InEnglandtheestablishmentofworkers’dwellingsclosetoeachbigruralfactoryandsimultaneouslywiththefactoryhasbeentheruleforsixtyyearsandmore。Asalreadymentioned，manyofthesefactoryvillageshavebecomethenucleusaroundwhichlateronawholefactorytownhasgrownupwithalltheevilswhichafactorytownbringswithit。Thesecolonieshavethereforenotsolvedthehousingquestion，onthecontrary，theyfirstreallycreateditintheirlocalities。Ontheotherhand，incountrieswhichinthesphereoflarge-scaleindustryhaveonlylimpedalongbehindEngland，andwhichhavereallyonlygottoknowwhatlarge-scaleindustryisafter1848，inFranceandparticularlyinGermany，thesituationisquitedifferent。Here，itisonlycolossalfoundriesandfactorieswhichdecidedaftermuchhesitationtobuildacertainnumberofworkers’dwellings——forinstance，theSchneiderworksinCreusotandtheKruppworksinEssen。Thegreatmajorityoftheruralindustrialistslettheirworkerstrudgemilesthroughtheheat，snowandraineverymorningtothefactories，andbackagaineveryeveningtotheirhomes。Thisisparticularlythecaseinmountainousdistricts，intheFrenchandAlsatianVosgesdistricts，inthevalleysoftheWupper，Sieg，Agger，LenneandotherRhineland-Westphalianrivers。IntheErzgebirgethesituationisprobablynobetter。ThesamepettyniggardlinessoccursbothamongtheGermansandamongtheFrench。
　　HerrSaxknowsverywellthatboththeverypromisingbeginningandtheflourishingcoloniesmeanlessthannothing。There。fore，hetriesnowtoprovetothecapitalistswhatmagnificentrentstheycanobtainbybuildingworkersdwellings。Inotherwords，heseekstoshowthemanewwayofcheatingtheworkers。
　　Firstofall，heholdsuptothemtheexampleofanumberofLondonbuildingsocieties;partlyphilanthropicandpartlyspeculative，whichhaveshownanetprofitoffromfourtosixpercentandmore。ItisnotnecessaryforHerrSaxtoprovetousthatcapitalinvestedinworkers’
　　housesyieldsagoodprofit。Thereasonwhythecapitalistsdonotinveststillmorethantheydoinworkers’dwellingsisthatmoreexpensivedwellingsbringinstillgreaterprofitsfortheirowners。TheexhortationofHerrSaxtothecapitalists，therefore，amounts，onceagain，tonothingbutamoralsermon。
　　AsfarastheseLondonbuildingsocietiesareconcerned，whosebrilliantsuccessesHerrSaxsoloudlyproclaims，theyhaveaccordingtohisownfigures——andeverysortofbuildingspeculationisincluded——
　　provideddwellingsforatotalof2，132familiesand706singlemen，i。e。，forlessthan15，000persons！AndisitpresumedseriouslytopresentinGermanythissortofchildishnessasagreatsuccess，althoughintheEastEndofLondonalonehalfamillionworkersliveunderthemostmiserablehousingconditions？ThewholeofthesephilanthropiceffortsareinfactsomiserablyfutilethattheEnglishparliamentaryreportsdealing，withthesituationoftheworkersneverevenbothertomentionthem。
　　WewillnotevenspeakhereoftheludicrousignoranceofLondonwhichshowsitselfthroughoutthiswholesection。Justonepoint，however：
　　HerrSaxisoftheopinionthattheLodgingHouseforSingleMeninSohowentoutofbusinessbecausethere64wasnohopeofobtainingalargeclientele"inthisneighborhood。HerrSaximaginesthatthewholeoftheWestEndofLondonisonebigluxurytown，anddoesnotknowthatrightbehindthemostelegantstreetsthedirtiestworkers’quartersaretobefound，ofwhich，forexample，Sohoisone。ThemodellodginghouseinSohowhichhementionsandwhichIknewtwenty-threeyearsago，waswellenoughfrequentedinthebeginning，butcloseddownfinallybecausenoonecouldstandit，andyetitwasoneofthebest。
　　Buttheworkers’townofMillhauseninAlsace——thatissurelyasuccess？
　　Theworkers’townofMillhausenisthegreatshow-pieceofthecontinentalbourgeois，justastheone-timeflourishingcoloniesofAshton，Ashworth，GregandCo。，areoftheEnglishbourgeois。Unfortunately，theMillhausenexampleisnotanyproductof"latentassociation，"butoftheopenassociationbetweentheSecondFrenchEmpireandthecapitalistsofAlsace。ItwasoneofLouisBonaparte’ssocialistexperiments，forwhichthestateadvancedone-thirdofthecapital。Infourteenyears（upto1867）
　　itbuilt800smallhousesaccordingtoaverydefectivesystem，animpossibleoneinEnglandwheretheyunderstandthesethingsbetter，andthesehousesarehandedovertotheworkerstobecometheirownpropertyafterthirteentofifteenyearsofmonthlypaymentsatanincreasedrental。
　　ItwasnotnecessaryfortheBonapartistsofAlsacetoinventthiswayofacquiringproperty;asweshallsee，ithadbeenintroducedbytheEnglishco-operativebuildingsocietieslongbefore。ComparedwithEnglishconditions，theextrarentpaidforthepurchaseofthesehousesisratherhigh。Forinstance，afterhavingpaid4，500francsbyinstallmentsinfifteenyears，theworkerreceivesahousewhichwasworth3，300francsfifteenyearsbefore。Iftheworkerwantstogoawayorifheisinarrearswithonlyasinglemonthlyinstallment（inwhichcasehecanbeturnedontothestreets），sixandtwo-thirdspercentoftheoriginalvalueofthehouseisreckonedastheannualrent（forinstance，17francsamonthforahouseworth3，000francs）andtherestispaidouttohim，butwithoutapennyofinterest。Itisquiteclearthatundersuchcircumstancesthesocietyisabletogrowfat，quiteapartfrom"stateassistance。"Itisjustasclearthatthehousesprovidedunderthesecircumstancesarebetterthantheoldtenementhousesinthetownitself，ifonlybecausetheyarebuiltoutsidethetowninasemi-ruralneighborhood。
　　WeneednotsayawordaboutthefewmiserableexperimentswhichhavebeenmadeinGermany;evenHerrSax，page157，recognizestheirwoefulness。
　　Whatthenexactlydoalltheseexamplesprove？Simplythatthebuildingofworkers’dwellingsisprofitablefromthecapitalistpointofview，evenwhenallthelawsofhygienearenottroddenunderfoot。
　　Butthathasneverbeendenied;weallknewthatlongago。Anyinvestmentofcapitalwhichsatisfiesanexistingneedisprofitableifconductedrationally。Thequestion，however，isprecisely，whythehousingshortagecontinuestoexistallthesame，whythecapitalistsallthesamedonotprovidesufficienthealthydwellingsfortheworkers。AndhereHerrSaxhasagainnothingbutexhortationstomaketothecapitalistsandfailstoprovideuswithananswer。Therealanswertothisquestionwehavealreadygivenabove。
