffectsonhealth，etc。，onlyifthewholesocialorderfromwhichitspringsisfundamentallyrefashioned。
　　That，however，bourgeoissocialismdarenotknow。Itdarenotexplainthehousingshortagefromtheexistingconditions。Andthereforenothingremainsforitbuttoexplainthehousingshortagebymeansofmoralphrasesastheresultofthebasenessofhumanbeings，astheresultoforiginalsin，sotospeak。
　　"Andherewecannotfailtorecognize——andinconsequencewecannotdeny"（daringconclusion！）——thattheresponsibilityrestspartlywiththeworkersthemselves，thosewhowantdwellings，andpartly，themuchgreaterpartitistrue，withthosewhoundertaketosupplytheneed，orthosewho，althoughtheyhavesufficientmeans，makenoattempttosupplytheneed，viz。，thepropertied，highersocialclasses。Theresponsibilityoftheselastconsistsinthefactthattheydonotmakeittheirbusinesstoprovideforasufficientsupplyofgooddwellings。"JustasProudhontakesusfromthesphereofeconomicsintothesphereoflegalphrasessoourbourgeoissocialisttakesusfromtheeconomicsphereintothemoralsphere。Andnothingismorenatural。Whoeverdeclaresthatthecapitalistmodeofproduction，the"ironlaws"ofpresent-daybourgeoissociety，areinviolable，andyetatthesametimewouldliketoabolishtheirunpleasantbutnecessaryconsequences，hasnootherresourcebuttodelivermoralsermonstothecapitalists，moralsermonswhoseemotionaleffectsimmediatelyevaporateundertheinfluenceofprivateinterestsand，ifnecessary，ofcompetition。Thesemoralsermonsareineffectexactlythesameasthoseofthehenattheedgeofthepondinwhichsheseesthefamilyofducklingsshehashatchedoutgailyswimming。Ducklingstaketothewateralthoughitisnotdryland，andcapitalistsgrabafterprofitalthoughitisheartless。"Thereisnoroomforsentimentinmoneymatters，"
　　wassaidalreadybyoldHansemann，whoknewmoreaboutitthanDr。Sax。
　　[Hansemann，Prussianfinancierand"progressive"politician。HewasFinanceMinisterin1893，andlaterattheheadoftheBankofPrussia。HefoundedtheDiskonto-Gesellschaft。——Ed。]
　　"Gooddwellingsaresoexpensivethatitisabsolutelyimpossibleforthegreaterpartoftheworkerstousethem。Bigcapital……
　　isshyofinvestinginhousesfortheworkingclasses——andasaresulttheseclassesandtheirhousingneedsfallforthegreaterpartintothehandsofspeculators。"Disgustingspeculation——bigcapitalnaturallyneverspeculates！Butitisnotillwill，itisonlyignorancewhichpreventsbigcapitalfromspeculatinginworkers’houses：
　　"Houseownersdonotknowwhatagreatandimportantroleisplayedbyanormalsatisfactionofhousingneeds;theydonotknowwhattheyaredoingtothepeoplewhentheygivethem，asageneralrule，suchirresponsiblybadanddeleteriousdwellings，and，finally，theydonotknowhowtheydamagethemselvesthereby。"（Page27。）However，theignoranceofthecapitalistsmustbesupplementedbytheignoranceoftheworkersinorderthatthehousingshortagemaybecreated。AfterDr。Saxhasadmittedthat"Theverylowestsections"oftheworkers"areobliged（！）toseekanight’slodgingwhereverandhowevertheycanfinditinordernottoremainaltogetherwithoutshelterandinthisconnectiontheyareabsolutelydefenselessandhelpless，"hetellsus，"foritisawell-knownfacthowmanyamongthem（theworkers）fromcarelessness，butchieflyfromignorance，deprivetheirbodies。
　　Oneisalmostinclinedtosay。withvirtuosity，oftheconditionsofnaturaldevelopmentandhealthyexistence，inthattheyhaveriotthefaintestideaofrationalhygieneand，inparticular，oftheenormousimportanceplayedbythedwellinginthishygiene。"
