Mr. Courtney, the Chairman of Committees in the House of
Commons, delivered a striking lecture on " The Difficulties of Socialism," at University College, London, on Wednesday night. First of all, he said-it would be necessary to secure a majority among the possessors of political power for the prin- ciple of renouncing individual advantages, and surrendering individual powers, faculties, and abilities to the service of the community, a task not in itself very easy to accomplish. Next there comes the pinch of the question how, after this has been effected, the individual, working under a socialistic regime, is. to proceed when he is conscious of the hope that he is on the- eve of discovering some great invention that will transform certain aspects of man's life. " How is he to begin with his invention, to practise it, to perfect it ? He will not have resources of his own, nor can he go to friends or speculators to. help his fortunes." A series of bureaux of invention for all the different fields of art would become necessary. Now, "the. socialised community would be a slowly moving if not stagnant organism." At present we have variety ensured by competing individuals or competing companies ; but a "socialised com- munity" would have to determine on a priori principles for what varieties of improvement there was a demand, and for what varieties there was no demand. Then, again, industries change- their habitats, and the " socialised community " would have to discover the law of these changes, and to obey it; but the "socialised community" could hardly bring about all these modifications without directing that a different amount or labour should be given in one productive process to that required in another productive process, and consequently a difference in the award of remuneration would become- necessary; whence, again, an immense amount of jealousy and heart-burning, and also a strain put upon the intellectual powers of the directors of the "socialised community" which it surpasses the imaginative power of ordinary mon to conceive.. Mr. Courtney's lecture was well worthy of his great and masculine powers.
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