　　Capitaldoesnotdesiretoabolishthehousingshortageevenifitcould;thishasnowbeencompletelyestablished。Thereremain，therefore，onlytwootherexpedients，self-helponthepartoftheworkersandstateassistance。
　　HerrSax，anenthusiasticworshipperofself-help，isabletoreportwonderfulthingsaboutitalsoinregardtothehousingquestion。
　　Unfortunatelyheiscompelledtoadmitrightatthebeginningthatself-helpcanonlyeffectanythingwherethecottagesystemeitheralreadyexistsorwhereitcanbeintroduced，i。e。，onceagainonlyintheruralareas。
　　Inthebigcities，eveninEngland，itcanbeeffectiveonlyinaverylimitedmeasure。HerrSaxthensighs："Reforminthisway（byself-help）
　　canbeeffectedonlyinaroundaboutwayandmustthereforealwaysbeimperfect，namelyinsofarastheprincipleofownershipreactsonthequalityofthedwelling。"Itwouldbepermissibletodoubteventhis，inanycase，the"principleofownership"hasnotexercisedanyreforminginfluenceonthe"quality"oftheauthor’sstyle。Despiteallthis，self-helpinEnglandhasachievedsuchwonders"thattherebyeverythingdonetheretosolvethehousingquestionfromotherangleshasbeenfarexceeded。"HerrSaxisreferringtotheEnglish"buildingsocieties"andhedealswiththematgreatlengthbecause：
　　"veryinadequateorerroneousideasarecurrentabouttheirgeneralcharacterandactivities。TheEnglishbuildingsocietiesarebynomeansassociationsforbuildinghousesorbuildingco-operatives;theycanbedescribedinGermanratheras’Hauswerbvereine’[associationsfortheacquisitionofhousingproperty]。Theyareassociationswhichaimataccumulatingfundsfromtheperiodicalcontributionsoftheirmembersinorderthen，outofthesefundsandaccordingtotheirsize，tograntloanstotheirmembersforthepurchaseofahouse……Thebuildingsocietyisthusasavingsbankforonesectionofitsmembers，andfortheothersectionaloanbank。Thebuildingsocietiesarethereforemortgagecreditinstitutionscalculatedfortherequirementsoftheworkerswhich，inthemain，usethesavingsoftheworkerstoassistpersonsofthesamesocialstandingasthedepositorstopurchaseorbuildahouse。Asmaybesupposed，suchloansaregrantedbymortgagingtherealpropertyinquestion，andtheconditionsaresuchthattheymustbepaidbackinshortinstallmentswhichcombinebothinterestandamortization。Theinterestisnotpaidouttothedepositors，butalwaysplacedtotheircreditatcompoundinterest。Thememberscandemandthereturnofthesumstheyhavepaidin，plusinterest，atanytime，bygivingamonth’snotice。"（Pages170to172。）"Thereareover2，000suchassociationsinEnglandandtheirtotalcapitalamountstoaboutL15，000，000sterling。Inthiswayabout100，000workingclassfamilieshaveobtainedpossessionoftheirownhearthandhome;asocialachievementthelikeofwhichwillcertainlynotbequicklyfound。"（Page174。）Unfortunatelyheretoothe"but"comeslimpingalongimmediatelyafter：
　　"However，aperfectsolutionofthequestionhasbynomeansbeenachievedinthisway;forthereason，iffornoother，thattheacquisitionofahouseisopenonlytothebettersituatedworkers。Inparticular，sanitaryconsiderationsarenotalwayssufficientlytakenintoconsideration。"（Page176。）Onthecontinent，"suchassociationsfindonlylittlescopefordevelopment。"
　　Theypresupposetheexistenceofthecottagesystemwhichexistsonlyinthecountrysideonthecontinent，andinthecountrysidetheworkersarenotsufficientlydevelopedforself-help。Ontheotherhand，inthetownswhererealbuildingsocietiescouldbeformed，theyarefacedwith"veryconsiderableandseriousdifficultiesofallsorts。"（Page179。）Theycouldbuildonlycottagesandthatisnogoodinthebigcities。Inshort，"thisformofco-operativeself-help"can"inthepresentcircumstances-andhardlyinthenearfuture——notplaythechiefroleinthesolutionofthequestionbeforeus。"Thesebuildingsocietiesare，wearetold，still"intheirfirstundevelopedbeginnings"and"thisistrueevenofEngland。"（Page181。）
　　Hence，thecapitalistswillnotandtheworkerscannot。AndwiththiswecouldclosethissectionifitwerenotabsolutelynecessarytoprovidealittleinformationabouttheEnglishbuildingsocieties，whichthebourgeoisieoftheSchulze-Delitzschtypealwaysholduptoourworkersasmodels。
　　Thesebuildingsocietiesarenotworkers’societies，norisittheirmainaimtoprovideworkerswiththeirownhouses。Onthecontrary，weshallseethatthishappensonlyveryexceptionally。Thebuildingsocietiesareessentiallyofaspeculativenature，thesmallerones。，whichweretheoriginalsocieties，notlesssothantheirbiggerimitators。Inapublichouse，usuallyattheinstigationoftheproprietor，inwhoseroomstheweeklymeetingsthentakeplace，anumberofregularcustomersandtheirfriends，smallshopkeepers，clerks，commercialtravelers，masterartisansandotherpettybourgeois——withhereandthereperhapsanengineerorsomeotherworkerbelongingtothearistocracyofhisclassfoundabuildingsociety。Theimmediateoccasionisusuallythattheproprietorhasdiscoveredacomparativelycheapplotoflandintheneighborhoodorsomewhereelse。
　　Mostofthemembersarenotboundbytheiroccupationstoanyparticulardistrict。Evenmanyofthesmallshopkeepersandartisanshaveonlybusinesspremisesinthetownandnotanydwelling;whoeverisinapositiontodosopreferstoliveinthesuburbsratherthaninthecentreofthesmokytown。Thebuildingplotispurchasedandasmanycottagesaspossibleerectedonit。Thecreditofthebetteroffmembersmakesthepurchasepossible，andtheweeklycontributionstogetherwithafewsmallloanscovertheweeklycostsofbuilding。Thosememberswhoaimatgettingahouseoftheirownreceivecottagesbylotastheyarecompleted，andtheappropriateextrarentservesfortheamortizationofthepurchaseprice。Theremainingcottagesaretheneitherletorsold。Thebuildingsociety，however，assumingthatitdoesgoodbusiness，accumulatesalargerorsmallersumwhichremainsthepropertyofthemembers，providingthattheykeepuptheircontributions，andwhichfromtimetotime，orwhenthesocietyisdissolved，isdistributedamongthem。ThisisthelifehistoryofnineoutoftenoftheEnglishbuildingsocieties。Theothersarebiggersocieties，sometimesformedunderpoliticalorphilanthropicpretexts，buttheirchiefaimisalwaystoprovidethesavingsofthepettybourgeoisiewithamoreprofitablemortgageinvestmentatagoodrateofinterest，withtheprospectofdividendsasaresultofspeculationinrealestate。