　　（Page27。）Here，however，thebourgeoisdonkey’searsprotrude。Whereas，sofarasthecapitalistsareconcerned，their"guilt"disappearsinignorance，wheretheworkersareconcernedignoranceisonlythecauseoftheirguilt。Listen：
　　"Thusitcomes（namelythroughignorance）thatiftheycanonlysavesomethingontherenttheywillmoveintodark，dampandinadequatedwellings，whichareinshortamockeryofallthedemandsofhygiene……thatoftenseveralfamiliestogetherrentasingledwelling，indeedevenasingleroom——allthisinordertospendaslittleaspossibleforrent，whileontheotherhandtheysquandertheirincomeinareallysinfulfashionondrinkandallsortsofidlepleasures。"Themoneywhichtheworkers"wasteonspiritsandtobacco"（page28），the"public-houselifewithallitsregrettableconsequenceswhichdragstheworkersagainandagainlikealeadweightbackintothemire"liesindeedlikealeadweightinDr。Sax’sstomach。Thefactthatunderexistingcircumstancesdrunkennessamongtheworkersisaninevitableproductoftheirlivingconditions，justasinevitableastyphus，crime，vermin，thebailiffandothersocialills，soinevitableinfactthattheaveragefiguresofthosewhosuccumbtochronicdrunkennesscanbecalculatedinadvance，isagainsomethingthatDr。Saxcannotallowhimselftoknow。Myoldelementaryteacherusedtosay，bytheway："Thecommonpeoplegotothepublichousesan’dthepeopleofqualitygototheclubs，"andasIhavebeeninbothIaminapositiontoconfirmit。
　　Thewholetalkaboutthe"ignorance"ofbothpartiesamountstonothingbuttheoldphrasesabouttheharmonyofinterestsoflaborandcapital。Ifthecapitalistsknewtheirtrueinterests，thentheywouldgivetheworkersgoodhousesandputtheminabetterpositioningeneral，andiftheworkersunderstoodtheirtrueintereststheywouldnotgoonstrike，theywouldnotgoinforSocialDemocracy，theywouldnottakepartinpolitics，butdocilelyfollowtheirsuperiors，thecapitalist。
　　Unfortunately，bothsidesfindtheirrealinterestsaltogetherelsewherethaninthesermonsofDr。Saxandhisnumerous;predecessors。Thegospelofharmonybetweenlaborandcapitalhasbeenpreachednowforalmostfiftyyears，andbourgeoisphilanthropyhasexpendedlargesumsofmoneytoprovethisharmonyofinterestsbybuildingmodelinstitutions，and，asweshallseelater，wearetodayexactlywherewewerefiftyyearsago。
　　Ourauthornowproceedstothepracticalsolutionofthe。question。
　　HowlittlerevolutionaryProudhon’sproposaltomaketheworkersintotheownersoftheirdwellingswas，canbeseenfromthefactthatbourgeoissocialismevenbeforehim。triedtocarryitoutinpracticeandisstilltryingtodoso。Dr。Saxalsodeclaresthatthehousingquestioncanbecompletelysolvedonlybytransferringpropertyindwellingstothehandsoftheworkers。（Pages58and59。）Morethanthat。hefallsintopoeticrapturesattheideaandbreaksoutwiththefollowingflightofenthusiasm：
　　"Thereissomethingpeculiaraboutthelonginginmankindtoownland;itisanurgewhichnoteventhefeverishlypulsatingbusinesslifeofthepresentdayhasbeenabletoweaken。Itistheunconsciousappreciationofthesignificanceoftheeconomicachievementrepresentedbylandownership。Withittheindividualobtainsasecurehold;heisrootedfirmlyintheearth，andeveryeconomy（！）hasitsmostpermanentbasisinit。However，theblessingsoflandownershipextendfarbeyondthesematerialadvantages。Whoeverisfortunateenoughtocallapieceoflandhisownhasreachedthehighestconceivablestageofeconomicindependence;hehasaterrainonwhichhecanrulewithsovereignpower;heishisownmaster;hehasacertainpowerandasecureguaranteeintimeofneed;hisself-confidencedevelopsandwiththishismoralpower。