the vested interests and the common man-第12章

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than　the　resulting　increased　gain　which　this　businesslike　
strategy　brings　to　the　businesslike　strategists。　The　strategic　
curtailment　of　net　production　below　productive　capacity　is　net　
loss　to　the　community　as　a　whole；　including　both　the　business　men　
and　their　customers；　the　gains　which　go　to　these　business　
concerns　in　this　way　are　net　loss　to　the　community　as　a　whole；　
exclusive　of　the　business　concerns　and　their　investors。　The　
resulting　question　is；　therefore；　not　whether　the　rest　of　the　
community　loses　as　much　as　the　business　men　gain；　　that　goes　
without　saying；　since　the　gains　of　the　business　men　in　the　case　
are　paid　over　to　them　by　the　rest　of　the　community　in　the　
enhanced　（or　maintained）　price　of　the　products；　but　rather　it　is　
a　question　whether　the　rest　of　the　community；　the　common　man；　
loses　twice　as　much　as　the　business　concerns　and　their　investors　
gain。　
　　　　The　whole　case　has　some　analogy　with　the　phenomena　of　
blackmail；　ransom；　and　any　similar　enterprise　that　aims　to　get　
something　for　nothing；　although　it　is　carefully　to　be　noted　that　
its　analogy　with　these　illegitimate　forms　of　gainful　enterprise　
must；　of　course；　not　be　taken　to　cast　any　shadow　of　suspicion　on　
the　legitimacy　of　all　the　businesslike　sabotage　that　underlies　
this　immaterial　corporate　capital　and　its　earning…capacity。　In　
the　case　of　blackmail；　ransom；　and　such　like　illegal　traffic　in　
extortion；　it　is　known　that　the　net　loss　suffered　by　the　loser　
and　the　gainer　together　exceeds　the　net　gain　which　accrues　to　the　
beneficiary；　by　as　much　as　the　cost　of　enforcement　plus　the　
incidental　inconvenience　to　both　parties　to　the　transaction。　At　
the　same　time；　the　beneficiary's　subsequent　employment　and　
consumption　of　his　〃ill…gotten　gains；〃　as　they　are　sometimes　
called；　whether　he　consumes　them　in　riotous　living　or　in　the　
further　pursuit　of　the　same　profitable　line　of　traffic；　　all　
this；　it　is　believed；　does　not　in　any　degree　benefit　the　rest　of　
the　community。　As　seen　in　the　perspective　of　the　common　good；　
such　enterprise　in　extortion　is　believed　to　be　quite　wastefully　
disserviceable。　
　　　　Now；　this　analogy　may　be　taken　for　what　it　is　worth；　
〃Analogies　do　not　run　on　all…fours。〃　But　when　seen　in　the　same　
perspective；　the　question　of　loss　and　gain　involved　in　the　case　
of　these　intangible　assets　and　their　earning…capacity　falls　into　
something　like　this　shape：　Does　the　total　net　loss　suffered　by　
the　community　at　large；　exclusive　of　the　owners　of　these　
intangibles；　exceed　two…hundred　percent　of　the　returns　which　go　
to　these　owners？　or；　Do　these　intangibles　cost　the　community　more　
than　twice　what　they　are　worth　to　the　owners？　　the　loss　to　the　
community　being　represented　by　the　sum　of　the　overhead　burden　
carried　on　account　of　these　intangibles　plus　the　necessary　
curtailment　of　production　involved　in　maintaining　profitable　
prices。　The　overhead　burden　is　paid　out　of　the　net　annual　
production；　after　the　net　annual　production　has　been　reduced　by　
so　much　as　may　be　necessary　to　〃maintain　prices　at　a　reasonably　
profitable　figure。〃　
　　　　A　few　years　ago　any　ordinarily　observant　person　would　
doubtless　have　answered　this　question　in　the　negative；　probably　
without　hesitation。　So　also；　any　ordinarily　intelligent　votary　of　
the　established　order；　as；　e。g。；　a　corporation　lawyer；　a　
commercial　trade　journal；　or　a　trade…union　official；　would　
doubtless；　at　that　period；　have　talked　down　such　a　question　out　
of　hand；　as　being　fantastically　preposterous。　That　would　have　
been　before　the　war　experience　began　to　throw　light　into　the　dark　
places　of　business　enterprise　as　conducted　under　the　new　order　of　