　　Thesortofclientsthesesocietiesspeculateoncanbeseenfromtheprospectusofoneofthelargestifnotthelargestofthem。TheBirkbeckBuildingSociety，29and30，SouthamptonBuildings，ChanceryLane，London，whosegrossreceiptssinceitsexistencetotal110，500，000sterling，whichhasover9416，000inthebankorinvestedinstatesecurities，andwhichatpresenthas21，441membersanddepositors，introducesitselftothepublicinthefollowingfashion：
　　"Mostpeopleareacquaintedwiththeso-calledthree-yearsystemofthepianomanufacturersaccordingtowhichanyonehiringapianoforthreeyearsbecomestheownerofthepianoaftertheexpirationofthatperiod。Priortotheintroductionofthissystemitwasalmostasdifficultforpeopleoflimitedincometoacquireagoodpianoasitwasforthemtoacquiretheirownhouse。Yearafteryearsuchpeoplepaidthehiremoneyforthepianoandexpendedtwoorthreetimesasmuchmoneyinthiswayasthepianowasworth。Butwhatisfeasiblewithregardtoapianoisfeasiblewithregardtoahouse。However，asahousecostsmorethanapiano，alongerperiodisnecessarytopayoffthepurchasepriceinrent。InconsequencethedirectorshavecometoanagreementwithhouseownersinvariouspartsofLondonanditssuburbs，asaresultofwhichtheyareinapositiontoofferthemembersoftheBirkbeckBuildingSocietyandothersagreatselectionofhousesinallpartsofthetown。Thesystemaccordingtowhichtheboardofdirectorsintendstoworkisthefollowing：itwillletthesehousesfortwelveandahalfyearsandattheendofthisperiod，providingthattherenthasbeenpaidregularly，thetenantwillbecometheabsoluteownerofhishousewithoutanyfurtherpaymentofanykind。Thetenantcanalsocontractforashorterspaceoftimewithahigherrental，orforalongerspaceoftimewithalowerrental。Peopleoflimitedincome，clerks，shopassistantsandotherscanmakethemselvesindependentoflandlordsimmediatelybybecomingmembersoftheBirkbeckBuildingSociety。"[RetranslatedfromtheGerman-Ed。]Thatisclearenough。Thereisnomentionofworkers，butratherofpeopleoflimitedincome，clerksandshopassistants，etc。，andinadditionitisassumedthat，asarule，theapplicantsalreadypossessapiano。Infactwehavetodoherenotwithworkers，butwithpettybourgeoisandthosewhowouldlikeandareabletobecomepettybourgeois;peoplewhoseincomesgraduallyriseasarule，evenifwithincertainlimits，suchasclerksandemployeesinsimilaroccupations。Theincomeoftheworker，however，inthebestcaseremainsthesameinamount，andinrealityitfallsinproportiontotheincreaseofhisfamilyanditsgrowingneeds。
　　Infact，fewworkerscantakepartinsuchsocietiesandthenonlyinexceptionalcases。Ontheonehandtheirincomeistoolow，andontheotherhanditisoftoouncertainacharacterforthemtobeabletoundertakeresponsibilitiesfortwelveandahalfyearsahead。Thefewexceptionswherethisisnotvalidareeitherbetter-paidworkersorforemen。
　　[WeaddherealittlecontributiononthewayinwhichthesebuildingsocietiesandinparticulartheLondonbuildingsocietiesaremanaged。
　　Asisknown，almostthewholeofthelandonwhichLondonisbuiltbelongstoadozenaristocrats，includingthemosteminent，theDukeofWestminster，theDukeofBedford，theDukeofPortland，etc。Theyoriginallyleasedouttheseparatebuildingplotsforaperiodofninety-nineyears，andattheendofthatperiodtheytakepossessionofthelandwitheverythingonit。Theythenletthehousesonshorterleases，thirty-nineyearsforexample，withaso-calledrepairingclause，accordingtowhichtheleaseholdermustputthehouseingoodrepairandmaintainitinsuchcondition。Assoonasthecontracthasprogressedthusfar。thegroundlandlordsendshisarchitectandthedistrictsurveyortoinspectthehouseanddeterminetherepairsnecessary。Theserepairsareoftenveryconsiderableandmayincludetherenewalofthewholefrontage，oroftheroof，etc。Theleaseholdernowdepositshisleaseasasecuritywithabuildingsocietyandreceivesfromthissocietyaloanofthenecessarymoney——uptoL1000andmoreinthecaseofanannualrental-offromL130toL150——forthebuildingrepairswhicharetobecarriedoutathiscost。ThesebuildingsocietieshavethusbecomeanimportantintermediatelinkinasystemwhichaimsatsecuringthecontinualrenewalandmaintenanceinhabitableconditionofLondon’shousesbelongingtothelandedaristocracywithoutanytroubletothelatterandatthecostofthepublic。Andthisissupposedtobeasolutionofthehousingquestionfortheworkers！[NotebyF。EngelstothesecondGermanedition。]
　　Fortherest，itiscleartoeveryonethattheBonapartistsoftheworkers’townofMulhausenarenothingmorethanmiserableimitatorsofthesepetty-bourgeoisEnglishbuildingsocieties。’thesoledifferenceisthattheformer，inspiteofthestateassistancegrantedtothem，swindletheirclientsfarmorethanthebuildingsocietiesdo。OnthewholetheirtermsarelessliberalthantheaverageexistinginEngland，andwhileinEnglandinterestandcompoundinterestisreckonedoneachdepositandthelatteralsocanbewithdrawnatamonth’snotice，thefactoryownersofMulhausenputbothinterestandcompoundinterestintotheirownpocketsandrepaynomorethantheamountpaidinbytheworkersinhard-earnedfive-francpieces。AndnoonewillbemoreastonishedatthisdifferencethanHerrSaxwhohasitallinhisbookwithoutknowingit。
　　Thusworkers’self-helpisalsonogood。Thereremainsstateassistance。
　　WhatcanHerrSaxofferusinthisconnection？Threethings：
　　"Firstofall，thestatemusttakecarethatinitslegislationandadministration，allthosethingswhichinanywayresultinaccentuatingthehousingshortageamongtheworkingclassesareabolishedorappropriatelyremedied。"（Page187。）Consequently，revisionofbuildinglegislationandfreedomforthebuildingtradesinorderthatbuildingshallbecheaper。ButinEnglandbuildinglegislationisreducedtoaminimumthebuildingtradesareasfreeasthebirdsintheair，nevertheless，thehousingshortageexists。Inaddition，buildingisnowcarriedoutsocheaplyinEnglandthatthehousestotterwhenacartgoesbyandeverydaysomeofthemcollapse。Onlyyesterday（October25，1872）sixofthemcollapsedsimultaneouslyinManchesterandseriouslyinjuredsixworkers。Therefore，thatisalsonoremedy。
