the man versus the state-第9章

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ng　had　brought　within　their　sphere　of　operation　more　and　more　numerous　businesses；　the　Acts　restricting　hours　of　employment　and　dictating　the　treatment　of　workers　are　now　to　be　made　applicable　to　shops。　From　inspecting　lodging…houses　to　limit　the　number　of　occupants　and　enforce　sanitary　conditions；　we　have　passed　to　inspecting　all　houses　below　a　certain　rent　in　which　there　are　members　of　more　than　one　family；　and　are　now　passing　to　a　kindred　inspection　of　all　small　houses。（4*）　The　buying　and　working　of　telegraphs　by　the　State　is　made　a　reason　for　urging　that　the　State　should　buy　and　work　the　railways。　Supplying　children　with　food　for　their　minds　by　public　agency　is　being　followed　in　some　cases　by　supplying　food　for　their　bodies；　and　after　the　practice　has　been　made　gradually　more　general；　we　may　anticipate　that　the　supply；　now　proposed　to　be　made　gratis　in　the　one　case；　will　eventually　be　proposed　to　be　made　gratis　in　the　other：　the　argument　that　good　bodies　as　well　as　good　minds　are　needful　to　make　good　citizens；　being　logically　urged　as　a　reason　for　the　extension。（5*）　And　then；　avowedly　proceeding　on　the　precedents　furnished　by　the　church；　the　school；　and　the　reading…room；　all　publicly　provided；　it　is　contended　that　〃pleasure；　in　the　sense　it　is　now　generally　admitted；　needs　legislating　for　and　organizing　at　least　as　much　as　work。〃（6*）　　　　　Not　precedent　only　prompts　this　spread；　but　also　the　necessity　which　arises　for　supplementing　ineffective　measures；　and　for　dealing　with　the　artificial　evils　continually　caused。　Failure　does　not　destroy　faith　in　the　agencies　employed；　but　merely　suggests　more　stringent　use　of　such　agencies　or　wider　ramifications　of　them。　Laws　to　check　intemperance；　beginning　in　early　times　and　coming　down　to　our　own　times；　when　further　restraints　on　the　sale　of　intoxicating　liquors　occupy　nights　every　session；　not　having　done　what　was　expected；　there　come　demands　for　more　thorough…going　laws；　locally　preventing　the　sale　altogether；　and　here；　as　in　America；　these　will　doubtless　be　followed　by　demands　that　prevention　shall　be　made　universal。　All　the　many　appliances　for　〃stamping　out〃　epidemic　diseases　not　having　succeeded　in　preventing　outbreaks　of　small…pox；　fevers；　and　the　like；　a　further　remedy　is　applied　for　in　the　shape　of　police…power；　to　search　houses　for　diseased　persons；　and　authority　for　medical　officers　to　examine　any　one　they　think　fit；　to　see　whether　he　or　she　is　suffering　from　an　infectious　or　contagious　malady。　Habits　of　improvidence　having　for　generations　been　cultivated　by　the　Poor　Law；　and　the　improvident　enabled　to　multiply；　the　evils　produced　by　compulsory　charity　are　now　proposed　to　be　met　by　compulsory　insurance。　　　　　　The　extension　of　this　policy；　causing　extension　of　corresponding　ideas；　fosters　everywhere　the　tacit　assumption　that　Government　should　step　in　whenever　anything　is　not　going　right。　〃Surely　you　would　not　have　this　misery　continue！〃　exclaims　someone；　if　you　hint　a　demurrer　to　much　that　is　now　being　said　and　done。　Observe　what　is　implied　by　this　exclamation。　It　takes　for　granted；　first；　that　all　suffering　ought　to　be　prevented；　which　is　not　true：　much　suffering　is　curative；　and　prevention　of　it　is　prevention　of　a　remedy。　In　the　second　place；　it　takes　for　granted　that　every　evil　can　be　removed：　the　truth　being　that　with　the　existing　defects　of　human　nature；　many　evils　can　only　be　thrust　out　of　one　place　or　form　into　another　place　or　form　often　being　increased　by　the　change。　The　exclamation　also　implies　the　unhesitating　belief；　here　especially　concerning　us；　that　evils　of　all　kinds　should　be　dealt　with　by　the　State。　There　does　not　occur　the　inquiry　whether　there　are　at　work　other　agencies　capable　of　dealing　with　evils；　and　whether　the　evils　in　question　may　not　be　among　those　which　are　best　dealt　with　by　these　other　agencies。　And　obviously；　the　more　numerous　governmental　interventions　become；　the　more　confirmed　does　this　habit　of　thought　grow；　and　the　more　loud　and　perpetual　the　demands　for　intervention。　　　　　　