CONTENTS ix Canada—Bonus Shares on Flotation—An American Device —Midwife or Doctor ?—The Good and Bad Points of both Systems ......... 149 XII STATE MONOPOLY IN BANKING Hank Fusions and the State—Their Effects on the Bank of England —Mr Sidney Webb's Forecast—-Ills Views of the Benefits of a Bank Monopoly—The Contrast between German Experts and British Amateurs—Bankers' Charges as affected by Fusions—The Effects of Monopoly without the Fact—The "Disinterested Management" Fallacy—The Proposal to split Banking Functions—A Picture of the State in Control 163 XIII FOREIGN CAPITAL The Difference between Alm.s and Acts—Should Foreign Capital he allowed in British Industry ?—The Supremacy of London and National Trade—No need to fear German Capital—We shall need all we can get —Foreign Shares in British Com- panies—Can and should the Disclosure of Foreign Ownership be forced?—The Difficulties of the Problem—Aliens and British Shipping-—The Position of ** Key" Industries—Free- dom to Import and Export Capital our ik-st Policy . .180 XIV NATIONAL GUILDS The Present Economic Structure-—Its Weaknesses and Injustices --Were things ever better ?—-The Aim of State Socialism— A Rival Theory—The New Movement of Guild Socialism-- Its Doctrines and Assumptions—Payment *' as Human Beings "—The " Degradation " of earning Wages—Produc- tion irrespective of Demand—Is that the Heal Meaning of Freedom?—The Old Evils under a New Name—A Con- ceivably Practical Scheme for some other World . ,198 XV POST-WAR FINANCE Taxation after the War—Mr. Iloare's Scheme described ami analysed—The Position of the Rentier—Estimates of tlie Post-War Debt—The Compulsory Loan Proposal—What Advantages has it over a Levy on Capital ?-—The Argument from Social Justice—Questions still to be answered—-The Choice between a Levy and Stiff Taxation—Are we still a Creditor Nation?—Our Debt not a Hopeless Problem—Sug- gestions for solving it , . , . . . ' . 212