　　"Secondly，thestatepowermustpreventindividualsintheirnarrow-mindedindividualismfromreproducingtheevilorcausingitanew。"Consequently，inspectionofworkers’dwellingsbythesanitaryauthoritiesandbuildinginspectors;theauthoritiestohavepowertoclosedowndilapidatedandunhygienichouses，ashasbeenthecaseinEnglandsince1857。Buthowdiditworkthere？Thefirstlawof1855（theNuisances’RemovalAct）
　　remained，asHerrSaxadmitshimself，"adeadletter，"asalsodidthesecondlawof1858（theLocalGovernmentAct）。（Page197。）OntheotherhandHerrSaxbelievesthatthethirdlaw（theArtisans’DwellingsAct），whichappliesonlytotownswithapopulationofover10，000，44certainlyoffersfavorabletestimonytothegreatunderstandingoftheBritishParliamentinsocialmatters。"（Page199。）But，asamatteroffact，thiscontentiondoesnomorethanoffer"favorabletestimonyoftheutterignoranceofDr。SaxinEnglishmatters。"ThatEnglandingeneralisfarinadvanceofthecontinentin"socialmatters"isamatterofcourse。Englandisthemotherlandofmodernlarge-scaleindustry;thecapitalistmodeofproductionhasdevelopedheremostfreelyandextensivelyofall，itsconsequencesshowthemselvesheremostglaringlyofallandthereforeitisherealsothattheyfirstproduceareactioninthesphereoflegislation。Thebestproofofthisisfactorylegislation。If，however，HerrSaxthinksthatanActofParliamentonlyrequirestobecomelegallyeffectiveinordertobecarriedimmediatelyintopracticeaswell，heismakingagreatmistake。
　　AndthisistrueoftheLocalGovernmentActmorethanofanyotheract（withtheexception，ofcourse，oftheWorkshopsAct）。Theadministrationofthislawwasentrustedtotheurbanauthorities，whichalmosteverywhereinEnglandarerecognizedcentresofcorruptionofallkinds，nepotismandjobbery。
　　[Jobberyistheexploitationofapublicofficetotheprivateadvantageoftheofficialorhisfamily。If，forinstance，thedirectorofthestatetelegraphsofacountrybecomesasleepingpartnerinapaperfactory，providesthisfactorywithtimberfromhisforests，andthengivesthefactoryordersforsupplyingpaperforthetelegraphoffices，thenthatisafairlysmallbutquiteapretty"job，"inasmuchasitdemonstratesacompleteunderstandingoftheprinciplesofjobbery;suchas，fortherest，inthecaseofBismarckwasamatterofcourseandtobe，expected。
　　——NotebyF。Engels。]
　　Theagentsoftheseurbanauthorities，whoowetheirpositionstoallsortsoffamilyconsiderations，areeitherincapableofcarryingintoeffectsuchsociallaws，ordisinclinedtodoso。Ontheotherhand，itispreciselyinEnglandthatthestateofficialswhoareentrustedwiththepreparationandcarryingintoeffectofsociallegislationareusuallydistinguishedbyastrictsenseofduty——althoughinalesserdegreetodaythantwentyorthirtyyearsago。Inthetowncouncils，theownersofunsoundanddilapidateddwellingsarealmosteverywherestronglyrepresentedeitherdirectlyorindirectly。Thesystemofelectingthesetowncouncilsaccordingtosmallwardsmakestheelectedmembersdependentonthepettiestlocalinterestsandinfluences;notowncouncilorwhodesirestobere-electeddarevotefortheapplicationofthislawinhisconstituency。Itiscomprehensiblethereforewithwhataversionthislawwasreceivedalmosteverywherebythelocalauthorities，andthatuptothepresentithasbeenappliedonlyinthemostscandalouscases——andeventhen，asageneralrule，onlyastheresultoftheoutbreakofsomeepidemic，suchasinthecaseofthesmall-poxepidemiclastyearinManchesterandSulfured。AppealstotheHomeSecretaryhaveuptothepresentbeeneffectiveonlyinsuchcases，foritistheprincipleofeveryLiberalgovernmentinEnglandtoproposesocialreformlawsonlywhencompelledtodosoand，ifatallpossible，toavoidcarryingintoeffectthosealreadyexisting。Thelawinquestion，likemanyothersinEngland，hasonlytheimportancethat，inthehandsofagovernmentdominatedbyorunderthepres。sureoftheworkers，agovernmentwhichwouldatlastreallyadministerit，itwouldbeapowerfulweaponformakingabreachintheexistingsocialstateofthings。
　　"Thirdly，thestatepowermust，"accordingtoHerrSax，"makeuseofallthepositivemeansatitsdisposaltoremedytheexistinghousingshortagetothemostcomprehensiveextent。"Thatistosay，itmustbuildbarracks，"trulymodelbuildings，"forits"subordinateofficialsandservants"（butthesearecertainlynotworkers），and"grantloanstomunicipalities，societiesandalsotoprivatepersonswithaviewtoimprovingthehousingconditionsoftheworkingclasses"
　　（page203），asisdoneinEnglandunderthePublicWorksLoanAct，andasLouisBonapartehasdoneinParisandMulhausen。ButthePublicWorksLoanActalsoexistsonlyonpaper，thegovernmentplacesatthedisposalofthecommissionersamaximumsumofL50，000sterling，i。e。，sufficienttobuildattheutmost400cottages，thatistosay，infortyyearsatotalof16，000cottages，ordwellingsforatthemost80，000persons——adropintheocean！Evenifweassumethataftertwentyyearsthefundsatthedisposalofthecommissionersweretodoubleasaresultofrepayments，that，therefore，duringthepasttwentyyearsdwellingsforafurther40，000
　　personshavebeenbuilt，thewholestillremainsadropintheocean。Andasthecottageshaveanaveragelifeofnomorethanfortyyears，afterfortyyearstheliquidassetsof6：50，000or$100，000mustbeusedeveryyeartoreplacethemostdilapidated，theoldestofthecottages。
　　HerrSaxdeclaresonpage203thatthisiscarryingtheprincipleintopracticecorrectlyandto"anunlimitedextentalso。"AndwiththeconfessionthateveninEnglandandto"anunlimitedextent"thestatehasachievednexttonothing，Dr。Saxconcludeshisbook，butnotbeforehavingdeliveredanothermoralhomilytoallconcerned。
