InEnglandtheestablishmentofworkers’dwellingsclosetoeachbigruralfactoryandsimultaneouslywiththefactoryhasbeentheruleforsixtyyearsandmore。Asalreadymentioned，manyofthesefactoryvillageshavebecomethenucleusaroundwhichlateronawholefactorytownhasgrownupwithalltheevilswhichafactorytownbringswithit。Thesecolonieshavethereforenotsolvedthehousingquestion，onthecontrary，theyfirstreallycreateditintheirlocalities。Ontheotherhand，incountrieswhichinthesphereoflarge-scaleindustryhaveonlylimpedalongbehindEngland，andwhichhavereallyonlygottoknowwhatlarge-scaleindustryisafter1848，inFranceandparticularlyinGermany，thesituationisquitedifferent。Here，itisonlycolossalfoundriesandfactorieswhichdecidedaftermuchhesitationtobuildacertainnumberofworkers’dwellings——forinstance，theSchneiderworksinCreusotandtheKruppworksinEssen。Thegreatmajorityoftheruralindustrialistslettheirworkerstrudgemilesthroughtheheat，snowandraineverymorningtothefactories，andbackagaineveryeveningtotheirhomes。Thisisparticularlythecaseinmountainousdistricts，intheFrenchandAlsatianVosgesdistricts，inthevalleysoftheWupper，Sieg，Agger，LenneandotherRhineland-Westphalianrivers。IntheErzgebirgethesituationisprobablynobetter。ThesamepettyniggardlinessoccursbothamongtheGermansandamongtheFrench。
HerrSaxknowsverywellthatboththeverypromisingbeginningandtheflourishingcoloniesmeanlessthannothing。There。fore，hetriesnowtoprovetothecapitalistswhatmagnificentrentstheycanobtainbybuildingworkersdwellings。Inotherwords，heseekstoshowthemanewwayofcheatingtheworkers。
Firstofall，heholdsuptothemtheexampleofanumberofLondonbuildingsocieties;partlyphilanthropicandpartlyspeculative，whichhaveshownanetprofitoffromfourtosixpercentandmore。ItisnotnecessaryforHerrSaxtoprovetousthatcapitalinvestedinworkers’
housesyieldsagoodprofit。Thereasonwhythecapitalistsdonotinveststillmorethantheydoinworkers’dwellingsisthatmoreexpensivedwellingsbringinstillgreaterprofitsfortheirowners。TheexhortationofHerrSaxtothecapitalists，therefore，amounts，onceagain，tonothingbutamoralsermon。
AsfarastheseLondonbuildingsocietiesareconcerned，whosebrilliantsuccessesHerrSaxsoloudlyproclaims，theyhaveaccordingtohisownfigures——andeverysortofbuildingspeculationisincluded——
provideddwellingsforatotalof2，132familiesand706singlemen，i。e。，forlessthan15，000persons！AndisitpresumedseriouslytopresentinGermanythissortofchildishnessasagreatsuccess，althoughintheEastEndofLondonalonehalfamillionworkersliveunderthemostmiserablehousingconditions？ThewholeofthesephilanthropiceffortsareinfactsomiserablyfutilethattheEnglishparliamentaryreportsdealing，withthesituationoftheworkersneverevenbothertomentionthem。
WewillnotevenspeakhereoftheludicrousignoranceofLondonwhichshowsitselfthroughoutthiswholesection。Justonepoint，however：
HerrSaxisoftheopinionthattheLodgingHouseforSingleMeninSohowentoutofbusinessbecausethere64wasnohopeofobtainingalargeclientele\"inthisneighborhood。HerrSaximaginesthatthewholeoftheWestEndofLondonisonebigluxurytown，anddoesnotknowthatrightbehindthemostelegantstreetsthedirtiestworkers’quartersaretobefound，ofwhich，forexample，Sohoisone。ThemodellodginghouseinSohowhichhementionsandwhichIknewtwenty-threeyearsago，waswellenoughfrequentedinthebeginning，butcloseddownfinallybecausenoonecouldstandit，andyetitwasoneofthebest。
Buttheworkers’townofMillhauseninAlsace——thatissurelyasuccess？
Theworkers’townofMillhausenisthegreatshow-pieceofthecontinentalbourgeois，justastheone-timeflourishingcoloniesofAshton，Ashworth，GregandCo。，areoftheEnglishbourgeois。Unfortunately，theMillhausenexampleisnotanyproductof\"latentassociation，\"butoftheopenassociationbetweentheSecondFrenchEmpireandthecapitalistsofAlsace。ItwasoneofLouisBonaparte’ssocialistexperiments，forwhichthestateadvancedone-thirdofthecapital。Infourteenyears（upto1867）
itbuilt800smallhousesaccordingtoaverydefectivesystem，animpossibleoneinEnglandwheretheyunderstandthesethingsbetter，andthesehousesarehandedovertotheworkerstobecometheirownpropertyafterthirteentofifteenyearsofmonthlypaymentsatanincreasedrental。
ItwasnotnecessaryfortheBonapartistsofAlsacetoinventthiswayofacquiringproperty;asweshallsee，ithadbeenintroducedbytheEnglishco-operativebuildingsocietieslongbefore。ComparedwithEnglishconditions，theextrarentpaidforthepurchaseofthesehousesisratherhigh。Forinstance，afterhavingpaid4，500francsbyinstallmentsinfifteenyears，theworkerreceivesahousewhichwasworth3，300francsfifteenyearsbefore。Iftheworkerwantstogoawayorifheisinarrearswithonlyasinglemonthlyinstallment（inwhichcasehecanbeturnedontothestreets），sixandtwo-thirdspercentoftheoriginalvalueofthehouseisreckonedastheannualrent（forinstance，17francsamonthforahouseworth3，000francs）andtherestispaidouttohim，butwithoutapennyofinterest。Itisquiteclearthatundersuchcircumstancesthesocietyisabletogrowfat，quiteapartfrom\"stateassistance。\"Itisjustasclearthatthehousesprovidedunderthesecircumstancesarebetterthantheoldtenementhousesinthetownitself，ifonlybecausetheyarebuiltoutsidethetowninasemi-ruralneighborhood。
WeneednotsayawordaboutthefewmiserableexperimentswhichhavebeenmadeinGermany;evenHerrSax，page157，recognizestheirwoefulness。
