the vested interests and the common man-第25章

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bound　up　with　the　kept　classes；　there　are　other　vested　interests　
of　a　more　doubtful　and　perplexing　kind；　classes　and　occupations　
which　would　seem　to　belong　with　the　common　lot；　but　which　range　
themselves　at　least　provisionally　with　the　vested　interests　and　
can　scarcely　be　denied　standing　as　such。　Such；　as　an　illustrative　
instance；　is　the　A。　F。　of　L。　Not　that　the　constituency　of　the　A。　
F。　of　L。　can　be　said　to　live　on　free　income；　and　is　therefore　to　
be　counted　in　with　the　kept　classes　　the　only　reservation　on　
that　head　would　conceivably　be　the　corps　of　officials　in　the　A。　
F。　of　L。；　who　dominate　the　policies　of　that　organisation　and　
exercise　a　prescriptive　right　to　dispose　of　its　forces；　at　the　
same　time　that　they　habitually　come　in　for　an　income　drawn　from　
the　underlying　organisation。　The　rank　and　file　assuredly　are　not　
of　the　kept　classes；　nor　do　they　visibly　come　in　for　a　free　
income。　Yet　they　stand　on　the　defensive　in　maintaining　a　vested　
interest　in　the　prerogatives　and　perquisites　of　their　
organisation。　They　are　apparently　moved　by　a　feeling　that　so　long　
as　the　established　arrangements　are　maintained　they　will　come　in　
for　a　little　something　over　and　above　what　would　come　to　them　if　
they　were　to　make　common　cause　with　the　undistinguished　common　
lot。　In　other　words；　they　have　a　vested　interest　in　a　narrow　
margin　of　preference　over　and　above　what　goes　to　the　common　man。　
But　this　narrow　margin　of　net　gain　over　the　common　lot；　this　
vested　right　to　get　a　narrow　margin　of　something　for　nothing；　has　
hitherto　been　sufficient　to　shape　their　sentiments　and　outlook　in　
such　a　way　as；　in　effect；　to　keep　them　loyal　to　the　large　
business　interests　with　whom　they　negotiate　for　this　narrow　
margin　of　preference。　As　is　true　of　the　vested　interests　in　
business；　so　in　the　case　of　the　A。　F。　of　L。；　the　ordinary　ways　
and　means　of　enforcing　their　claim　to　a　little　something　over　and　
above　is　the　use　of　a　reasonable　sabotage；　in　the　way　of　
restriction；　retardation；　and　unemployment。　Yet　the　constituency　
of　the　A。　F。　of　L。；　taken　man　for　man；　is　not　readily　to　be　
distinguished　from　the　common　sort　so　far　as　regards　their　
conditions　of　life。　The　spirit　of　vested　interest　which　animates　
them　may；　in　fact；　be　nothing　more　to　the　point　than　an　aimless　
survival。　
　　　　Farther　along　the　same　line；　larger　and　even　more　perplexing；　
is　the　case　of　the　American　farmers；　who　also　are　in　the　habit　of　
ranging　themselves；　on　the　whole；　with　the　vested　interests　
rather　than　with　the　common　man。　By　sentiment　and　outlook　the　
farmers　are；　commonly；　steady　votaries　of　that　established　order　
which　enables　the　vested　interests　to　do　a　〃big　business〃　at　
their　expense。　Such　is　the　tradition　which　still　binds　the　
farmers；　however　unequivocally　their　material　circumstances　under　
the　new　order　of　business　and　industry　might　seem　to　drive　the　
other　way。　In　the　ordinary　case　the　American　farmer　is　now　as　
helpless　to　control　his　own　conditions　of　life　as　the　commonest　
of　the　common　run。　He　is　caught　between　the　vested　interests　who　
buy　cheap　and　the　vested　interests　who　sell　dear；　and　it　is　for　
him　to　take　or　leave　what　is　offered；　　but　ordinarily　to　take　
it；　on　pain　of　〃getting　left。〃　
　　　　There　is　still　afloat　among　the　rural　population　a　slow…dying　
tradition　of　the　〃Independent　Farmer；〃　who　is　reputed　once　upon　a　
time　to　have　lived　his　own　life　and　done　his　own　work　as　good　him　
seemed；　and　who　was　content　to　let　the　world　wag。　But　all　that　
has　gone　by　now　as　completely　as　the　other　things　that　are　told　
in　tales　which　begin　with　〃Once　upon　a　time。〃　It　has　gone　by　into　