　　[InrecentEnglishActsofParliamentgivingtheLondonbuildingauthoritiestherightofexpropriationforthepurposeofnewstreetconstruction，acertainamountofconsiderationisgiventotheworkersturnedoutoftheirhomes。Aprovisionhasbeeninsertedthatthenewbuildingstobeerectedmustbesuitableforhousingthoseclassesofthepopulationpreviouslylivingthere。Bigfiveorsixstoreytenementbarracksarethereforeerectedfortheworkersontheleastvaluablesitesandinthiswaytheletterofthelawiscompliedwith。itremainstobeseenhowthesebuildingswillserve;theworkersareunaccustomedtothemandinthemidstoftheoldconditionsinLondontheyformacompletelyforeigndevelopment。Inthebestcase，however，theywillprovidenewdwellingsforhardlymorethanaquarteroftheworkersactuallyevictedbythebuildingoperations。
　　——NotebyF。EngelstothesecondGermanedition。]
　　Itisperfectlyclearthattheexistingstateisneitherablenorwillingtodoanythingtoremedythehousingdifficulty。Thestateisnothingbuttheorganizedcollectivepowerofthepossessing，classes，thelandownersandthecapitalistsasagainsttheexploitedclasses，thepeasantsandtheworkers。Whattheindividualcapitalists（anditishereonlyaquestionofthesebecauseinthismatterthelandownerwhoisalsoconcernedactsprimarilyasacapitalist）donotwant，theirstatealsodoesnotwant。Ifthereforetheindividualcapitalistsdeplorethehousingshortage，butcanhardlybepersuadedevensuperficiallytopalliateitsmoatterrifyingconsequences，thenthecollectivecapitalist，thestate，willnotdomuchmore。Atthemostitwillseetoitthatthemeasureofsuperficialpalliationwhichhasbecomestandardiscarriedouteverywhereuniformly。Andwehavealreadyseenthatthisisthecase。
　　But，onemightobject，inGermanythebourgeoisiedoesnotruleasyet;inGermanythestateisstilltoacertainextentapowerhoveringindependentlyoversocietyasawhole，whichforthatveryreasonrepresentsthecollectiveinterestsofsocietyandnotthoseofasingleclass。Suchastatecancertainlydomuchthatabourgeoisstatecannotdo，andonecouldexpectfromitsomethingquitedifferentonthesocialfieldalso。
　　Thatisthelanguageofreactionaries。Inreality，however，thestateasitexistsatpresentinGermanyisalsothenecessaryproductofthesocialbasisoutofwhichithasdeveloped。InPrussia——andPrussiaisnowdecisive——thereexistssidebysidewithalandowningaristocracywhichisstillpowerful，acomparativelyyoungandmarkedlyverycowardlybourgeoisie，whichuptothepresenthasnotwoneitherdirectpoliticaldomination，asinFrance，ormoreorlessindirectasinEngland。Sidebysidewiththesetwoclasses，however，thereexistsfurtherarapidlyincreasingproletariatwhichisintellectuallyhighlydevelopedandwhichisbecomingmoreandmoreorganizedeveryday。Wefind，therefore，inGermanyalongsideofthebasicconditionoftheoldabsolutemonarchy，anequilibriumbetweenthelandowningaristocracyandthebourgeoisie，alsothebasicconditionofmodernBonapartism，anequilibriumbetweenthebourgeoisieandtheproletariat。
　　ButbothintheoldabsolutemonarchyandinthemodernBonapartistmonarchytherealgoverningpowerliesinthehandsofaspecialcasteofarmyofficersandstateofficials。InPrussiathiscasteissupplementedpartlyfromitsownranks，partlyfromthelesseraristocracyowningtheentailedestates，morerarelythehigheraristocracy，andleastofallfromthebourgeoisie。Theindependenceofthiscaste，whichappearstooccupyapositionoutsideand，sotospeak，abovesociety，givesthestatethesemblanceofindependenceinrelationtosociety。
　　ThestateformwhichhasdevelopedwithnecessarylogicinPrussia（and，followingthePrussianexample，inthenewimperialconstitutionofGermany）outofthesecontradictorysocialconditionsispseudo-constitutionalism，aformwhichisatonceboththepresent-dayformofthedissolutionoftheoldabsolutemonarchyandtheformofexistenceoftheBonapartistmonarchy。InPrussia，pseudo-constitutionalismfrom1848to1866onlyconcealedandbroughtabouttheslowdecayoftheabsolutistmonarchy。However，since1866，andstillmoresince1870，thetransformationofsocialconditionsandthusthedissolutionoftheoldstatehasproceededopenlyintheviewofallandonatremendouslyincreasingscale。
　　Therapiddevelopmentofindustryandinparticularofstockexchangeswindlinghasdraggedalltherulingclassesintothewhirlpoolofspeculation。
　　ThewholesalecorruptionimportedfromFrancein1870isdevelopingatanunprecedentedrate。StroussbergandPereiretakeofftheirhatstoeachother。Ministers，generals，princesandcountsdealinsharesincompetitionwiththecunningeststock-exchangeJews，andthestaterecognizestheirequalitybyconferringtitleswholesaleonthesestock-exchangeJews。Theruralaristocracy，whohavebeenindustrialistsforalongtimeasproducersofbeetsugaranddistillers，hadlongagolefttheoldandrespectabledaysbehindandnowswellthelistsofdirectorsofallsortsofsoundandunsoundjoint-stockcompanies。Thebureaucracyisbeginningmoreandmoretodespiseembezzlementasthesolemeansofimprovingitsincome;
　　itisturningitsbackonthestateandbeginningtohuntafterthefarmorelucrativepostsontheadministrationofindustrialenterprises。Thosewhostillremaininofficefollowtheexampleoftheirsuperiorsandspeculateinshares，or"participate"inrailways，etc。Oneisevenjustifiedinassumingthatthelieutenantsalsohavetheirhandsincertainspeculations。
　　Inshort，thedecompositionofalltheelementsoftheoldstateandthetransitionfromtheabsolutemonarchyisinfullswing，andwiththenextbigtradeandindustrialcrisisnotonlywillthepresentswindlecollapse，buttheoldPrussianstateaswell。[Eventoday，1886，whatholdstogethertheoldPrussianstateanditsbasis。theallianceofthebiglandownersandtheindustrialistcapitalistssealedbytheprotectivetariffsissolelythefearoftheproletariatwhichhasgrowntremendouslyinnumbersandclassconsciousnesssince1872。——NotebyF。EngelstothesecondGermanedition。]
　　Andthisstate，inwhichthenon-bourgeoiselementsarebecomingmorebourgeoiseveryday，istosolve"thesocialquestion，"orevenonlythehousingquestion？Onthecontrary。InalleconomicquestionsthePrussianstateisfallingmoreandmoreintothehandsofthebourgeoisie。Andifsince1866legislationontheeconomicfieldhasnotbeenevenmoreadaptedtotheinterestsofthebourgeoisthanwasactuallythecase，whosefaultisthat？Thebourgeoisieitselfischieflyresponsible，beingfirstlytoocowardlytopressitsowndemandsenergetically，andsecondlyresistingeveryconcessionimmediatelythelattersimultaneouslygivesthemenacingproletariatnewweapons。Andifthestatepower，i。e。，Bismarck，isattemptingtoorganizeitsownbodyguardproletariatinordertherebytokeepincheck！thepoliticalactivityofthebourgeoisie，whatisthatbutanecessaryandfamiliarBonapartistrecipewhichpledgesthestatetonothingmore，asfarastheworkersareconcerned，thanafewbenevolentphrasesandattheutmosttoaminimumofstateassistanceforbuildingsocietiesalaLouisBonaparte？