Andfromthiscomesthedeepsignificanceofpropertyinthequestionbeforeus……Theworker，todayhelplesslyexposedtoallthechangingcircumstancesofeconomiclife，andinconstantdependenceonhisemployer，wouldtherebyberescuedtoacertainextentfromthisprecarioussituation;hewouldbecomeacapitalistandbesafeguardedagainstthedangersofunemploymentorincapacitytowork，asaresultoftherealestatecreditwhichwouldtherebybeopentohim。Hewouldtherebyberaisedoutoftheranksofthepropertylessintotheclassofthepropertyowners。"（Page63。）Dr。Saxseemstoassumethatmanisessentiallyapeasant，otherwisehewouldnotascribetotheworkersofourbigcitiesalongingforpropertyinland，alongingwhichnooneelsehasdiscovered。Forourworkersinthebigcitiesfreedomofmovementisthefirstconditionoftheirexistence，andlandownershipcouldonlybeahindrancetothem。Givethemtheirownhouses，chainthemonceagaintothesoilandyoubreaktheirpowerofresistancetothewagecuttingofthefactoryowners。Theindividualworkermightbeabletosellhishouseonoccasion，butduringabigstrikeorageneralindustrialcrisisallthehousesbelongingtotheaffectedworkerswouldhavetocomeontothemarketforsaleandwouldthereforefindnopurchasersorbesoldofffarbelowtheircostprice。Andeveniftheyallfoundpurchasers，thewholegreatsolutionofthehousingquestionofDr。Saxwouldhavecometonothingandhewouldhavetostartfromthebeginningagain。However，poetsliveinaworldoffantasy，andsodoesDr。Sax，whoimaginesthatalandownerhas"reachedthehighest……stageofeconomicindependence，"thathehas"asecurehold，"thathehas"becomeacapitalistand……safeguardedagainstthedangersofunemploymentorincapacitytowork，asaresultoftherealestatecreditwhichwouldtherebybeopentohim，"etc。Dr。SaxshouldtakealookattheFrenchpeasantsandatourownsmallpeasantsintheRhineland;theirhousesandfieldsareloadeddownwithmortgages，theirharvestsbelongtotheircreditorsbeforetheyarebroughtin，anditisnottheywhorulewithsovereignpowerontheir"terrain"buttheusurer，thelawyerandthebailiff。Thatcertainlyrepresentsthehighestconceivablestageofeconomicindependence——fortheusurer！Andinorderthattheworkersmaybringtheirlittlehousesasquicklyaspossibleunderthesamesovereigntyoftheusurer，ourwell-meaningDr。Saxcarefullypointstotherealestatecreditwhichtheycanmakeuseofintimesofunemploymentorincapacitytoworkinsteadofbecomingaburdenonthepoorrate。
　　Inanycase，Dr。Saxhassolvedthequestionraisedinthebeginning：
　　theworker"becomesacapitalist"byacquiringhisownlittlehouse。
　　Capitalisthecommandovertheunpaidlaborofothers。Thehouseoftheworkercanonlybecomecapitalthereforeifherentsittoathirdpersonandappropriatesapartofthelaborproductofthisthirdpersonintheformofrent。Bythefactthattheworkerlivesinithimselfthehouseispreventedfrombecomingcapital，justasacoatceasestobecapitalthemomentIbuyitfromthetailorandputiton。Theworkerwhoownsalittlehousetothevalueofathousandtalersiscertainlynolongeraproletarian，butonemustbeDr。Saxtocallhimacapitalist。