the　same　waste　of　regrets　with　the　like　independence　which　the　
country…town　retailer　is　believed　to　have　enjoyed　once　upon　a　
time。　But　the　country…town　retailer；　too；　still　stands　stiffly　on　
the　vested　rights　of　the　trade　and　of　the　town；　he　is　by　
sentiment　and　habitual　outlook　a　business　man　who　guides；　or　
would　like　to　guide；　his　enterprise　by　the　principle　of　charging　
what　the　traffic　will　bear；　of　buying　cheap　and　selling　dear。　He　
still　manages　to　sell　dear；　but　he　does　not　commonly　buy　cheap；　
except　what　he　buys　of　the　farmer；　for　the　massive　vested　
interests　in　the　background　now　decide　for　him；　in　the　main；　how　
much　his　traffic　will　bear。　He　is　not　placed　so　very　differently　
from　the　farmer　in　this　respect；　except　that；　being　a　middleman；　
he　can　in　some　appreciable　degree　shift　the　burden　to　a　third　
party。　The　third　party　in　the　case　is　the　farmer；　the　massive　
vested　interests　who　move　in　the　background　of　the　market　do　not　
lend　themselves　to　that　purpose。　
　　　　Except　for　the　increasing　number　of　tenant　farmers；　the　
American　farmers　of　the　large　agricultural　sections　still　are　
owners　who　cultivate　their　own　ground。　They　are　owners　of　
property；　who　might　be　said　to　have　an　investment　in　their　own　
farms；　and　therefore　they　fancy　that　they　have　a　vested　interest　
in　the　farm　and　its　earning…capacity。　They　have　carried　over　out　
of　the　past　and　its　old　order　of　things　a　delusion　to　the　effect　
that　they　have　something　to　lose。　It　is　quite　a　natural　and　
rather　an　engaging　delusion；　since；　barring　incumbrances；　they　
are　seized　of　a　good　and　valid　title　at　law；　to　a　very　tangible　
and　useful　form　of　property。　And　by　due　provision　of　law　and　
custom　they　are　quite　free　to　use　or　abuse　their　holdings　in　the　
land；　to　buy　and　sell　it　and　its　produce　altogether　at　their　own　
pleasure。　It　is　small　wonder　if　the　farmers；　with　the　genial　
traditions　of　the　day　before　yesterday　still　running　full　and　
free　in　their　sophisticated　brains；　are　given　to　consider　
themselves　typical　holders　of　a　legitimate　vested　interest　of　a　
very　substantial　kind。　In　all　of　which　they　count　without　their　
host；　their　host；　under　the　new　order　of　business；　being　those　
massive　vested　interests　that　move　obscurely　in　the　background　of　
the　market；　and　whose　rule　of　life　it　is　to　buy　cheap　and　sell　
dear。　
　　　　In　the　ordinary　case　the　farmers　of　the　great　American　
farming　regions　are　owners　of　the　land　and　improvements；　except　
for　an　increasing　proportion　of　tenant　farmers。　But　it　is　the　
farmer…owner　that　is　commonly　had　in　mind　in　speaking　of　the　
American　farmers　as　a　class。　Barring　incumbrances；　these　
farmer…owners　have　a　good　and　valid　title　to　their　land　and　
improvements；　but　their　title　remains　good　only　so　long　as　the　
run　of　the　market　for　what　they　need　and　for　what　they　have　to　
sell　does　not　take　such　a　turn　that　the　title　will　pass　by　
process　of　liquidation　into　other　hands；　as　may　always　happen。　
And　the　run　of　the　market　which　conditions　the　farmer's　work　and　
livelihood　has　now　come　to　depend　on　the　highly　impersonal　
manoeuvres　of　those　massive　interests　that　move　in　the　background　
and　find　a　profit　in　buying　cheap　and　selling　dear。　In　point　of　
law　and　custom　there　is；　of　course；　nothing　to　hinder　the　
American　farmer　from　considering　himself　to　be　possessed　of　a　
vested　interest　in　his　farm　and　its　working；　if　that　pleases　his　
fancy。　The　circumstances　which　decide　what　he　may　do　with　his　
farm　and　its　equipment；　however；　are　prescribed　for　him　quite　
deliberately　and　quite　narrowly　by　those　other　vested　interests　
in　the　background；　which　are　massive　enough　to　regulate　the　
course　of　things　in　business　and　industry　at　large。　He　is　caught　
in　the　system；　and　he　does　not　govern　the　set　and　motions　of　the　