　　ThebestproofofwhattheworkershavetoexpectfromthePrussianstateliesintheutilizationoftheFrenchmilliardswhichhasgivenanewshortreprievetotheindependenceofthePrussianstatemachineinregardtosociety。HasevenasingletalerofallthesemilliardsbeenusedtoprovideshelterforthoseBerlinworkingclassfamilieswhichhavebeenthrownontothestreets？Onthecontrary。Asautumnapproached，thestateevencausedtobepulleddownthosefewmiserablehutswhichhadservedtheworkersandtheirfamiliesasatemporaryshelterduringthesummer。Thefivemilliardsarebeingexpendedrapidlyenoughforfortresses，cannonandsoldiers;anddespiteWagnervonDummerwitz，anddespiteStieber’sconferenceswithAustria，therewillnotbeusedfortheGermanworkersevenasmuchofthosemilliardsaswasusedfortheFrenchworkersoutofthemillionswhichLouisBonapartestolefromFrance。
　　III
　　Inrealitythebourgeoisiehasonlyonemethodofsolvingthehousingquestionafteritsfashion-thatistosay，ofsolvingitinsuchawaythatthesolutioncontinuallyreproducesthequestionanew。Thismethodiscalled"Haussmann。"
　　Bytheterm"Haussmann"IdonotmeanmerelythespecificallyBonapartistmanneroftheParisianHaussmann——breakinglong，straightandbroadstreetsthroughtheclosely-builtworkers’quartersanderectingbigluxuriousbuildingsonbothsidesofthem，theintentionthereby，apartfromthestrategicaimofmakingbarricadefightingmoredifficult，beingalsotodevelopaspecificallyBonapartistbuildingtrades’proletariatdependentonthegovernmentandtoturnthecityintoapureluxurycity。
　　By"Haussmann"Imeanthepracticewhichhasnowbecomegeneralofmakingbreachesintheworkingclassquartersofourbigtowns，andparticularlyinthosewhicharecentrallysituated，quiteapartfromwhetherthisisdonefromconsiderationsofpublichealthandforbeautifyingthetown，orowingtothedemandforbigcentrallysituatedbusinesspremises，orowingtotrafficrequirements，suchasthelayingdownofrailways，streets，etc。Nomatterhowdifferentthereasonsmaybe，theresultiseverywherethesame：thescandalousalleysandlanesdisappeartotheaccompanimentoflavishself-praisefromthebourgeoisieonaccountofthistremendoussuccess，buttheyappearagainimmediatelysomewhereelseandoftenintheimmediateneighborhood。
　　InTheConditionoftheWorkingClassinEnglandIgaveadescriptionofManchesterasitlookedin1843and1844。Sincethentheconstructionofrailwaysthroughthecentreofthetown，thelayingoutofnewstreets，andtheerectionofgreatpublicandprivatebuildingshavebrokenthrough，laidbareandimprovedsomeoftheworstdistrictsdescribedinmybook，othershavebeenabolishedaltogether，butmanyofthemarestill，apartfromthefactthatofficialsanitaryinspectionhassincebecomestricter，inthesamestateorinanevenworsestateofdilapidationthantheywerethen。Ontheotherhand，however，thankstotheenormousextensionofthetown，whosepopulationhasincreasedsincethenbymorethanhalf，districtswhichwereatthattimestillairyandcleanarenowjustasexcessivelybuiltupon，justasdirtyandovercrowdedasthemostill-famedpartsofthetownformerlywere。
　　Hereisjustoneexample：Onpage80andthefollowingpagesofmybookIdescribeagroupofhousessituatedinthevalleybottomoftheriverMedlock，whichunderthenameofLittleIrelandwasforyearsoneoftheworstblotsonManchester。LittleIrelandhaslongagodisappearedandonitssitetherenowstandsarailwaystationbuiltonahighfoundation。
　　ThebourgeoisieprintedwithpridetothehappyandfinalabolitionofLittleIrelandastoagreattriumph。Nowlastsummeragreatinundationtookplace，asingeneraltheriversembankedinourbigtownscauseextensivefloodsyearafteryearowingtoeasilyunderstoodcauses。AnditwasthenrevealedthatLittleIrelandhadnotbeenabolishedatall，buthadsimplybeenshiftedfromthesouthsideofOxfordRoadtothenorthside，andthatitstillcontinuestoflourish。LetushearwhattheManchesterWeeklyTimes，theorganoftheradicalbourgeoisieofManchester，hastosayinitsnumberofJuly20，1872：
　　"ThemisfortunewhichbefelltheinhabitantsofthelowervalleyoftheMedlocklastSaturdaywill，itistobehoped，haveonegoodresult：namelythatpublicattentionwillbedirectedtotheobviousmockeryofallthelawsofhygienewhichhasbeentoleratedtheresolongunderthenosesofourmunicipalofficialsandourmunicipalhealthcommittee。Aforciblearticleinourdailyeditionyesterdayrevealed，thoughhardlytrenchantlyenough，thescandalousconditionofsomeofthecellardwellingsnearCharlesStreetandBrookStreetwhichwerereachedbythefloods。Adetailedexaminationofoneofthecourtsmentionedinthisarticleenablesustoconfirmallthestatementsmadeaboutthem，andtodeclarethatthecellardwellingsinthiscourtshouldlongagohavebeencloseddown，orrather，theyshouldneverhavebeentoleratedashumanhabitations。Squire’sCourtismadeupofsevenoreightdwellinghousesonthecornerofCharlesStreetandBrookStreet。EvenatthelowestpartofBrookStreet，undertherailwaybridge，apedestrianmaypassdailyandneverdreamthathumanbeingsarelivingunderhisfeetinwhatarelittlemorethancaves。Thecourtitselfishiddenfrompublicviewandisaccessibleonlytothosewhoarecompelledbytheirimpoverishmenttoseekashelterinitssepulchralseclusion。
　　EveniftheusuallystagnantwatersoftheMedlock，whichareshutinbetweenlocks，donotexceedtheirusuallevel，thefloorsofthesedwellingscanhardlybemorethanafewinchesabovethesurfaceoftheriver。Agoodslowerofrainiscapableofdrivingupfilthyandnauseouswaterthroughthedrainsandfillingtheroomswithpestilentialgasessuchaseveryfloodleavesbehinditasasouvenir……
