NATIONAL GUILDS

But to the Guild Socialists the identity of robbery
with, capitalism seems to be so self-evident that it
needs no proof. Next, as to the wage system. They
seem to think that to earn a wage is slavery and
degradation, but to receive pay is freedom. i With
the best will in the world I have tried to see where
this immense difference between the use of two words,
which seem to me to mean much the same thing,
comes in in their view, but I have not succeeded.
Perhaps you will be able to if I give you Mr Cole's
own words.

On page 154 of the book cited, he says that the
wage system is " the root of the whole tyranny of
capitalism," and then continues :

" There are four distinguishing marks of the wage
system upon which National Guildsmen are accus-
tomed to fix their attention. Let me set them out
clearly in the simplest terms.

" r. The wage system abstracts ' labour' from
the labourer, so that the one can be bought and sold
apart from the other.

"2. Consequently, wages are paid to the wage
worker only when it is profitable to the capitalist to
employ his labdur.

"3. The wage worker, in return for his wage,
surrenders all control over the organisation of
production.

" 4. The wage worker, in return for his wage,
surrenders all claim upon the product of his labour.

" If the wage system is to be abolished, all these
four marks of degraded status must be removed.