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institutions。 Museums； free libraries； and free public schools； parks and
pleasure grounds； paved and lighted streets； free for everybody's use；
water supplied to private dwellings； with a growing tendency towards
disregarding the exact amount of it used by the individual； tramways and
railways which have already begun to introduce the season ticket or the
uniform tax； and will surely go much further on this line when they are no
longer private property： all these are tokens showing in what direction
further progress is to be expected。''Kropotkin； ‘‘Anarchist Communism。''
＇42＇ An able discussion of this question； at of various others； from the
standpoint of reasoned and temperate opposition to Anarchism； will be
found in Alfred Naquet's ‘‘L'Anarchie et le Collectivisme；'' Paris； 1904。
Is such a system possible？ First； is it technically possible to provide
the necessaries of life in such large quantities as would be needed if every
man and woman could take as much of them from the public stores as he
or she might desire？
The idea of purchase and payment is so familiar that the proposal to do
away with it must be thought at first fantastic。 Yet I do not believe it is
nearly so fantastic as it seems。 Even if we could all have bread for nothing；
we should not want more than a quite limited amount。 As things are； the
cost of bread to the rich is so small a proportion of their income as to
afford practically no check upon their consumption； yet the amount of
bread that they consume could easily be supplied to the whole population
by improved methods of agriculture （I am not speaking of war…time）。 The
amount of food that people desire has natural limits； and the waste that
would be incurred would probably not be very great。 As the Anarchists
point out； people at present enjoy an unlimited water supply but very few
leave the taps running when they are not using them。 And one may assume
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that public opinion would be opposed to excessive waste。 We may lay it
down； I think； that the principle of unlimited supply could be adopted in
regard to all commodities for which the demand has limits that fall short
of what can be easily produced。 And this would be the case； if production
were efficiently organized； with the necessaries of life； including not only
commodities； but also such things as education。 Even if all education were
free up to the highest； young people； unless they were radically
transformed by the Anarchist regime； would not want more than a certain
amount of it。 And the same applies to plain foods； plain clothes； and the
rest of the things that supply our elementary needs。
I think we may conclude that there is no technical impossibility in the
Anarchist plan of free sharing。
But would the necessary work be done if the individual were assured
of the general standard of comfort even though he did no work？
Most people will answer this question unhesitatingly in the negative。
Those employers in particular who are in the habit of denouncing their
employes as a set of lazy； drunken louts； will feel quite certain that no
work could be got out of them except under threat of dismissal and
consequent starvation。 But is this as certain as people are inclined to sup…
pose at first sight？ If work were to remain what most work is now； no
doubt it would be very hard to induce people to undertake it except from
fear of destitution。 But there is no reason why work should remain the
dreary drudgery in horrible conditions that most of it is now。＇43＇ If men
had to be tempted to work instead of driven to it； the obvious interest of
the community would be to make work pleasant。 So long as work is not
made on the whole pleasant； it cannot be said that anything like a good
state of society has been reached。 Is the painfulness of work unavoidable？
＇43＇ ‘‘Overwork is repulsive to human naturenot work。 Overwork
for supplying the few with luxurynot work for the well… being of all。
Work； labor； is a physiological necessity； a necessity of spending
accumulated bodily energy； a necessity which is health and life itself。 If so
many branches of useful work are so reluctantly done now； it is merely
because they mean overwork； or they are improperly organized。 But we
knowold Franklin knew itthat four hours of useful work every day
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would be more than sufficient for supplying everybody with the comfort
of a moderately well…to…do middle…class house； if we all gave ourselves to
productive work； and if we did not waste our productive powers as we do
waste them now。 As to the childish question； repeated for fifty years： ‘Who
would do disagreeable work？' frankly I regret that none of our savants has
ever been brought to do it； be it for only one day in his life。 If there is still
work which is really disagreeable in itself； it is only because our scientific
men have never cared to consider the means of rendering it less so： they
have always known that there were plenty of starving men who would do
it for a few pence a day。'' Kropotkin； ‘‘‘Anarchist Communism。''
At present； the better paid work； that of the business and professional
classes； is for the most part enjoyable。 I do not mean that every separate
moment is agreeable； but that the life of a man who has work of this sort is
on the whole happier than that of a man who enjoys an equal income
without doing any work。 A certain amount of effort； and something in the
nature of a continuous career； are necessary to vigorous men if they are to
preserve their mental health and their zest for life。 A considerable amount
of work is done without pay。 People who take a rosy view of human nature
might have supposed that the duties of a magistrate would be among
disagreeable trades； like cleaning sewers； but a cynic might contend that
the pleasures of vindictiveness and moral superiority are so great that there
is no difficulty in finding well…to…do elderly gentlemen who are willing；
without pay； to send helpless wretches to the torture of prison。 And apart
from enjoyment of the work itself； desire for the good opinion of
neighbors and for the feeling of effectiveness is quite sufficient to keep
many men active。
But； it will be said； the sort of work that a man would voluntarily
choose must always be exceptional： the great bulk of necessary work can
never be anything but painful。 Who would choose； if an easy life were
otherwise open to him； to be a coal…miner； or a stoker on an Atlantic liner？
I think it must be conceded that much necessary work must always remain
disagreeable or at least painfully monotonous； and that special privileges
will have to be accorded to those who undertake it； if the Anarchist system
is ever to be made workable。 It is true that the introduction of such special
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privileges would somewhat mar the rounded logic of Anarchism； but it
need not； I think； make any really vital breach in its system。 Much of the
work that needs doing could be rendered agreeable； if thought and care
were given to this object。 Even now it is often only long hours that make
work irksome。 If the normal hours of work were reduced to； say； four； as
they could be by better organization and more scientific methods； a very
great deal of work which is now felt as a burden would quite cease to be
so。 If； as Kropotkin suggests； agricultural work； instead of being the
lifelong drudgery of an ignorant laborer living very near the verge of
abject poverty； were the occasional occupation of men and women
normally employed in industry or brain…work； if； instead of being
conducted by ancient traditional methods； without any possibility of
intelligent participation by th