ABSTRACT
The Unions being thus in a position to hold up industry, and with the intelligent public on their side, the State would find it necessary to step in. It would buy out the capitalists by offering them a reasonable sum or by guaranteeing them an income for a period of years, retain nominal possession of the so-acquired capital, charter the Union, which would henceforth carry on the industry on terms mutually fair and favourable. The average working man to-day is too downtrodden to believe he might be successful in demanding such a change. His immediate need is for higher wages and shorter hours. The failure of the general strike in Sweden is not encouraging. Moreover, the difficulty of controlling any policy based upon strikes is very great. When men are successful in a strike, they are apt to overestimate their power and to bring about reaction.