Every　extension　of　the　relative　policy　involves　an　addition　to　the　regulative　agents　　a　further　growth　of　officialism　and　an　increasing　power　of　the　organization　formed　of　officials。　Take　a　pair　of　scales　with　many　shot　in　the　one　and　a　few　in　the　other。　Lift　shot　after　shot　out　of　the　loaded　scale　and　put　it　into　the　unloaded　scale。　Presently　you　will　produce　a　balance；　and　if　you　go　on；　the　position　of　the　scales　will　be　reversed。　Suppose　the　beam　to　be　unequally　divided；　and　let　the　lightly　loaded　scale　be　at　the　end　of　a　very　long　arm；　then　the　transfer　of　each　shot；　producing　a　much　greater　effect；　will　far　sooner　bring　about　a　change　of　position。　I　use　the　figure　to　illustrate　what　results　from　transferring　one　individual　after　another　from　the　regulated　mass　of　the　community　to　the　regulating　structures。　The　transfer　weakens　the　one　and　strengthens　the　other　in　a　far　greater　degree　than　is　implied　by　the　relative　change　of　numbers。　A　comparatively　small　body　of　officials；　coherent；　having　common　interests；　and　acting　under　central　authority；　has　an　immense　advantage　over　an　incoherent　public　which　has　no　settled　policy；　and　can　be　brought　to　act　unitedly　only　under　strong　provocation。　Hence　an　organization　of　officials；　once　passing　a　certain　stage　of　growth；　becomes　less　and　less　resistible；　as　we　see　in　the　bureaucracies　of　the　Continent。　　　　　　Not　only　does　the　power　of　resistance　of　the　regulated　part　decrease　in　a　geometrical　ratio　as　the　regulating　part　increases；　but　the　private　interests　of　many　in　the　regulated　part　itself；　make　the　change　of　ratio　still　more　rapid。　In　every　circle　conversations　show　that　now；　when　the　passing　of　competitive　examinations　renders　them　eligible　for　the　public　service；　youths　are　being　educated　in　such　ways　that　they　may　pass　them　and　get　employment　under　Government。　One　consequence　is　that　men　who　might　otherwise　reprobate　some　further　growth　of　officialism；　are　led　to　look　on　it　with　tolerance；　if　not　favourably；　as　offering　possible　careers　for　those　dependent　on　them　and　those　related　to　them。　Any　one　who　remembers　the　numbers　of　upper…class　and　midd1e…class　families　anxious　to　place　their　children；　will　see　that　no　small　encouragement　to　the　spread　of　legislative　control　is　now　coming　from　those　who；　but　for　the　personal　interests　thus　arising；　would　be　hostile　to　it。　　　　　　This　pressing　desire　for　careers　is　enforced　by　the　preference　for　careers　which　are　thought　respectable。　〃Even　if　his　salary　is　small；　his　occupation　will　be　that　of　a　gentleman；〃　thinks　the　father；　who　wants　to　get　a　Government…clerkship　for　his　son。　And　this　relative　dignity　of　State…servants　as　compared　with　those　occupied　in　business；　increases　as　the　administrative　organization　becomes　a　larger　and　more　powerful　element　in　society；　and　tends　more　and　more　to　fix　the　standard　of　honour。　The　prevalent　ambition　with　a　young　Frenchman　is　to　get　some　small　official　post　in　his　locality；　to　rise　thence　to　a　place　in　the　local　centre　of　government；　and　finally　to　reach　some　head　office　in　Paris。　And　in　Russia；　where　that　universality　of　State…regulation　which　characterizes　the　militant　type　of　society　has　been　carried　furthest；　we　see　this　ambition　pushed　to　its　extreme。　Says　Mr　Wallace；　quoting　a　passage　from　a　play：　　〃All　men；　even　shopkeepers　and　cobblers；　aim　at　becoming　officers；　and　the　man　who　has　passed　his　whole　life　without　official　rank　seems　to　be　not　a　human　being。〃（7*）　　　　　　These　various　influences　working　from　above　downwards　meet　with　an　increasing　response　of　expectations　and　solicitations　proceeding　from　below　upwards。　The　hard…worked　and　over…burdened　who　form　the　great　majority；　and　still　more　the　incapables　perpetually　helped　who　are　ever　led　to　look　for　more　help；　are　ready　supporters　of　schemes　which　promise　them　this　or　the　other　benefit　by　State　agency；　and　ready　believers　of　those　who　tell　them　that　such　benefits　can　be　given；　and　ought　to　be　given。　They　listen　with　eager　faith　to　all　builders　of　political　air…castles；　from　Oxford　graduates　down　to　Irish　irreconcilables；　and　every　additional　tax…supported　appliance　for　their　welfare　raises　hopes　of　further　ones。　Indeed　the　more　numerous　public　instrumentalities　become；　the　more　is　there　g