　　However，thecapitalistcharacterofourworkerhasstillanotherside。Letusassumethatina’givenindustrialareaithasbecometherulethateachworkerownshisownlittlehouse。Inthiscasetheworkingclassofthatarealivesrentfree;expensesforrentnolongerenterintothevalueofitslaborpower。Everyreductioninthecostofproductionoflaborpower，thatistosay，everypermanentpricereductionintheworker’snecessitiesoflifeisequivalent"onthebasisoftheironlawsofpoliticaleconomy"toareductioninthevalueoflaborpowerandwillthereforefinallyresultinacorrespondingfallinwages。Wageswouldfallonanaveragecorrespondingtotheaveragesumsavedonrent，thatis，theworkerwouldpayrentforhisownhouse，butnot，asformerly，inmoneytothehouseowner，butinunpaidlabortothefactoryownerforwhomheworks。Inthiswaythesavingsoftheworkerinvestedinhislittlehousewouldcertainlybecomecapitaltosomeextent，butnotcapitalforhim，butforthecapitalistemployinghim。
　　Dr。Saxisthusunabletosucceedevenonpaperinturninghisworkerintoacapitalist。
　　Incidentally，whathasbeensaidaboveappliestoallso-calledsocialreformswhichaimatsavingorcheapeningthemeansofsubsistenceoftheworker。Eithertheybecomegeneralandthentheyarefollowedbyacorrespondingreductionofwages，ortheyremainquiteisolatedexperiments，and-thentheirveryexistenceasisolatedexceptionsprovesthattheirrealizationonageneralscaleisincompatiblewiththeexistingcapitalistmodeofproduction。Letusassumethatinacertainareaageneralintroductionofconsumers’co-operativessucceedsinreducingthecostoffoodstuffsfortheworkersby20percent;inthelongrunwageswouldfallinthatareabyapproximately20percent，thatistosay，inthesameproportionasthefoodstuffsinquestionenterintothemeansofsubsistenceoftheworkers。Iftheworker，forexample，spendsthree-quartersofhisweeklywageonthesefoodstuffs，thenwageswouldfinallyfallbythree-quartersof20=15percent。Inshort，assoonasanysuchsavingsreformhasbecomegeneral，theworkerreceivesinthesameproportionlesswages，ashissavingspermithimtolivecheaper。Giveeveryworkerasaved，independentincomeof52talersayearandhisweeklywagemustfinallyfallbyonetaler。Therefore：themorehesavesthelesshewillreceiveinwages。
　　Hesavesthereforenotinhisowninterests，butintheinterestsofthecapitalist。Isanythingelsenecessaryinorder"tostimulateinthemostpowerfulfashiontheprimaryeconomicvirtue，thrift"？（Page64。）
　　Fortherest，HerrSaxtellsusimmediatelyafterwardsthattheworkersaretobecomehouseownersnotsomuchintheirowninterestsasintheinterestsofthecapitalists：
　　"However。notonlytheworkingclass。butsocietyasawholehasthegreatestinterestinseeingasmanyofitsmembersaspossiblebound（！）totheland"（IshouldliketoseeDr。Saxhimselfinthisposition。）"……Allthesecretforceswhichsetonfirethevolcanocalledthesocialquestionwhichglowsunderourfeet，theproletarianbitterness，thehatred……thedangerousconfusionofideas……mustdisappearlikemistbeforethemorningsunwhen……
　　theworkersthemselvesenterinthisfashionintotheranksofthepropertyowners。"（Page65。）Inotherwords，HerrSaxhopesthatbyanalterationoftheirproletarianstatussuchaswouldbebroughtaboutbytheacquisitionofhouseproperty，theworkerswouldalsolosetheirproletariancharacterandbecomeonceagainobedienttoadiesliketheirforefatherswhowerealsohouseowners。
　　TheProudhonistsshouldtakethattoheart。
　　HerrSaxbelieveshehastherebysolvedthesocialproblem：
　　"Ajusterdistributionofgoods，theriddleoftheSphinxwhichsomanyhavealreadytriedinvaintosolve，doesitnotnowliebeforeusasatangiblefact，hasitnottherebybeentakenfromtheregionofidealsandbroughtintotherealmofreality？Andifitiscarriedoutisnottherebyoneofthehighestaimsachieved，onewhicheventhesocialistsoftheextremisttendencypresentastheculminatingpointoftheirtheories？"（Page66。）Itisreallyluckythatwehaveworkedourwaythroughasfarasthis，becausethisshoutoftriumphistheculminatingpointofHerrSax’sbook，andafterthatitgentlydescendsfrom"theregionofideals"intoinsipidreality，andwhenwehavedescendedweshallfindthatnothing，nothingatall，haschangedinourabsence。