industry。　Today　（October；　1918）　　it　is　to　be　admitted　with　such　
emotion　as　may　come　to　hand　　this　question　is　one　which　can　be　
entertained　quite　seriously；　in　the　light　of　experience。　In　the　
recent　past；　as　matters　have　stood　up　to　the　outbreak　of　the　war；　
the　ordinary　rate　of　production　in　the　essential　industries　under　
businesslike　management　has　habitually　and　by　deliberate　
contrivance　fallen　greatly　short　of　productive　capacity。　This　is　
an　article　of　information　which　the　experience　of　the　war　has　
shifted　from　the　rubric　of　〃Interesting　if　True〃　to　that　of　
〃Common　Notoriety。〃　
　　　　The　question　as　to　how　much　this　〃incapacity　by　advisement〃　
has　commonly　amounted　to　may　be　attempted　somewhat　after　this　
fashion。　Today；　under　compulsion　of　patriotic　devotion；　fear；　
shame　and　bitter　need；　and　under　the　unprecedentedly　shrewd　
surveillance　of　public　officers　bent　on　maximum　production；　the　
great　essential　industries　controlled　by　the　vested　interests　
may；　one　with　another；　be　considered　to　approach　　perhaps　even　
conceivably　to　exceed　　a　fifty…percent　efficiency；　as　counted　
on　the　basis　of　what　should　ordinarily　be　accomplished　by　use　of　
an　equally　costly　equipment　having　the　disposal　of　an　equally　
large　and　efficient　labor　force　and　equally　good　natural　
resources；　in　case　the　organisation　were　designed　and　managed　
with　an　eye　single　to　turning　out　a　serviceable　product；　instead　
of；　as　usual；　being　managed　with　an　eye　single　to　private　gain　in　
terms　of　price。　
　　　　To　the　spokesmen　of　〃business　as　usual〃　this　rating　of　
current　production　under　the　pressure　of　war　needs　may　seem　
extravagantly　low；　whereas；　to　the　experts　in　industrial　
engineering；　who　are　in　the　habit　of　arguing　in　terms　of　material　
cost　and　mechanical　output；　it　will　seem　extravagantly　high。　
Publicly；　and　concessively；　this　latter　class　will　speak　of　a　25　
percent　efficiency；　in　private　and　confidentially　they　appear　
disposed　to　say　that　the　rating　should　be　nearer　to　10　percent　
than　25。　To　avoid　any　appearance　of　an　ungenerous　bias；　then；　
present　actual　production　in　these　essential　industries　may　be　
placed　at　something　approaching　50　percent　of　what　should　be　
their　normal　productive　capacity　in　the　absence　of　a　businesslike　
control　looking　to　〃reasonable　profits。〃　It　is　necessary　at　this　
point　to　call　to　mind　that　the　state　of　the　industrial　arts　under　
the　new　order　is　highly　productive；　　beyond　example。　
　　　　This　state　of　the　case；　that　production　in　the　essential　
industries　presumably　does　not　exceed　50　percent　of　the　normal　
productive　capacity；　even　when　driven　under　the　jealous　eye　of　
public　officers　vested　with　power　to　act；　is　presumably　due　in　
great　part　to　the　fact　that　these　officers；　too；　are　capable　
business　men；　that　their　past　training　and　present　bent　is　such　
as　has　been　given　them　by　long；　exacting　and　successful　
experience　in　the　businesslike　management　of　industry；　that　their　
horizon　and　perspective　in　all　that　concerns　industry　are　limited　
by　the　frame　of　mind　that　is　native　to　the　countinghouse。　They；　
too；　have　learned　how　to　think　of　industry　and　its　administration　
in　terms　of　profit　on　investment；　and；　indeed；　in　no　other　terms；　
that　being　as　near　as　their　daily　work　has　allowed　them　to　take　
stock　of　the　ways　and　means　of　industry。　So　that　they　are　still　
guided；　in　some　considerable　part；　by　considerations　of　what　is　
decent；　equitable　and　prudent　in　the　sight　of　conservative　
business　men；　and　this　bias　necessarily　goes　with　them　in　their　
dealings　with　those　ubiquitous；　intricate　and　systematic　
dislocations　of　the　industrial　system　which　have　been　found　
profitable　in　the　management　of　industry　on　a　footing　of　
competitive　sabotage。　They　still　find　it　reasonable　to　avoid　any　