　　"Squire’sCourtliesatastilllowerlevelthantheuninhabitedcellarsofthehousesinBrookStreet-twentyfeetlowerthanthestreetlevel，andthefoulwaterdrivenuponSaturdaythroughthedrainsreachedtotheroofs。Weknewthisandthereforeexpectedthatweshouldfindtheplaceuninhabitedoroccupiedonlybythesanitaryofficialsengagedincleaningthestinkingwallsanddisinfectingthehouses。Insteadofthiswesawaman，inthecellarhomeofabarber，engagedinshovelingaheapofdecomposingfilth，whichlayinacorner，ontoawheelbarrow。Thebarber，whosecellarwasalreadymoreorlesscleanedup，sentusstilllowerdowntoanumberofdwellingsaboutwhichhedeclaredthat，ifhecouldwrite，hewouldhavewrittentothepresstodemandthattheybecloseddown。AndsofinallywecametoSquire’sCourtwherewefoundabuxomandhealthy-lookingIrishwomanbusyatthewashtub。Sheandherhusband，anightwatchman，hadlivedforsixyearsinthecourtandbadanumerousfamily……Inthehousewhichtheyhadjustleft，thewaterhadrisenalmosttotheroof，thewindowswerebrokenandthefurniturewasreducedtoruins。Themandeclaredthattheoccupantofthehousehadbeenabletokeepthesmellsfrombecomingintolerableonlybywhitewashingiteverytwomonths……
　　Intheinnercourt，intowhichourcorrespondentthenwent，hefoundthreehouseswhoserearwallsabuttedontherearwallsofthehousesjustdescribed。Twoofthesethreehouseswereinhabited。Thesmelltherewassofrightfulthatthehealthiestmanwouldhavefeltsickinaveryshortspaceoftime……Thisdisgustingholewasinhabitedbyafamilyofseven，allofwhomhadsleptinthePlaceonThursdayevening（thefirstdaythewaterrose）。Orrather，notslept，asthewomanimmediatelycorrectedherself，forsheandherhusbandhadvomitedcontinuallythegreaterpartofthenightowingtotheterriblesmell。OnSaturdaytheyhadbeencompelledtowadethroughthewater，chesthigh，tocarryouttheirchildren。Shewasoftheopinionthattheplacewasnotfitforpigstolivein，butonaccountofthelowrent——oneandsixpenceaweek——shehadtakenit，becauseherhusbandhadbeenoutofworkalotrecentlyowingtosickness。
　　Theimpressionmadeupontheobserverbythiscourtandtheinhabitantshuddledinit，asthoughinaprematuregrave，wasoneofutterhelplessness。Wemustpointout，bytheway，that，accordingtoourobservations，Squire’sCourtisnomorethantypical——thoughperhapsanextremecase——ofmanyotherplacesintheneighborhoodwhosecontinuedexistenceourhealthcommitteeshouldnotcountenance。Shouldthecommitteepermittheseplacestobeinhabitedinthe。futurethenitistakingonitselfaresponsibilitywhosegravityweshallnotdiscussfurtherhere，anditisexposingthewholeneighborhoodtothedangerofinfectiousepidemics。"[RetranslatedfromtheGerman-Ed。]Thisisastrikingexampleofhowthebourgeoisiesolvesthehousingquestioninpractice。Thebreedingplacesofdisease，theinfamousholesandcellarsinwhichthecapitalistmodeofproductionconfinesourworkersnightafternight，arenotabolished;theyaremerelyshiftedelsewhere！Thesameeconomicnecessitywhichproducedtheminthefirstplace，producestheminthenextplacealso。Aslongasthecapitalistmodeofproductioncontinuestoexist，itisfollytohopeforanisolatedsolutionofthehousingquestionorofanyOthersocialquestionaffectingthefateoftheworkers。Thesolutionliesintheabolitionofthecapitalistmodeofproductionandtheappropriationofallthemeansoflifeandlaborbytheworkingclassitself。
　　TheHousingQuestion——Part3THEHOUSINGQUESTIONpartthreeSUPPLEMENTONPROUDHONANDTHEHOUSINGQUESTIONbyFREDERICKENGELSI
　　InNo。86oftheVolksstaat，A。MulbergerrevealshimselfastheauthorofthearticlescriticizedbymeinNo。51
　　andsubsequentnumbersofthepaper。Inhisanswerheoverwhelmsmewithsuchaseriesofreproaches，andatthesametimedistortstosuchanextentallthepointsofviewwhichareatissue，that，willy-nilly，Iamcompelledtoreplytohim。Ishallattempttogivemyreply，whichtomyregretmustbemadetoalargeextentonthefieldofpersonalpolemicsenjoineduponmebyMulbergerhimself，ageneralinterestbypresentingonceagainthechiefpointsandifpossiblemoreclearlythanbefore，evenattheriskofbeingtoldonceagainbyMulbergerthatallthiscontains"nothingessentiallyneweitherforhimorfortheotherreadersoftheVolksstaat。"
　　Mulbergercomplainsoftheformandthecontentofmycriticism。
　　Asfarastheformisconcerned，itwillbesufficienttoreplythatatthetimeIdidnotevenknowwhohadwrittenthearticlesinquestion。
　　Therecanthereforebenoquestionofanypersonal"prejudice"againsttheirauthor;againstthesolutionofthehousingquestionputforwardinthearticlesIwascertainlyinsofar"prejudiced"thatIwaslongagoacquaintedwithitfromProudhonandmyopiniononitwasfirmlyfixed。
　　IamnotgoingtoquarrelwithfriendMulbergeraboutthetone"
　　ofmycriticism。WhenonehasbeensolonginthemovementasIhave，onedevelopsafairlythickskinagainstattacks，andthereforeoneeasilypresumesalsotheexistenceofthesameinothers。InordertocompensateMulbergerIshalltrythistimetobringmy"tone"intotherightrelationtothesensitivenessofhisepidermis。
　　MulbergercomplainswithparticularbitternessthatIcalledhimaProudhonist，andheproteststhatheisnotone。Naturally，Imustbelievehim，butIshalladducetheproofthatthearticlesinquestion——andIhadtodowiththemalone——containnothingbutundilutedProudhonism。
　　ButaccordingtoMulbergerIhavealsocriticizedProudhon"frivolously"
　　andhavedonehimaseriousinjustice。"Thedoctrineofthepetty-bourgeoisProudhonhasbecomeanaccepteddogmainGermany，whichisevenproclaimedbymanywhohaveneverreadalineofhim。"WhenIexpressregretthatfortwentyyearstheworkersoftheLatincountrieshavehadnoothermentalnourishmentthantheworksofProudhon，MulbergeranswersthatasfarastheworkersoftheLatincountriesareconcerned，"theprinciplesformulatedbyProudhonarealmosteverywherethedrivingspiritofthemovement。"
　　ThisIamcompelledtodeny。Firstofall，the"drivingspirit"oftheworkingclassmovementnowhereliesin"principles，"buteverywhereinthedevelopmentoflarge-scaleindustryanditseffects，theaccumulationandconcentrationofcapitalontheonehandandoftheproletariatontheother。Secondly，itisnotcorrectthatintheLatincountriesProudhon’sso-called"principles"playthedecisiveroleascribedtothembyMulberger;