　　Ourleadercausesustotakethefirststepdownwardsbyinformingusthattherearetwosystemsofworkers’dwellings：thecottagesysteminwhicheachworking-classfamilyhasitsownlittlehouseandifpossiblealittlegardenaswell，asinEngland;andthebarracksystemoflargebuildingscontainingnumerousworkers’dwellings，asinParis，Vienna，etc。BetweenthetwoisthesystemusualinNorthernGermany。Nowitistruethatthecottagesystemissaidtobetheonlycorrectone，andtheonlyonewherebytheworkercouldacquiretheownershipofhisownhouse，whilefurtherthebarracksystemhasverygreatdisadvantageswithregardtohygiene，moralityanddomesticpeace——butunfortunatelythecottagesystemisnotrealizablejustinthecentresofthehousingshortage，inthebigcities，onaccountofthehighpriceofland，andoneshouldthereforebegladifhouseswerebuiltcontainingfromfourtosixdwellingsinsteadofbigbarracks，oratleastthedisadvantagesofthebigtenementsystemmadeupforbyvariousbuildingrefinements。（Pages71-92。）
　　Wehavedescendedquitealongwayalready，havewenot？Thetransformationoftheworkersintocapitalists，thesolutionofthesocialquestion，ahouseofhisownforeachworker，allthesethingshavebeenleftbehind，upabovein"theregionofideals。"Allthatremainsforustodoistointroducethecottagesystemintothecountryareasandtomaketheworkers’
　　barracksinthetownsastolerableaspossible。
　　Onitsownadmission，therefore，thebourgeoissolutionofthehousingquestionhascometogrief-ithascometogriefowingtotheantithesisoftownandcountry。Andwiththiswehavearrivedatthekerneloftheproblem。Thehousingquestioncanonlybesolvedwhensocietyhasbeensufficientlytransformedforastarttobemadetowardsabolishingtheantithesisbetweentownandcountry，whichhasbeenbroughttoanextremepointbypresent-daycapitalistsociety。Farfrombeingabletoabolishthisantithesis，capitalistsocietyonthecontraryiscompelledtointensifyitdaybyday。Ontheotherhandthefirstmodernutopiansocialists，OwenandFourier，alreadycorrectlyrecognizedthis。Intheirmodelplanstheantithesisbetweentownandcountrynolongerexists。ConsequentlytheretakesplaceexactlythecontraryofthatwhichHerrSaxcontends;itisnotthesolutionofthehousingquestionwhichsimultaneouslysolvesthesocialquestion，butonlybythesolutionofthesocialquestion，thatis，bytheabolitionofthecapitalistmodeofproduction，isthesolutionofthehousingquestionmadepossible。Towanttosolvethehousingquestionwhileatthesametimedesiringtomaintainthemodernbigcitiesisanabsurdity。Themodernbigcities，however，willbeabolishedonlybytheabolitionofthecapitalistmodeofproduction，andwhenthisisonceonthewaythentherewillbequiteotherthingtodothansupplyingeachworkerwithalittlehouseforhisownpossession。
　　Inthebeginning，however，eachsocialrevolutionwillhavetotakethingsasitfindsthemanddoitsbesttogetridofthemostcryingevilswiththemeansatitsdisposal。Andwehavealreadyseenthatthehousingshortagecanberemediedimmediatelybyexpropriatingapartoftheluxurydwellingsbelongingtothepropertiedclassesandbyquarteringworkersintheremainingpart。