derangement　of　those　vested　interests　that　live　on　this　margin　of　
intangible　assets　that　represents　capitalised　withdrawal　of　
efficiency。　
　　　　In　so　characterising　the　situation　there　is；　of　course；　no　
inclination　to　impute　blame　to　these　businesslike　officials　who　
are　patriotically　giving　their　best　abilities　and　endeavors　to　
this　work　of　enforcing　an　increased　production　in　the　essential　
industries　and　diverting　needed　labor　and　materials　from　the　
channels　of　waste；　nor　is　it　intended　to　cast　aspersions　on　the　
good　faith　or　the　honorable　motives　of　those　grave　captains　of　
industry　whom　the　officials　find　it　so　difficult　to　divert　from　
the　business　man's　straight　and　narrow　path　of　charging　what　the　
traffic　will　bear。　〃They　are　all　honorable　men；〃　But　like　other　
men　they　are　creatures　of　habit；　and　their　habit　of　mind　is　the　
outcome　of　experience　in　that　class　of　large；　responsible　and　
remunerative　business　affairs　that　lie　somewhat　remote　from　the　
domain　of　technology；　from　that　field　where　the　mechanistic　logic　
of　the　industrial　arts　has　something　to　say。　It　is　only　that　the　
situation　as　here　spoken　of　rests　on　settled　usage；　and　that　the　
usage　is　such　as　the　businesslike　frame　of　mind　is　suited　to；　at　
the　same　time　that　this　businesslike　usage；　of　fixed　charges；　
vested　interests　and　reasonable　profits；　does　not　fully　comport　
with　the　free　swing　of　the　industrial　arts　as　they　run　under　the　
new　order　of　technology。　Nor　is　there　much　chance　of　getting　away　
from　this　situation　of　〃incapacity　by　advisement；〃　even　under　
pressure　of　patriotic　devotion；　fear；　shame　and　need；　inasmuch　as　
the　effectual　public　opinion　has　learned　the　same　bias　and　will　
scarcely　entrust　the　conduct　of　its　serious　interests　to　any　
other　than　business　men　and　business　methods。　
　　　　To　return　to　the　argument。　It　may　be　conceded　that　production　
in　the　essential　industries；　under　pressure　of　the　war　needs；　
rises　to　something　like　a　50　percent　efficiency。　At　the　same　time　
it　is　presumably　well　within　the　mark　to　say　that　this　current　
output　in　these　essential　industries　will　amount　to　something　
like　twice　their　ordinary　output　in　time　of　peace　and　business　as　
usual；　One…half　of　50　percent　is　25　percent；　and　so　one　comes　in　
sight　of　the　provisional　conclusion　that　under　ordinary　
conditions　of　businesslike　management　the　habitual　net　production　
is　fairly　to　be　rated　at　something　like　one…fourth　of　the　
industrial　community's　productive　capacity；　presumably　under　that　
figure　rather　than　over。　
　　　　In　the　absence　of　all　reflection　this　crude　estimate　may　seem　
recklessly　hasty；　perhaps　it　may　even　be　thought　scandalously　
unflattering　to　our　substantial　citizens　who　have　the　keeping　of　
the　community's　material　welfare；　but　a　degree　of　observation　and　
reflection　will　quickly　ease　any　feeling　of　annoyance　on　that　
score。　So；　e。g。；　if　the　account　as　presented　above　does　not　
appear　to　foot　up　to　as　much　as　the　conclusion　would　seem　to　
require；　further　account　may　be　taken　of　that　side…line　of　
business　enterprise　that　spends　work　and　materials　in　an　effort　
to　increase　the　work　to　be　done；　and　to　increase　the　cost　per　
unit　of　the　increased　work；　all　for　the　benefit　of　the　earnings　
of　the　concern　for　whose　profit　it　is　arranged。　It　may　be　called　
to　mind　that　there　still　are　half…a…dozen　railway　passenger　
stations　in　such　a　town　as　Chicago；　especially　designed　to　work　
at　cross　purposes　and　hinder　the　traffic　of　competing　railway　
corporations；　that　on　the　basis　of　this　ingeniously　contrived　
retardation　of　traffic　there　has　been　erected　a　highly　prosperous　
monopoly　in　the　transfer　of　baggage　and　passengers；　employing　a　
large　equipment　and　labor　force　and　costing　the　traveli