Whatthenexactlydoalltheseexamplesprove？Simplythatthebuildingofworkers’dwellingsisprofitablefromthecapitalistpointofview，evenwhenallthelawsofhygienearenottroddenunderfoot。
Butthathasneverbeendenied;weallknewthatlongago。Anyinvestmentofcapitalwhichsatisfiesanexistingneedisprofitableifconductedrationally。Thequestion，however，isprecisely，whythehousingshortagecontinuestoexistallthesame，whythecapitalistsallthesamedonotprovidesufficienthealthydwellingsfortheworkers。AndhereHerrSaxhasagainnothingbutexhortationstomaketothecapitalistsandfailstoprovideuswithananswer。Therealanswertothisquestionwehavealreadygivenabove。
Capitaldoesnotdesiretoabolishthehousingshortageevenifitcould;thishasnowbeencompletelyestablished。Thereremain，therefore，onlytwootherexpedients，self-helponthepartoftheworkersandstateassistance。
HerrSax，anenthusiasticworshipperofself-help，isabletoreportwonderfulthingsaboutitalsoinregardtothehousingquestion。
Unfortunatelyheiscompelledtoadmitrightatthebeginningthatself-helpcanonlyeffectanythingwherethecottagesystemeitheralreadyexistsorwhereitcanbeintroduced，i。e。，onceagainonlyintheruralareas。
Inthebigcities，eveninEngland，itcanbeeffectiveonlyinaverylimitedmeasure。HerrSaxthensighs：\"Reforminthisway（byself-help）
canbeeffectedonlyinaroundaboutwayandmustthereforealwaysbeimperfect，namelyinsofarastheprincipleofownershipreactsonthequalityofthedwelling。\"Itwouldbepermissibletodoubteventhis，inanycase，the\"principleofownership\"hasnotexercisedanyreforminginfluenceonthe\"quality\"oftheauthor’sstyle。Despiteallthis，self-helpinEnglandhasachievedsuchwonders\"thattherebyeverythingdonetheretosolvethehousingquestionfromotherangleshasbeenfarexceeded。\"HerrSaxisreferringtotheEnglish\"buildingsocieties\"andhedealswiththematgreatlengthbecause：
\"veryinadequateorerroneousideasarecurrentabouttheirgeneralcharacterandactivities。TheEnglishbuildingsocietiesarebynomeansassociationsforbuildinghousesorbuildingco-operatives;theycanbedescribedinGermanratheras’Hauswerbvereine’[associationsfortheacquisitionofhousingproperty]。Theyareassociationswhichaimataccumulatingfundsfromtheperiodicalcontributionsoftheirmembersinorderthen，outofthesefundsandaccordingtotheirsize，tograntloanstotheirmembersforthepurchaseofahouse……Thebuildingsocietyisthusasavingsbankforonesectionofitsmembers，andfortheothersectionaloanbank。Thebuildingsocietiesarethereforemortgagecreditinstitutionscalculatedfortherequirementsoftheworkerswhich，inthemain，usethesavingsoftheworkerstoassistpersonsofthesamesocialstandingasthedepositorstopurchaseorbuildahouse。Asmaybesupposed，suchloansaregrantedbymortgagingtherealpropertyinquestion，andtheconditionsaresuchthattheymustbepaidbackinshortinstallmentswhichcombinebothinterestandamortization。Theinterestisnotpaidouttothedepositors，butalwaysplacedtotheircreditatcompoundinterest。Thememberscandemandthereturnofthesumstheyhavepaidin，plusinterest，atanytime，bygivingamonth’snotice。\"（Pages170to172。）\"Thereareover2，000suchassociationsinEnglandandtheirtotalcapitalamountstoaboutL15，000，000sterling。Inthiswayabout100，000workingclassfamilieshaveobtainedpossessionoftheirownhearthandhome;asocialachievementthelikeofwhichwillcertainlynotbequicklyfound。\"（Page174。）Unfortunatelyheretoothe\"but\"comeslimpingalongimmediatelyafter：
\"However，aperfectsolutionofthequestionhasbynomeansbeenachievedinthisway;forthereason，iffornoother，thattheacquisitionofahouseisopenonlytothebettersituatedworkers。Inparticular，sanitaryconsiderationsarenotalwayssufficientlytakenintoconsideration。\"（Page176。）Onthecontinent，\"suchassociationsfindonlylittlescopefordevelopment。\"
Theypresupposetheexistenceofthecottagesystemwhichexistsonlyinthecountrysideonthecontinent，andinthecountrysidetheworkersarenotsufficientlydevelopedforself-help。Ontheotherhand，inthetownswhererealbuildingsocietiescouldbeformed，theyarefacedwith\"veryconsiderableandseriousdifficultiesofallsorts。\"（Page179。）Theycouldbuildonlycottagesandthatisnogoodinthebigcities。Inshort，\"thisformofco-operativeself-help\"can\"inthepresentcircumstances-andhardlyinthenearfuture——notplaythechiefroleinthesolutionofthequestionbeforeus。\"Thesebuildingsocietiesare，wearetold，still\"intheirfirstundevelopedbeginnings\"and\"thisistrueevenofEngland。\"（Page181。）
Hence，thecapitalistswillnotandtheworkerscannot。AndwiththiswecouldclosethissectionifitwerenotabsolutelynecessarytoprovidealittleinformationabouttheEnglishbuildingsocieties，whichthebourgeoisieoftheSchulze-Delitzschtypealwaysholduptoourworkersasmodels。
Thesebuildingsocietiesarenotworkers’societies，norisittheirmainaimtoprovideworkerswiththeirownhouses。Onthecontrary，weshallseethatthishappensonlyveryexceptionally。Thebuildingsocietiesareessentiallyofaspeculativenature，thesmallerones。，whichweretheoriginalsocieties，notlesssothantheirbiggerimitators。Inapublichouse，usuallyattheinstigationoftheproprietor，inwhoseroomstheweeklymeetingsthentakeplace，anumberofregularcustomersandtheirfriends，smallshopkeepers，clerks，commercialtravelers，masterartisansandotherpettybourgeois——withhereandthereperhapsanengineerorsomeotherworkerbelongingtothearistocracyofhisclassfoundabuildingsociety。Theimmediateoccasionisusuallythattheproprietorhasdiscoveredacomparativelycheapplotoflandintheneighborhoodorsomewhereelse。