system。　So　that　the　question　of　his　effectual　standing　as　a　
vested　interest　becomes　a　question　of　fact；　not　of　preference　and　
genial　tradition。　
　　　　A　vested　interest　is　a　legitimate　right　to　get　something　for　
nothing。　The　American　farmer　　say；　the　ordinary　farmer　of　the　
grain…growing　Middle　West　　can　be　said　to　be　possessed　of　such　
a　vested　interest　if　he　habitually　and　securely　gets　something　in　
the　way　of　free　income　above　cost；　counting　as　cost　the　ordinary　
rate　of　wages　for　work　done　on　the　farm　plus　ordinary　returns　on　
the　replacement　value　of　the　means　of　production　which　he　
employs。　Now　it　is　notorious　that；　except　for　quite　exceptional　
cases；　there　are　no　intangible　assets　in　farming；　and　intangible　
assets　are　the　chief　and　ordinary　indication　of　free　income；　that　
is　to　say；　of　getting　something　for　nothing。　Any　concern　that　can　
claim　no　intangible　assets；　in　the　way　of　valuable　good…will；　
monopoly　rights；　or　outstanding　corporation　securities；　has　no　
substantial　claim　to　be　rated　as　a　vested　interest。　What　
constitutes　a　valid　claim　to　standing　as　a　vested　interest　is　the　
assured　customary　ability　to　get　something　more　in　the　way　of　
income　than　a　full　equivalent　for　tangible　performance　in　the　way　
of　productive　work。　
　　　　The　returns　which　these　farmers　are　in　the　habit　of　getting　
from　their　own　work　and　from　the　work　of　their　household　and　
hired　help　do　not　ordinarily　include　anything　that　can　be　called　
free　or　unearned　income；　　unless　one　should　go　so　far　as　to　
declare　that　income　reckoned　at　ordinary　rates　on　the　tangible　
assets　engaged　in　this　industry　is　to　be　classed　as　unearned　
income；　which　is　not　the　usual　meaning　of　the　expression。　It　may　
be　that　popular　opinion　on　these　matters　will　take　such　a　turn　
some　time　that　men　will　come　to　consider　that　income　which　is　
derived　from　the　use　of　land　and　equipment　is　rightly　to　be　
counted　as　unearned　income；　because　it　does　not　correspond　to　any　
tangible　performance　in　the　way　of　productive　work　on　the　part　of　
the　person　to　whom　it　goes。　But　for　the　present　that　is　not　the　
popular　sense　of　the　matter；　and　that　is　not　the　meaning　of　the　
words　in　popular　usage。　For　the　present；　at　least；　reasonable　
returns　on　the　replacement　value　of　tangible　assets　are　not　
considered　to　be　unearned　income。　
　　　　It　is　true；　the　habits　of　thought　engendered　by　the　machine　
system　in　industry　and　by　the　mechanically　standardised　
organisation　of　daily　life　under　this　new　order；　as　well　as　by　
the　material　sciences；　are　of　such　a　character　as　would　incline　
the　common　man　to　rate　all　men　and　things　in　terms　of　tangible　
performance　rather　than　in　terms　of　legal　title　and　ancient　
usage。　And　it　may　well　come　to　pass；　in　time；　that　men　will　
consider　any　income　unearned　which　exceeds　a　fair　return　for　
tangible　performance　in　the　way　of　productive　work　on　the　part　of　
the　person　to　whom　the　income　goes。　The　mechanistic　logic　of　the　
new　order　of　industry　drives　in　that　direction；　and　it　may　well　
be　that　the　frame　of　mind　engendered　by　this　training　in　
matter…of…fact　ways　of　thinking　will　presently　so　shape　popular　
sentiment　that　all　income　from　property；　simply　on　the　basis　of　
ownership；　will　be　disallowed；　whether　the　property　is　tangible　
or　intangible。　All　that　is　a　speculative　question　running　into　
the　future。　It　is　to　be　recognised　and　taken　account　of　that　the　
immutable　principles　of　law　and　equity；　in　matters　of　ownership　
and　income　as　well　as　in　other　connections；　are　products　of　
habit；　and　that　habits　are　always　liable　to　change　in　response　to　
altered　circumstances；　and　the　drift　of　circumstances　is　now　
apparently　setting　in　that　direction。　But　popular　sentiment　has　
not　yet　reached　that　degree　of　em