　　Continuing，HerrSaxoncemoreleavesthebigcitiesanddeliversalengthyverbosediscourseuponworkingclasscoloniestobeestablishednearthetowns;hedescribesallthebeautiesofsuchcolonieswiththeirjoint’"watersupply，gaslighting，airorhotwaterheating，washhouses，dryingrooms，bathrooms，etc。，"withtheir"creche，school，prayerhall（！），readingroom，library……wineandbeerhall，dancingandconcerthallinallrespectability，"withsteampowerlaidontoallthehousessothat"toacertainextentproductioncanberelayedfromthefactoryintodomesticworkshops";butthisdoesnotalterthesituationatall。
　　ThecolonyHerrSaxdescribeshasbeendirectlyborrowedbyMr。HuberfromthesocialistsOwenandFourierandmerelymadeentirelybourgeoisbydiscardingeverythingsocialistaboutthem。Thereby，however，itbecomesreallyutopian。
　　Nocapitalisthasanyinterestinestablishingsuchcolonies，andinfactnonesuchexistsanywhereintheworld，exceptinGuiseinFranceandthatwasbuiltbyafollowerofFourier，notasprofitablespeculationbutasasocialistexperiment。[Andthisonealsobasfinallybecomeamerecentreofworkingclassexploitation。（SeetheParisSocialisteof1886。）——NotebyF。EngelstothesecondGermanedition。]HerrSaxmightjustaswellhavequotedinsupportofbigbourgeoisproject-spinningtheexampleofthecommunistcolony"HarmonyHall"foundedbyOweninHampshireatthebeginningofthe’fortiesandlongsincedefunct。
　　Inanycase，allthistalkaboutcolonizationisnothingmorethanalameattempttosoaragaininto"theregionofideals"anditisimmediatelyafterwardsagainabandoned。Wedescendrapidlyagain。Thesimplestsolutionthenis"thattheemployers，thefactoryowners，shouldassisttheworkerstoobtainsuitabledwellings，whethertheydosobybuildingsuchthemselvesorbyencouragingandassistingtheworkerstodotheirownbuildingandbyprovidingthemwithland，advancingthembuildingcapital，etc。"（Page106。）Withthisweareonceagainoutofthebigtownswheretherecanbenoquestionofanythingofthesortandbackinthecountry。HerrSaxthenprovesthathereitisintheinterestsofthefactoryownersthemselvesthattheyshouldassisttheirworkerstoobtaintolerabledwellings，ontheonehandbecauseitisagoodinvestment，andontheotherhandbecausetheinevitable"resultingupliftoftheworkers……mustresultinanincreaseoftheirmentalandphysicalworkingcapacity，whichnaturally——noless——isofadvantagetotheemployers。Withthis，however，therightpointofviewfortheparticipationofthelatterinthesolutionofthehousingquestionisgiven;itappearsastheoutcomeofalatentassociation，astheoutcomeofthecareoftheemployersforthephysicalandeconomic，mentalandmoralwell-beingoftheirworkers，whichisconcealedforthemostpartunderthecloakofhumanitarianeffortsandwhichisitsownpecuniaryrewardbecauseofitsresultsinproducingandmaintainingadiligent，skilled，willing，contentedanddevotedworkingclass。"（Page108。）Thephrase"latentassociation"，withwhichHuberattemptstoimposeonthisbourgeoisphilanthropicdrivel"ahighersignificance，"doesnotalterthesituationatall。Evenwithoutthisphrasethebigruralfactoryowners，particularlyinEngland，havelongagorecognizedthatthebuildingofworkers’dwellingsisnotonlyanecessity，apartofthefactoryequipmentitself，butalsothatitpaysverywell。InEnglandwholevillageshavegrownupinthisway，andsomeofthemhavelaterdevelopedintotowns。
　　Theworkers，however，insteadofbeingthankfultothephilanthropiccapitalists，havealwaysraisedveryconsiderableobjectionstothis"cottagesystem。"
　　Notonlyaretheycompelledtopaymonopolypricesforthesehousesbecausethefactoryownerhasnocompetitors，butimmediatelyastrikebreaksouttheyarehomeless，becausethefactoryownerthrowsthemoutofhishouseswithoutanymoreadoandthusrendersanyresistancedifficult。