Mostofthemembersarenotboundbytheiroccupationstoanyparticulardistrict。Evenmanyofthesmallshopkeepersandartisanshaveonlybusinesspremisesinthetownandnotanydwelling;whoeverisinapositiontodosopreferstoliveinthesuburbsratherthaninthecentreofthesmokytown。Thebuildingplotispurchasedandasmanycottagesaspossibleerectedonit。Thecreditofthebetteroffmembersmakesthepurchasepossible，andtheweeklycontributionstogetherwithafewsmallloanscovertheweeklycostsofbuilding。Thosememberswhoaimatgettingahouseoftheirownreceivecottagesbylotastheyarecompleted，andtheappropriateextrarentservesfortheamortizationofthepurchaseprice。Theremainingcottagesaretheneitherletorsold。Thebuildingsociety，however，assumingthatitdoesgoodbusiness，accumulatesalargerorsmallersumwhichremainsthepropertyofthemembers，providingthattheykeepuptheircontributions，andwhichfromtimetotime，orwhenthesocietyisdissolved，isdistributedamongthem。ThisisthelifehistoryofnineoutoftenoftheEnglishbuildingsocieties。Theothersarebiggersocieties，sometimesformedunderpoliticalorphilanthropicpretexts，buttheirchiefaimisalwaystoprovidethesavingsofthepettybourgeoisiewithamoreprofitablemortgageinvestmentatagoodrateofinterest，withtheprospectofdividendsasaresultofspeculationinrealestate。
Thesortofclientsthesesocietiesspeculateoncanbeseenfromtheprospectusofoneofthelargestifnotthelargestofthem。TheBirkbeckBuildingSociety，29and30，SouthamptonBuildings，ChanceryLane，London，whosegrossreceiptssinceitsexistencetotal110，500，000sterling，whichhasover9416，000inthebankorinvestedinstatesecurities，andwhichatpresenthas21，441membersanddepositors，introducesitselftothepublicinthefollowingfashion：
\"Mostpeopleareacquaintedwiththeso-calledthree-yearsystemofthepianomanufacturersaccordingtowhichanyonehiringapianoforthreeyearsbecomestheownerofthepianoaftertheexpirationofthatperiod。Priortotheintroductionofthissystemitwasalmostasdifficultforpeopleoflimitedincometoacquireagoodpianoasitwasforthemtoacquiretheirownhouse。Yearafteryearsuchpeoplepaidthehiremoneyforthepianoandexpendedtwoorthreetimesasmuchmoneyinthiswayasthepianowasworth。Butwhatisfeasiblewithregardtoapianoisfeasiblewithregardtoahouse。However，asahousecostsmorethanapiano，alongerperiodisnecessarytopayoffthepurchasepriceinrent。InconsequencethedirectorshavecometoanagreementwithhouseownersinvariouspartsofLondonanditssuburbs，asaresultofwhichtheyareinapositiontoofferthemembersoftheBirkbeckBuildingSocietyandothersagreatselectionofhousesinallpartsofthetown。Thesystemaccordingtowhichtheboardofdirectorsintendstoworkisthefollowing：itwillletthesehousesfortwelveandahalfyearsandattheendofthisperiod，providingthattherenthasbeenpaidregularly，thetenantwillbecometheabsoluteownerofhishousewithoutanyfurtherpaymentofanykind。Thetenantcanalsocontractforashorterspaceoftimewithahigherrental，orforalongerspaceoftimewithalowerrental。Peopleoflimitedincome，clerks，shopassistantsandotherscanmakethemselvesindependentoflandlordsimmediatelybybecomingmembersoftheBirkbeckBuildingSociety。\"[RetranslatedfromtheGerman-Ed。]Thatisclearenough。Thereisnomentionofworkers，butratherofpeopleoflimitedincome，clerksandshopassistants，etc。，andinadditionitisassumedthat，asarule，theapplicantsalreadypossessapiano。Infactwehavetodoherenotwithworkers，butwithpettybourgeoisandthosewhowouldlikeandareabletobecomepettybourgeois;peoplewhoseincomesgraduallyriseasarule，evenifwithincertainlimits，suchasclerksandemployeesinsimilaroccupations。Theincomeoftheworker，however，inthebestcaseremainsthesameinamount，andinrealityitfallsinproportiontotheincreaseofhisfamilyanditsgrowingneeds。
Infact，fewworkerscantakepartinsuchsocietiesandthenonlyinexceptionalcases。Ontheonehandtheirincomeistoolow，andontheotherhanditisoftoouncertainacharacterforthemtobeabletoundertakeresponsibilitiesfortwelveandahalfyearsahead。Thefewexceptionswherethisisnotvalidareeitherbetter-paidworkersorforemen。
[WeaddherealittlecontributiononthewayinwhichthesebuildingsocietiesandinparticulartheLondonbuildingsocietiesaremanaged。
Asisknown，almostthewholeofthelandonwhichLondonisbuiltbelongstoadozenaristocrats，includingthemosteminent，theDukeofWestminster，theDukeofBedford，theDukeofPortland，etc。Theyoriginallyleasedouttheseparatebuildingplotsforaperiodofninety-nineyears，andattheendofthatperiodtheytakepossessionofthelandwitheverythingonit。Theythenletthehousesonshorterleases，thirty-nineyearsforexample，withaso-calledrepairingclause，accordingtowhichtheleaseholdermustputthehouseingoodrepairandmaintainitinsuchcondition。Assoonasthecontracthasprogressedthusfar。thegroundlandlordsendshisarchitectandthedistrictsurveyortoinspectthehouseanddeterminetherepairsnecessary。Theserepairsareoftenveryconsiderableandmayincludetherenewalofthewholefrontage，oroftheroof，etc。Theleaseholdernowdepositshisleaseasasecuritywithabuildingsocietyandreceivesfromthissocietyaloanofthenecessarymoney——uptoL1000andmoreinthecaseofanannualrental-offromL130toL150——forthebuildingrepairswhicharetobecarriedoutathiscost。ThesebuildingsocietieshavethusbecomeanimportantintermediatelinkinasystemwhichaimsatsecuringthecontinualrenewalandmaintenanceinhabitableconditionofLondon’shousesbelongingtothelandedaristocracywithoutanytroubletothelatterandatthecostofthepublic。Andthisissupposedtobeasolutionofthehousingquestionfortheworkers！[NotebyF。EngelstothesecondGermanedition。]
