large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_10_morris_64kb_40
large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_10_morris_64kb
English
6138
Not seldom a piece of barren ground or swamp, worth nothing in itself, becomes a source of huge fortune to him from the development of a town or a district, and he pockets the results of the labour of thousands upon thousands of men, and calls it his property: or the earth beneath the surface is found to be rich in coal or minerals, and again he must be paid vast sums for allowing others to labour them into marketable wares, to which labour he contributes nothing. NOT SELDOM A PIECE OF BARREN GROUND OR SWAMP WORTH NOTHING IN ITSELF BECOMES A SOURCE OF HUGE FORTUNE TO HIM FROM THE DEVELOPMENT OF A TOWN OR A DISTRICT AND HE POCKETS THE RESULTS OF THE LABOUR OF THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS OF MEN AND CALLS IT HIS PROPERTY OR THE EARTH BENEATH THE SURFACE IS FOUND TO BE RICH IN COAL OR MINERALS AND AGAIN HE MUST BE PAID VAST SUMS FOR ALLOWING OTHERS TO LABOUR THEM INTO MARKETABLE WARES TO WHICH LABOUR HE CONTRIBUTES NOTHING
unpaid labour which he yields to his immediate master he has to give back a large part of his wages to the class of which his master is a part. The privilege of the possessing class therefore consists in their living on this tribute, they themselves either not working or working unproductively—i.e., living on the labour of others; no otherwise than as the master of ancient days lived on the labour of his slave, or as the baron lived on the labour of his serf. If the capital of the rich man consists of land, he is able to force a tenant to improve his land for him and pay him tribute in the form of rack-rent; and at the end of the transaction has his land again, generally improved, so that he can begin again and go on for ever, he and his heirs, doing nothing, a mere burden on the community for ever, while others are working for him. If he has houses on his land he has rent for them also, often receiving the value of the building many times over, and in the end house and land once more.  THE RESULT OF UNPAID LABOUR WHICH HE YIELDS TO HIS IMMEDIATE MASTER HE HAS TO GIVE BACK A LARGE PART OF HIS WAGES TO THE CLASS OF WHICH HIS MASTER IS A PART THE PRIVILEGE OF THE POSSESSING CLASS THEREFORE CONSISTS IN THEIR LIVING ON THIS TRIBUTE THEY THEMSELVES EITHER NOT WORKING OR WORKING UNPRODUCTIVELY THAT IS LIVING ON THE LABOUR OF OTHERS NO OTHERWISE THAN AS THE MASTER OF ANCIENT DAYS LIVED ON THE LABOUR OF HIS SLAVE OR AS THE BARON LIVED ON THE LABOUR OF HIS SERF IF THE CAPITAL OF THE RICH MAN CONSISTS OF LAND HE IS ABLE TO FORCE A TENANT TO IMPROVE HIS LAND FOR HIM AND PAY HIM TRIBUTE IN THE FORM OF RACK REND AND AT THE END OF THE TRANSACTION HAS HIS LAND AGAIN GENERALLY IMPROVED SO THAT HE CAN BEGIN AGAIN AND GO ON FOR EVER HE AND HIS HEIRS DOING NOTHING A MERE BURDEN ON THE COMMUNITY FOR EVER WHILE OTHERS ARE WORKING FOR HIM IF HE HAS HOUSES ON HIS LAND HE HAS RENT FOR THEM ALSO OFTEN RECEIVING THE VALUE OF THE BUILDING MANY TIMES OVER AND IN THE END HOUSE AND LAND ONCE MORE
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