　　FurtherdetailscanbestudiedinmyConditionoftheWorkingClassinEngland，pp。184and256。HerrSax，however，thinksthattheseobjections"hardlydeserverefutation。"（Page111。）Butdoeshenotwanttomaketheworkertheownerofhisdwelling？Certainly，but，as"theemployersmustalwaysbeinapositiontodisposeofthedwellinginorderthatwhentheydismissaworkertohaveroomfortheonewhoreplaceshim，"wellthen，thereisnothingforitbut"tomakesomeprovisionforsuchcasesbyagreementfortherevocationofownership。"（Page11。3。）
　　[Inthisrespectalso。theEnglishcapitalistshavelongagonotonlyfulfilledbutfarexceededallthecherishedwishesofHerrSax。OnMonday，October14，1872，thecourtinMorpethhadtoadjudicateonanapplicationonbehalfof2，000minerstohavetheirnamesenrolledonthelistofparliamentaryvoters。Ittranspiredthatthegreaternumberoftheseminers，accordingtotheregulationsofthemineatwhichtheywereemployed，werenottoberegardedastenantsofthedwellingsinwhichtheylived，but，asoccupyingthesedwellingsonsufferance，andtheycouldbethrownoutofthematanymomentwithoutnotice。（Thelandownerandhouseownerwerenaturallyoneandthesameper-on。）Thejudgedecidedthatthesemenwerenottenantsbutservants，andthereforeassuchnotentitledtobeincludedinthelistofvoters。（DailyNews，October15，1872。）——NotebyF。Engels。]
　　II
　　Thistimewehavecomedownwithunexpectedsuddenness。Firstitwassaidtheworkermustownhisownlittlehouse。Thenweareinformedthatthisisimpossibleinthetownsandcanbecarriedoutonlyin-thecountry。
　　Andnowwearetoldthatownershipeveninthecountryistobe"revocablebyagreement"！WiththisnewsortofpropertyfortheworkersdiscoveredbyHerrSax，withthistransformationoftheworkersintocapitalists"revocablebyagreement，"wehavesafelyarrivedagainonfirmground，andhaveheretoexaminewhatthecapitalistsandotherphilanthropistshaveactuallydonetosolvethehousingquestion。
　　IfwearetobelieveourworthyDr。Sax，muchhasalreadybeendonebyMessieursthecapitaliststoremedythehousingshortage;andtheproofhasbeenprovidedthatthehousingquestioncanbesolvedonthebasisofthecapitalistmodeofproduction。
　　Aboveall，HerrSaxquotesustheexampleof——BonapartistFrance！
　　Asisknown，LouisBonaparteappointedacommissionatthetimeoftheParisWorldExhibitionostensiblytoreportuponthesituationoftheworkingclassesinFrance，butinrealitytodescribetheirsituationasblissfulintheextreme，tothegreatergloryoftheEmpire。Anditistothisreport，drawnupbyacommissioncomposedofthecorruptesttoolsofBonapartism，thatHerrSaxrefers，particularlybecausetheresultsofitsworkare"accordingtothecommittee’sownstatementfairlycompleteforFrance。"
　　Andwhataretheseresults？Ofeighty-ninebigindustrialistsorjoint-stockcompanieswhichgaveinformationtothecommission，thirty-onehadbuiltnoworkers’dwellingsatall。AccordingtotheestimateofDr。Saxhimself，thedwellingsthatwerebuilthouseatthemostfrom50，000to60，000people，andthedwellingsthemselvesconsistalmostexclusivelyofnomorethantworoomsforeachfamily。
　　Itisobviousthateverycapitalistwhoistieddowntoaparticularruraldistrictbytheconditionsofhisindustry——waterpower，thepositionofcoalmines，iron-stonedepositsandothermines，etc。——mustbuilddwellingsforhisworkersifnoneareavailable。Toseeinthisaproofof"latentassociation，""aneloquenttestimonytoagrowingunderstandingofthequestionanditswideimport，"a"verypromisingbeginning"（page115），allthisdemandsaveryhighlydevelopedhabitofself-deception。