Fortherest，itiscleartoeveryonethattheBonapartistsoftheworkers’townofMulhausenarenothingmorethanmiserableimitatorsofthesepetty-bourgeoisEnglishbuildingsocieties。’thesoledifferenceisthattheformer，inspiteofthestateassistancegrantedtothem，swindletheirclientsfarmorethanthebuildingsocietiesdo。OnthewholetheirtermsarelessliberalthantheaverageexistinginEngland，andwhileinEnglandinterestandcompoundinterestisreckonedoneachdepositandthelatteralsocanbewithdrawnatamonth’snotice，thefactoryownersofMulhausenputbothinterestandcompoundinterestintotheirownpocketsandrepaynomorethantheamountpaidinbytheworkersinhard-earnedfive-francpieces。AndnoonewillbemoreastonishedatthisdifferencethanHerrSaxwhohasitallinhisbookwithoutknowingit。
Thusworkers’self-helpisalsonogood。Thereremainsstateassistance。
WhatcanHerrSaxofferusinthisconnection？Threethings：
\"Firstofall，thestatemusttakecarethatinitslegislationandadministration，allthosethingswhichinanywayresultinaccentuatingthehousingshortageamongtheworkingclassesareabolishedorappropriatelyremedied。\"（Page187。）Consequently，revisionofbuildinglegislationandfreedomforthebuildingtradesinorderthatbuildingshallbecheaper。ButinEnglandbuildinglegislationisreducedtoaminimumthebuildingtradesareasfreeasthebirdsintheair，nevertheless，thehousingshortageexists。Inaddition，buildingisnowcarriedoutsocheaplyinEnglandthatthehousestotterwhenacartgoesbyandeverydaysomeofthemcollapse。Onlyyesterday（October25，1872）sixofthemcollapsedsimultaneouslyinManchesterandseriouslyinjuredsixworkers。Therefore，thatisalsonoremedy。
\"Secondly，thestatepowermustpreventindividualsintheirnarrow-mindedindividualismfromreproducingtheevilorcausingitanew。\"Consequently，inspectionofworkers’dwellingsbythesanitaryauthoritiesandbuildinginspectors;theauthoritiestohavepowertoclosedowndilapidatedandunhygienichouses，ashasbeenthecaseinEnglandsince1857。Buthowdiditworkthere？Thefirstlawof1855（theNuisances’RemovalAct）
remained，asHerrSaxadmitshimself，\"adeadletter，\"asalsodidthesecondlawof1858（theLocalGovernmentAct）。（Page197。）OntheotherhandHerrSaxbelievesthatthethirdlaw（theArtisans’DwellingsAct），whichappliesonlytotownswithapopulationofover10，000，44certainlyoffersfavorabletestimonytothegreatunderstandingoftheBritishParliamentinsocialmatters。\"（Page199。）But，asamatteroffact，thiscontentiondoesnomorethanoffer\"favorabletestimonyoftheutterignoranceofDr。SaxinEnglishmatters。\"ThatEnglandingeneralisfarinadvanceofthecontinentin\"socialmatters\"isamatterofcourse。Englandisthemotherlandofmodernlarge-scaleindustry;thecapitalistmodeofproductionhasdevelopedheremostfreelyandextensivelyofall，itsconsequencesshowthemselvesheremostglaringlyofallandthereforeitisherealsothattheyfirstproduceareactioninthesphereoflegislation。Thebestproofofthisisfactorylegislation。If，however，HerrSaxthinksthatanActofParliamentonlyrequirestobecomelegallyeffectiveinordertobecarriedimmediatelyintopracticeaswell，heismakingagreatmistake。
AndthisistrueoftheLocalGovernmentActmorethanofanyotheract（withtheexception，ofcourse，oftheWorkshopsAct）。Theadministrationofthislawwasentrustedtotheurbanauthorities，whichalmosteverywhereinEnglandarerecognizedcentresofcorruptionofallkinds，nepotismandjobbery。
[Jobberyistheexploitationofapublicofficetotheprivateadvantageoftheofficialorhisfamily。If，forinstance，thedirectorofthestatetelegraphsofacountrybecomesasleepingpartnerinapaperfactory，providesthisfactorywithtimberfromhisforests，andthengivesthefactoryordersforsupplyingpaperforthetelegraphoffices，thenthatisafairlysmallbutquiteapretty\"job，\"inasmuchasitdemonstratesacompleteunderstandingoftheprinciplesofjobbery;suchas，fortherest，inthecaseofBismarckwasamatterofcourseandtobe，expected。
——NotebyF。Engels。]
Theagentsoftheseurbanauthorities，whoowetheirpositionstoallsortsoffamilyconsiderations，areeitherincapableofcarryingintoeffectsuchsociallaws，ordisinclinedtodoso。Ontheotherhand，itispreciselyinEnglandthatthestateofficialswhoareentrustedwiththepreparationandcarryingintoeffectofsociallegislationareusuallydistinguishedbyastrictsenseofduty——althoughinalesserdegreetodaythantwentyorthirtyyearsago。Inthetowncouncils，theownersofunsoundanddilapidateddwellingsarealmosteverywherestronglyrepresentedeitherdirectlyorindirectly。Thesystemofelectingthesetowncouncilsaccordingtosmallwardsmakestheelectedmembersdependentonthepettiestlocalinterestsandinfluences;notowncouncilorwhodesirestobere-electeddarevotefortheapplicationofthislawinhisconstituency。Itiscomprehensiblethereforewithwhataversionthislawwasreceivedalmosteverywherebythelocalauthorities，andthatuptothepresentithasbeenappliedonlyinthemostscandalouscases——andeventhen，asageneralrule，onlyastheresultoftheoutbreakofsomeepidemic，suchasinthecaseofthesmall-poxepidemiclastyearinManchesterandSulfured。AppealstotheHomeSecretaryhaveuptothepresentbeeneffectiveonlyinsuchcases，foritistheprincipleofeveryLiberalgovernmentinEnglandtoproposesocialreformlawsonlywhencompelledtodosoand，ifatallpossible，toavoidcarryingintoeffectthosealreadyexisting。Thelawinquestion，likemanyothersinEngland，hasonlytheimportancethat，inthehandsofagovernmentdominatedbyorunderthepres。sureoftheworkers，agovernmentwhichwouldatlastreallyadministerit，itwouldbeapowerfulweaponformakingabreachintheexistingsocialstateofthings。
