Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 5.djvu/381

 THE WORKING HYPOTHESIS IN SOCIAL REFORM

There are some consequences that follow from the attempt to establish the theory of social reform among the inductive sciences that need emphasis. That to which I wish to refer is the implication of the hypothesis.

Socialism, in one form or another, lies back of the thought directing and inspiringreform. While socialistic Utopias have been recognized as impotent to lead to better conditions, and oppor- tunists have succeeded to the programists, the assumption that it will be possible to effect by constructive legislation radical changes that will lead to greater social equality is still very widely present. The success of municipal ownership, in means of trans- portation and various common necessities within cities, has aroused the expectation that this success can be achieved in other indus- tries as fast as they are so organized as to become so-called natural monopolies. I think that a great deal of this confidence is inspired by the socialistic schemes of an essentially a priori character, rather than by a study of the conditions which these municipal concerns represent. We fail often to notice that government as an institution has essentially changed its char- acter in so far as it has assumed these new functions. The government has become a business concern, which enters into the business world on a basis that is determined by the latter. It has assumed a certain amount of invested capital, where busi- ness risk has ceased, in the interests of its members, and has undertaken to carry on an enterprise that has already been worked out as regards its methods and technique. In a word, the municipality has become a business body operating for the benefit of those that make it up, and is therefore not different in principle from any stock company. The number of enterprises that such a body could undertake as a commercial body are, so far, necessarily small, and we have no reason to assume that in the end anything but business conditions will determine what the municipality may successfully manage. There is no reason why

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