roads, farms, mines, and capital in general of the country, the
labor question still remained. In assuming the responsibilities of
capital the nation had assumed the difficulties of the capitalist's
position."

"The moment the nation assumed the responsibilities of capital those
difficulties vanished," replied Dr. Leete. "The national organization
of labor under one direction was the complete solution of what was, in
your day and under your system, justly regarded as the insoluble labor
problem. When the nation became the sole employer, all the citizens, by
virtue of their citizenship, became employees, to be distributed
according to the needs of industry."

"That is," I suggested, "you have simply applied the principle of
universal military service, as it was understood in our day, to the
labor question."

"Yes," said Dr. Leete, "that was something which followed as a matter
of course as soon as the nation had become the sole capitalist. The
people were already accustomed to the idea that the obligation of every
citizen, not physically disabled, to contribute his military services
to the defense of the nation was equal and absolute. That it was
equally the duty of every citizen to contribute his quota of industrial
or intellectual services to the maintenance of the nation was equally
evident, though it was not until the nation became the employer of
labor that citizens were able to render this sort of service with any
pretense either of universality or equity. No organization of labor was
possible when the employing power was divided among hundreds or
thousands of individuals and corporations, between which concert of any
kind was neither desired, nor indeed feasible. It constantly happened
then that vast numbers who desired to labor could find no opportunity,
and on the other hand, those who desired to evade a part or all of
their debt could easily do so."

"Service, now, I suppose, is compulsory upon all," I suggested.

"It is rather a matter of course than of compulsion," replied Dr.
Leete. "It is regarded as so absolutely natural and reasonable that the
idea of its being compulsory has ceased to be thought of. He would be
thought to be an incredibly contemptible person who should need
compulsion in such a case. Nevertheless, to speak of service being
compulsory would be a weak way to state its absolute inevitableness.
Our entire social order is so wholly based upon and deduced from it
that if it were conceiva