\"Thirdly，thestatepowermust，\"accordingtoHerrSax，\"makeuseofallthepositivemeansatitsdisposaltoremedytheexistinghousingshortagetothemostcomprehensiveextent。\"Thatistosay，itmustbuildbarracks，\"trulymodelbuildings，\"forits\"subordinateofficialsandservants\"（butthesearecertainlynotworkers），and\"grantloanstomunicipalities，societiesandalsotoprivatepersonswithaviewtoimprovingthehousingconditionsoftheworkingclasses\"
（page203），asisdoneinEnglandunderthePublicWorksLoanAct，andasLouisBonapartehasdoneinParisandMulhausen。ButthePublicWorksLoanActalsoexistsonlyonpaper，thegovernmentplacesatthedisposalofthecommissionersamaximumsumofL50，000sterling，i。e。，sufficienttobuildattheutmost400cottages，thatistosay，infortyyearsatotalof16，000cottages，ordwellingsforatthemost80，000persons——adropintheocean！Evenifweassumethataftertwentyyearsthefundsatthedisposalofthecommissionersweretodoubleasaresultofrepayments，that，therefore，duringthepasttwentyyearsdwellingsforafurther40，000
personshavebeenbuilt，thewholestillremainsadropintheocean。Andasthecottageshaveanaveragelifeofnomorethanfortyyears，afterfortyyearstheliquidassetsof6：50，000or$100，000mustbeusedeveryyeartoreplacethemostdilapidated，theoldestofthecottages。
HerrSaxdeclaresonpage203thatthisiscarryingtheprincipleintopracticecorrectlyandto\"anunlimitedextentalso。\"AndwiththeconfessionthateveninEnglandandto\"anunlimitedextent\"thestatehasachievednexttonothing，Dr。Saxconcludeshisbook，butnotbeforehavingdeliveredanothermoralhomilytoallconcerned。
[InrecentEnglishActsofParliamentgivingtheLondonbuildingauthoritiestherightofexpropriationforthepurposeofnewstreetconstruction，acertainamountofconsiderationisgiventotheworkersturnedoutoftheirhomes。Aprovisionhasbeeninsertedthatthenewbuildingstobeerectedmustbesuitableforhousingthoseclassesofthepopulationpreviouslylivingthere。Bigfiveorsixstoreytenementbarracksarethereforeerectedfortheworkersontheleastvaluablesitesandinthiswaytheletterofthelawiscompliedwith。itremainstobeseenhowthesebuildingswillserve;theworkersareunaccustomedtothemandinthemidstoftheoldconditionsinLondontheyformacompletelyforeigndevelopment。Inthebestcase，however，theywillprovidenewdwellingsforhardlymorethanaquarteroftheworkersactuallyevictedbythebuildingoperations。
——NotebyF。EngelstothesecondGermanedition。]
Itisperfectlyclearthattheexistingstateisneitherablenorwillingtodoanythingtoremedythehousingdifficulty。Thestateisnothingbuttheorganizedcollectivepowerofthepossessing，classes，thelandownersandthecapitalistsasagainsttheexploitedclasses，thepeasantsandtheworkers。Whattheindividualcapitalists（anditishereonlyaquestionofthesebecauseinthismatterthelandownerwhoisalsoconcernedactsprimarilyasacapitalist）donotwant，theirstatealsodoesnotwant。Ifthereforetheindividualcapitalistsdeplorethehousingshortage，butcanhardlybepersuadedevensuperficiallytopalliateitsmoatterrifyingconsequences，thenthecollectivecapitalist，thestate，willnotdomuchmore。Atthemostitwillseetoitthatthemeasureofsuperficialpalliationwhichhasbecomestandardiscarriedouteverywhereuniformly。Andwehavealreadyseenthatthisisthecase。
But，onemightobject，inGermanythebourgeoisiedoesnotruleasyet;inGermanythestateisstilltoacertainextentapowerhoveringindependentlyoversocietyasawhole，whichforthatveryreasonrepresentsthecollectiveinterestsofsocietyandnotthoseofasingleclass。Suchastatecancertainlydomuchthatabourgeoisstatecannotdo，andonecouldexpectfromitsomethingquitedifferentonthesocialfieldalso。
Thatisthelanguageofreactionaries。Inreality，however，thestateasitexistsatpresentinGermanyisalsothenecessaryproductofthesocialbasisoutofwhichithasdeveloped。InPrussia——andPrussiaisnowdecisive——thereexistssidebysidewithalandowningaristocracywhichisstillpowerful，acomparativelyyoungandmarkedlyverycowardlybourgeoisie，whichuptothepresenthasnotwoneitherdirectpoliticaldomination，asinFrance，ormoreorlessindirectasinEngland。Sidebysidewiththesetwoclasses，however，thereexistsfurtherarapidlyincreasingproletariatwhichisintellectuallyhighlydevelopedandwhichisbecomingmoreandmoreorganizedeveryday。Wefind，therefore，inGermanyalongsideofthebasicconditionoftheoldabsolutemonarchy，anequilibriumbetweenthelandowningaristocracyandthebourgeoisie，alsothebasicconditionofmodernBonapartism，anequilibriumbetweenthebourgeoisieandtheproletariat。