　　Fortherest，theindustrialistsofthevariouscountriesdifferfromeachotherinthisrespectalsoaccordingtonationalcharacter。Forinstance，HerrSaxinformsus（page117）：
　　"InEnglandonlyrecentlyhasincreasedactivityonthepartofemployersinthisdirectionbeenobservable。Thisrefersinparticulartothemoreoutofthewayhamletsintheruralareas……Thecircumstancethatotherwisetheworkersoftenhavetowalkalongwayfromthenearestvillagetothefactoryandarrivetheresoexhaustedthattheydonotperformenoughworkisthechiefreasonwhichfurnishestheemployerswiththemotiveforbuildingdwellingsfortheirworkers。However，thenumberofthosewhohaveadeeperunderstandingofconditionsandwhocombinewiththecauseofhousingreformmoreorlessalltheotherelementsoflatentassociationisalsoincreasing，anditisthesepeopletowhomcreditisduefortheestablishmentofthoseflourishingcolonies……ThenamesofAshtoninTiyde，AshworthinTuxton，GrantinBury，GreginBollington，MarshallinLeeds，StrattinBelper，SaltinSaltaire，AckroidinCopley，andothersareknownonthisaccountthroughouttheUnitedKingdom。"Blessedsimplicityandstillmoreblessedignorance！TheEnglishruralfactoryownershave"onlyrecently"beguntobuildworkers’dwellings！
　　No，mydearHerrSax，theEnglishcapitalistsarereallybigindustrialists，notonlyasregardstheirpurses，butalsoasregardstheirbrains。LongbeforeGermanypossessedareallylarge-scaleindustry，theyhadrealizedthatforfactoryproductionintheruraldistrictsexpenditureonworkers’
　　dwellingswasanecessarypartofthetotalinvestmentofcapitalandaveryprofitableone，bothdirectlyandindirectly。LongbeforethestrugglebetweenBismarckandtheGermanbourgeoisiehadgiventheGermanworkersfreedomofassociation，theEnglishfactory，mineandfoundryownershadhadpracticalexperienceofthepressuretheycouldexertonstrikingworkersiftheywereatthesametimethelandlordsofthoseworkers。The"flourishingcolonies"ofGreg，AshtonandAshworthareso"recent"thatevenfortyyearsagotheywerehailedbythebourgeoisieasmodelexamples，asImyselfdescribedtwenty-eightyearsago。（TheConditionoftheWorkingClassinEngland，Noteonpage186。）ThecoloniesofMarshallandAkroyd（thatishowthemanspellshisname）areaboutasold，andthecolonyofStruttismucholder，itsbeginningsreachingbackintothelastcentury。SinceinEnglandtheaveragedurationofaworker’sdwellingisreckonedasfortyyears，HerrSaxcancalculateonhisfingersthedilapidatedconditioninwhichthese"flourishingcolonies"aretoday。Inaddition，themajorityofthesecoloniesarenownolongerinthecountryside。Thecolossalexpansionofindustryhassurroundedmostofthemwithfactoriesandhousestosuchanextentthattheyarenowsituatedinthemiddleofdirty，smokytownswith20，000，30，000，andmoreinhabitants。ButallthisdoesnotpreventGermanbourgeoisscience，asrepresentedbyHerrSax，fromdevoutlyrepeatingtodaytheoldEnglishpaeansofpraiseof184，0，whichnolongerhaveanyapplication。
　　AndtogiveusoldAkroydasanexample！Thisworthywascertainlyaphilanthropistofthefirstwater。Helovedhisworkers，andinparticularhisfemaleemployees，tosuchanextentthathislessphilanthropiccompetitorsinYorkshireusedtosayofhimthatheranhisfactoriesexclusivelywithhisownchildren！ItistruethatDr。Saxcontendsthat"illegitimatechildrenarebecomingmoreandmorerare"intheseflourishingcolonies。（Page118。）
　　Yes，thatistruesofarasitreferstoillegitimatechildrenbornoutofwedlock，forintheEnglishindustrialdistrictstheprettygirlsmarryveryyoung。