Page:The cry for justice - an anthology of the literature of social protest. - (IA cryforjusticea00sinc).pdf/895

 care of the children, the sick, and the aged. This was a question of principle which had the advantage of demonstrating, to those who still retained prejudices with regard to the new régime, how little the future was going to be like the past

Two tendencies were shown; one, that of pure Communism, which advocated complete liberty in consumption, without any restriction; the other, inspired with Communist ideas, but finding their strict application premature, and advocating a compromise.

The latter view predominated. It was therefore agreed as follows:—

That every human being, whatever his social function might be, had a right to an equal remuneration, which would be divided into two parts: the one for the satisfaction of ordinary needs; the other for the needs of luxury. The remuneration would be obtained, with regard to the first, by a permanent Trade Union card; and with regard to the second, by a book of consumers' "notes."

The first class included all kinds of commodities, all food products, clothing, all that would be in such abundance that the consumption of it need not be restricted; each one would have the right to draw from the common stock, according to his needs, without any other formality than having to present his card in the shops and depots, to those in charge of distribution.

In the second class would be placed products of various kinds, which, being in too small a quantity to allow of their being put at the free disposition of all, retained a purchase value, liable to vary according to their greater or less rarity, and greater or less demand. The price of these products was calculated according to the former monetary method, and the quantity of work necessary to