ButbothintheoldabsolutemonarchyandinthemodernBonapartistmonarchytherealgoverningpowerliesinthehandsofaspecialcasteofarmyofficersandstateofficials。InPrussiathiscasteissupplementedpartlyfromitsownranks，partlyfromthelesseraristocracyowningtheentailedestates，morerarelythehigheraristocracy，andleastofallfromthebourgeoisie。Theindependenceofthiscaste，whichappearstooccupyapositionoutsideand，sotospeak，abovesociety，givesthestatethesemblanceofindependenceinrelationtosociety。
ThestateformwhichhasdevelopedwithnecessarylogicinPrussia（and，followingthePrussianexample，inthenewimperialconstitutionofGermany）outofthesecontradictorysocialconditionsispseudo-constitutionalism，aformwhichisatonceboththepresent-dayformofthedissolutionoftheoldabsolutemonarchyandtheformofexistenceoftheBonapartistmonarchy。InPrussia，pseudo-constitutionalismfrom1848to1866onlyconcealedandbroughtabouttheslowdecayoftheabsolutistmonarchy。However，since1866，andstillmoresince1870，thetransformationofsocialconditionsandthusthedissolutionoftheoldstatehasproceededopenlyintheviewofallandonatremendouslyincreasingscale。
Therapiddevelopmentofindustryandinparticularofstockexchangeswindlinghasdraggedalltherulingclassesintothewhirlpoolofspeculation。
ThewholesalecorruptionimportedfromFrancein1870isdevelopingatanunprecedentedrate。StroussbergandPereiretakeofftheirhatstoeachother。Ministers，generals，princesandcountsdealinsharesincompetitionwiththecunningeststock-exchangeJews，andthestaterecognizestheirequalitybyconferringtitleswholesaleonthesestock-exchangeJews。Theruralaristocracy，whohavebeenindustrialistsforalongtimeasproducersofbeetsugaranddistillers，hadlongagolefttheoldandrespectabledaysbehindandnowswellthelistsofdirectorsofallsortsofsoundandunsoundjoint-stockcompanies。Thebureaucracyisbeginningmoreandmoretodespiseembezzlementasthesolemeansofimprovingitsincome;
itisturningitsbackonthestateandbeginningtohuntafterthefarmorelucrativepostsontheadministrationofindustrialenterprises。Thosewhostillremaininofficefollowtheexampleoftheirsuperiorsandspeculateinshares，or\"participate\"inrailways，etc。Oneisevenjustifiedinassumingthatthelieutenantsalsohavetheirhandsincertainspeculations。
Inshort，thedecompositionofalltheelementsoftheoldstateandthetransitionfromtheabsolutemonarchyisinfullswing，andwiththenextbigtradeandindustrialcrisisnotonlywillthepresentswindlecollapse，buttheoldPrussianstateaswell。[Eventoday，1886，whatholdstogethertheoldPrussianstateanditsbasis。theallianceofthebiglandownersandtheindustrialistcapitalistssealedbytheprotectivetariffsissolelythefearoftheproletariatwhichhasgrowntremendouslyinnumbersandclassconsciousnesssince1872。——NotebyF。EngelstothesecondGermanedition。]
Andthisstate，inwhichthenon-bourgeoiselementsarebecomingmorebourgeoiseveryday，istosolve\"thesocialquestion，\"orevenonlythehousingquestion？Onthecontrary。InalleconomicquestionsthePrussianstateisfallingmoreandmoreintothehandsofthebourgeoisie。Andifsince1866legislationontheeconomicfieldhasnotbeenevenmoreadaptedtotheinterestsofthebourgeoisthanwasactuallythecase，whosefaultisthat？Thebourgeoisieitselfischieflyresponsible，beingfirstlytoocowardlytopressitsowndemandsenergetically，andsecondlyresistingeveryconcessionimmediatelythelattersimultaneouslygivesthemenacingproletariatnewweapons。Andifthestatepower，i。e。，Bismarck，isattemptingtoorganizeitsownbodyguardproletariatinordertherebytokeepincheck！thepoliticalactivityofthebourgeoisie，whatisthatbutanecessaryandfamiliarBonapartistrecipewhichpledgesthestatetonothingmore，asfarastheworkersareconcerned，thanafewbenevolentphrasesandattheutmosttoaminimumofstateassistanceforbuildingsocietiesalaLouisBonaparte？
ThebestproofofwhattheworkershavetoexpectfromthePrussianstateliesintheutilizationoftheFrenchmilliardswhichhasgivenanewshortreprievetotheindependenceofthePrussianstatemachineinregardtosociety。HasevenasingletalerofallthesemilliardsbeenusedtoprovideshelterforthoseBerlinworkingclassfamilieswhichhavebeenthrownontothestreets？Onthecontrary。Asautumnapproached，thestateevencausedtobepulleddownthosefewmiserablehutswhichhadservedtheworkersandtheirfamiliesasatemporaryshelterduringthesummer。Thefivemilliardsarebeingexpendedrapidlyenoughforfortresses，cannonandsoldiers;anddespiteWagnervonDummerwitz，anddespiteStieber’sconferenceswithAustria，therewillnotbeusedfortheGermanworkersevenasmuchofthosemilliardsaswasusedfortheFrenchworkersoutofthemillionswhichLouisBonapartestolefromFrance。
III
Inrealitythebourgeoisiehasonlyonemethodofsolvingthehousingquestionafteritsfashion-thatistosay，ofsolvingitinsuchawaythatthesolutioncontinuallyreproducesthequestionanew。Thismethodiscalled\"Haussmann。\"
Bytheterm\"Haussmann\"IdonotmeanmerelythespecificallyBonapartistmanneroftheParisianHaussmann——breakinglong，straightandbroadstreetsthroughtheclosely-builtworkers’quartersanderectingbigluxuriousbuildingsonbothsidesofthem，theintentionthereby，apartfromthestrategicaimofmakingbarricadefightingmoredifficult，beingalsotodevelopaspecificallyBonapartistbuildingtrades’proletariatdependentonthegovernmentandtoturnthecityintoapureluxurycity。