　　that"theprinciplesofanarchism，oftheorganizationoftheforceseconomiques，oftheliquidationsociale，etc。，havebecomethetruebearersoftherevolutionarymovement。"NottospeakofSpainandItaly，wheretheProudhonistuniversalpanaceahasonlygainedsomeinfluenceinthestillmorebotchedformpresentedbyBakunin，itisanotoriousfactforanyonewhoknowstheinternationalworkingclassmovementthatinFrancetheProudhonistsarenothingmorethananinsignificantsect，whilethemassesoftheFrenchworkersrefusetohaveanythingtodowiththesocialreformplandrawnupbyProudhonunderthetitleLiquidationsocialeandOrganizationdesforceseconomiques。
　　Thiswasshown，amongotherthings，intheCommune。AlthoughtheProudhonistswerestronglyrepresentedintheCommune，nottheslightestattemptwasmadetoliquidatetheoldsocietyortoorganizetheeconomicforcesaccordingtoProudhon’sproposals。Onthecontrary，itistothegreathonoroftheCommunethatinallitseconomicmeasuresthe"drivingspirit"wasnotanysetof"principles，"butsimple，practicalneeds。AndthereforethemeasurestakenbytheCommune——abolitionofnightworkinthebakeries，prohibitionofmonetaryfinesinthefactories，confiscationofidlefactoriesandworkshopsandtheirhandingovertoworkers’associations——werenotatallinaccordancewiththespiritofProudhonism，butcertainlyinaccordancewiththespiritofGermanscientificsocialism。TheonlysocialmeasurewhichtheProudhonistsputthroughwasthedecisionnottoseizetheBankofFrance，andthiswaspartlyresponsibleforthedown，falloftheCommune。
　　Inthesameway，whentheso-calledBlanquistsmadeanattempttotransformthemselvesfrommerepoliticalrevolutionariesintoasocialistworkers’
　　fractionwithadefiniteprogramme——aswasdonebytheBlanquistfugitivesinLondonintheirmanifesto，InternationaleetRevolution——theydidnotproclaimthe"principles"oftheProudhonistplanofsocialsalvation，butratheradopted，andalmostliterallyatthat，theviewsofGermanscientificsocialismonthenecessityofthepoliticalactionoftheproletariatandofthedictatorshipoftheproletariatasthetransitionalstagetotheabolitionofclassesandwiththemofthestate，viewssuchashadalreadybeenexpressedinTheCommunistManifestoandsincethenoninnumerableoccasions。AndifMulbergerevenconcludes，fromthedisapprovalofProudhonbytheGermans，alackofunderstandingofthemovementintheLatincountries"downtotheParisCommune，"-thenlethimasaproofofthislacktelluswhatworkfromtheLatinsidehasevenapproximatelysocorrectlyunderstoodanddescribedtheCommuneastheAddressoftheGeneralCounciloftheInternationalontheCivilWarinFrance，writtenbytheGerman，Marx。
　　TheonlycountrywheretheworkingclassmovementisdirectlyundertheinfluenceofProudhonist"principles"isBelgium，andpreciselyasaresultofthistheBelgianmovementcomes，asHegelwouldsay，"fromnothing，throughnothing，tonothing。"
　　WhenIconsideritamisfortunethatfortwentyyearstheworkersoftheLatincountrieswerefeddirectlyorindirectlyonProudhon，IdonotmeanthatthoroughlymythicaldominanceofProudhon’sreformrecipe——termedbyMulbergerthe"principles"——butthefactthattheireconomiccriticismofexistingsocietywasinfectedbytheabsolutelyfalseProudhonistphrasesandthattheirpoliticalactionswerebungledbyProudhonistinfluence。
　　Whetherthusthe"ProudhonizedworkersoftheLatincountries""standmoreintherevolution"thantheGermanworkers，who，inanycase，understandthemeaningofGermanscientificsocialisminfinitelybetterthantheworkersoftheLatincountriesunderstandtheirProudhon，weshallbeabletoanswerwhenwehavediscoveredwhatto"standintherevolution"reallymeans。
　　Wehaveheardtalkofpeoplewho"standintheGraceofGod，inthetruefaith，inChristianity，"etc。But"standing"intherevolution，inthemostviolentofallmovements？Isthen"therevolution"adogmaticreligioninwhichonemusthavefaith？
　　Mulbergerfurtheraccusesmeofhavingasserted，indefianceoftheexpresswordingofhisarticles，thathehaddeclaredthehousingquestiontobeanexclusivelyworkingclassquestion。
　　ThistimeMulbergerisreallyright。Ioverlookedthepassageinquestion。Itwasirresponsibleofmetooverlookit，foritisoneofthemostcharacteristicofthewholetendencyofhisarticles。Mulbergerwritesactuallyinplainwords：
　　"Aswehavebeensofrequentlyandlargelyexposedtotheabsurdaccusationofpursuingaclasspolicy，ofstrivingforclassdomination，andsuchlike，wewishtostressfirstofallandexpresslythatthehousingquestionisbynomeansaquestionwhichaffectstheproletariatexclusively，butthat，onthecontrary，itintereststoaquiteoutstandingextenttheactualmiddleclasses，thesmalltradesmen，thepettybourgeoisie，thewholebureaucracy……Thehousingquestionispreciselythatpointofsocialreformwhichmorethananyotherappearscalculatedtorevealtheabsoluteinneridentityoftheinterestsoftheproletariatontheonehand，andtheinterestsoftheactualmiddleclassesofsocietyontheother。Themiddleclassessufferjustasmuchas，andperhapsevenmorethan，theproletariatundertheoppressivefettersoftherenteddwelling。Todaytheactualmiddleclassesofsocietyarefacedwiththequestionofwhether……theycansummonupsufficientstrength……toparticipateintheprocessofthetransformationofsocietyinalliancewiththeyouthful，vigorousandenergeticworkersparty，atransformationwhoseblessingswillbeenjoyedaboveallbythemiddleclasses。"FriendMulberger，therefore，laysdownthefollowingpointshere：
　　"We"arenotpursuingany"classpolicy"andarenotstrivingfor"classdomination。"ButtheGermanSocial-DemocraticParty，justbecauseitisaworking-classparty，doesinevitablypursuea"classpolicy，"thepolicyoftheworkingclass。Sinceeachpoliticalpartysetsouttowindominanceinthestate，sotheGermanSocial-DemocraticPartyisnecessarilystrivingforitsdomination，thatoftheworkingclass，hencea"classdomination。"
　　Moreover，everyrealproletarianparty，fromtheEnglishChartistsonward，hasputforwardaclasspolicy，theorganizationoftheproletariatasanindependentpoliticalparty，astheprimaryconditionofitsstruggle，andthedictatorshipoftheproletariatastheimmediateaimofthestruggle。