By\"Haussmann\"Imeanthepracticewhichhasnowbecomegeneralofmakingbreachesintheworkingclassquartersofourbigtowns，andparticularlyinthosewhicharecentrallysituated，quiteapartfromwhetherthisisdonefromconsiderationsofpublichealthandforbeautifyingthetown，orowingtothedemandforbigcentrallysituatedbusinesspremises，orowingtotrafficrequirements，suchasthelayingdownofrailways，streets，etc。Nomatterhowdifferentthereasonsmaybe，theresultiseverywherethesame：thescandalousalleysandlanesdisappeartotheaccompanimentoflavishself-praisefromthebourgeoisieonaccountofthistremendoussuccess，buttheyappearagainimmediatelysomewhereelseandoftenintheimmediateneighborhood。
InTheConditionoftheWorkingClassinEnglandIgaveadescriptionofManchesterasitlookedin1843and1844。Sincethentheconstructionofrailwaysthroughthecentreofthetown，thelayingoutofnewstreets，andtheerectionofgreatpublicandprivatebuildingshavebrokenthrough，laidbareandimprovedsomeoftheworstdistrictsdescribedinmybook，othershavebeenabolishedaltogether，butmanyofthemarestill，apartfromthefactthatofficialsanitaryinspectionhassincebecomestricter，inthesamestateorinanevenworsestateofdilapidationthantheywerethen。Ontheotherhand，however，thankstotheenormousextensionofthetown，whosepopulationhasincreasedsincethenbymorethanhalf，districtswhichwereatthattimestillairyandcleanarenowjustasexcessivelybuiltupon，justasdirtyandovercrowdedasthemostill-famedpartsofthetownformerlywere。
Hereisjustoneexample：Onpage80andthefollowingpagesofmybookIdescribeagroupofhousessituatedinthevalleybottomoftheriverMedlock，whichunderthenameofLittleIrelandwasforyearsoneoftheworstblotsonManchester。LittleIrelandhaslongagodisappearedandonitssitetherenowstandsarailwaystationbuiltonahighfoundation。
ThebourgeoisieprintedwithpridetothehappyandfinalabolitionofLittleIrelandastoagreattriumph。Nowlastsummeragreatinundationtookplace，asingeneraltheriversembankedinourbigtownscauseextensivefloodsyearafteryearowingtoeasilyunderstoodcauses。AnditwasthenrevealedthatLittleIrelandhadnotbeenabolishedatall，buthadsimplybeenshiftedfromthesouthsideofOxfordRoadtothenorthside，andthatitstillcontinuestoflourish。LetushearwhattheManchesterWeeklyTimes，theorganoftheradicalbourgeoisieofManchester，hastosayinitsnumberofJuly20，1872：
\"ThemisfortunewhichbefelltheinhabitantsofthelowervalleyoftheMedlocklastSaturdaywill，itistobehoped，haveonegoodresult：namelythatpublicattentionwillbedirectedtotheobviousmockeryofallthelawsofhygienewhichhasbeentoleratedtheresolongunderthenosesofourmunicipalofficialsandourmunicipalhealthcommittee。Aforciblearticleinourdailyeditionyesterdayrevealed，thoughhardlytrenchantlyenough，thescandalousconditionofsomeofthecellardwellingsnearCharlesStreetandBrookStreetwhichwerereachedbythefloods。Adetailedexaminationofoneofthecourtsmentionedinthisarticleenablesustoconfirmallthestatementsmadeaboutthem，andtodeclarethatthecellardwellingsinthiscourtshouldlongagohavebeencloseddown，orrather，theyshouldneverhavebeentoleratedashumanhabitations。Squire’sCourtismadeupofsevenoreightdwellinghousesonthecornerofCharlesStreetandBrookStreet。EvenatthelowestpartofBrookStreet，undertherailwaybridge，apedestrianmaypassdailyandneverdreamthathumanbeingsarelivingunderhisfeetinwhatarelittlemorethancaves。Thecourtitselfishiddenfrompublicviewandisaccessibleonlytothosewhoarecompelledbytheirimpoverishmenttoseekashelterinitssepulchralseclusion。
EveniftheusuallystagnantwatersoftheMedlock，whichareshutinbetweenlocks，donotexceedtheirusuallevel，thefloorsofthesedwellingscanhardlybemorethanafewinchesabovethesurfaceoftheriver。Agoodslowerofrainiscapableofdrivingupfilthyandnauseouswaterthroughthedrainsandfillingtheroomswithpestilentialgasessuchaseveryfloodleavesbehinditasasouvenir……
\"Squire’sCourtliesatastilllowerlevelthantheuninhabitedcellarsofthehousesinBrookStreet-twentyfeetlowerthanthestreetlevel，andthefoulwaterdrivenuponSaturdaythroughthedrainsreachedtotheroofs。Weknewthisandthereforeexpectedthatweshouldfindtheplaceuninhabitedoroccupiedonlybythesanitaryofficialsengagedincleaningthestinkingwallsanddisinfectingthehouses。Insteadofthiswesawaman，inthecellarhomeofabarber，engagedinshovelingaheapofdecomposingfilth，whichlayinacorner，ontoawheelbarrow。Thebarber，whosecellarwasalreadymoreorlesscleanedup，sentusstilllowerdowntoanumberofdwellingsaboutwhichhedeclaredthat，ifhecouldwrite，hewouldhavewrittentothepresstodemandthattheybecloseddown。AndsofinallywecametoSquire’sCourtwherewefoundabuxomandhealthy-lookingIrishwomanbusyatthewashtub。Sheandherhusband，anightwatchman，hadlivedforsixyearsinthecourtandbadanumerousfamily……Inthehousewhichtheyhadjustleft，thewaterhadrisenalmosttotheroof，thewindowswerebrokenandthefurniturewasreducedtoruins。Themandeclaredthattheoccupantofthehousehadbeenabletokeepthesmellsfrombecomingintolerableonlybywhitewashingiteverytwomonths……
Intheinnercourt，intowhichourcorrespondentthenwent，hefoundthreehouseswhoserearwallsabuttedontherearwallsofthehousesjustdescribed。Twoofthesethreehouseswereinhabited。Thesmelltherewassofrightfulthatthehealthiestmanwouldhavefeltsickinaveryshortspaceoftime……Thisdisgustingholewasinhabitedbyafamilyofseven，allofwhomhadsleptinthePlaceonThursdayevening（thefirstdaythewaterrose）。Orrather，notslept，asthewomanimmediatelycorrectedherself，forsheandherhusbandhadvomitedcontinuallythegreaterpartofthenightowingtotheterriblesmell。OnSaturdaytheyhadbeencompelledtowadethroughthewater，chesthigh，tocarryouttheirchildren。Shewasoftheopinionthattheplacewasnotfitforpigstolivein，butonaccountofthelowrent——oneandsixpenceaweek——shehadtakenit，becauseherhusbandhadbeenoutofworkalotrecentlyowingtosickness。
Theimpressionmadeupontheobserverbythiscourtandtheinhabitantshuddledinit，asthoughinaprematuregrave，wasoneofutterhelplessness。Wemustpointout，bytheway，that，accordingtoourobservations，Squire’sCourtisnomorethantypical——thoughperhapsanextremecase——ofmanyotherplacesintheneighborhoodwhosecontinuedexistenceourhealthcommitteeshouldnotcountenance。Shouldthecommitteepermittheseplacestobeinhabitedinthe。futurethenitistakingonitselfaresponsibilitywhosegravityweshallnotdiscussfurtherhere，anditisexposingthewholeneighborhoodtothedangerofinfectiousepidemics。\"[RetranslatedfromtheGerman-Ed。]Thisisastrikingexampleofhowthebourgeoisiesolvesthehousingquestioninpractice。Thebreedingplacesofdisease，theinfamousholesandcellarsinwhichthecapitalistmodeofproductionconfinesourworkersnightafternight，arenotabolished;theyaremerelyshiftedelsewhere！Thesameeconomicnecessitywhichproducedtheminthefirstplace，producestheminthenextplacealso。Aslongasthecapitalistmodeofproductioncontinuestoexist，itisfollytohopeforanisolatedsolutionofthehousingquestionorofanyOthersocialquestionaffectingthefateoftheworkers。Thesolutionliesintheabolitionofthecapitalistmodeofproductionandtheappropriationofallthemeansoflifeandlaborbytheworkingclassitself。
TheHousingQuestion——Part3THEHOUSINGQUESTIONpartthreeSUPPLEMENTONPROUDHONANDTHEHOUSINGQUESTIONbyFREDERICKENGELSI
InNo。86oftheVolksstaat，A。MulbergerrevealshimselfastheauthorofthearticlescriticizedbymeinNo。51
andsubsequentnumbersofthepaper。Inhisanswerheoverwhelmsmewithsuchaseriesofreproaches，andatthesametimedistortstosuchanextentallthepointsofviewwhichareatissue，that，willy-nilly，Iamcompelledtoreplytohim。Ishallattempttogivemyreply，whichtomyregretmustbemadetoalargeextentonthefieldofpersonalpolemicsenjoineduponmebyMulbergerhimself，ageneralinterestbypresentingonceagainthechiefpointsandifpossiblemoreclearlythanbefore，evenattheriskofbeingtoldonceagainbyMulbergerthatallthiscontains\"nothingessentiallyneweitherforhimorfortheotherreadersoftheVolksstaat。\"
Mulbergercomplainsoftheformandthecontentofmycriticism。
Asfarastheformisconcerned，itwillbesufficienttoreplythatatthetimeIdidnotevenknowwhohadwrittenthearticlesinquestion。
Therecanthereforebenoquestionofanypersonal\"prejudice\"againsttheirauthor;againstthesolutionofthehousingquestionputforwardinthearticlesIwascertainlyinsofar\"prejudiced\"thatIwaslongagoacquaintedwithitfromProudhonandmyopiniononitwasfirmlyfixed。
IamnotgoingtoquarrelwithfriendMulbergeraboutthetone\"
ofmycriticism。WhenonehasbeensolonginthemovementasIhave，onedevelopsafairlythickskinagainstattacks，andthereforeoneeasilypresumesalsotheexistenceofthesameinothers。InordertocompensateMulbergerIshalltrythistimetobringmy\"tone\"intotherightrelationtothesensitivenessofhisepidermis。
MulbergercomplainswithparticularbitternessthatIcalledhimaProudhonist，andheproteststhatheisnotone。Naturally，Imustbelievehim，butIshalladducetheproofthatthearticlesinquestion——andIhadtodowiththemalone——containnothingbutundilutedProudhonism。
ButaccordingtoMulbergerIhavealsocriticizedProudhon\"frivolously\"
andhavedonehimaseriousinjustice。\"Thedoctrineofthepetty-bourgeoisProudhonhasbecomeanaccepteddogmainGermany，whichisevenproclaimedbymanywhohaveneverreadalineofhim。\"WhenIexpressregretthatfortwentyyearstheworkersoftheLatincountrieshavehadnoothermentalnourishmentthantheworksofProudhon，MulbergeranswersthatasfarastheworkersoftheLatincountriesareconcerned，\"theprinciplesformulatedbyProudhonarealmosteverywherethedrivingspiritofthemovement。\"
ThisIamcompelledtodeny。Firstofall，the\"drivingspirit\"oftheworkingclassmovementnowhereliesin\"principles，\"buteverywhereinthedevelopmentoflarge-scaleindustryanditseffects，theaccumulationandconcentrationofcapitalontheonehandandoftheproletariatontheother。Secondly，itisnotcorrectthatintheLatincountriesProudhon’sso-called\"principles\"playthedecisiveroleascribedtothembyMulberger;
that\"theprinciplesofanarchism，oftheorganizationoftheforceseconomiques，oftheliquidationsociale，etc。，havebecomethetruebearersoftherevolutionarymovement。\"NottospeakofSpainandItaly，wheretheProudhonistuniversalpanaceahasonlygainedsomeinfluenceinthestillmorebotchedformpresentedbyBakunin，itisanotoriousfactforanyonewhoknowstheinternationalworkingclassmovementthatinFrancetheProudhonistsarenothingmorethananinsignificantsect，whilethemassesoftheFrenchworkersrefusetohaveanythingtodowiththesocialreformplandrawnupbyProudhonunderthetitleLiquidationsocialeandOrganizationdesforceseconomiques。
Thiswasshown，amongotherthings，intheCommune。AlthoughtheProudhonistswerestronglyrepresentedintheCommune，nottheslightestattemptwasmadetoliquidatetheoldsocietyortoorganizetheeconomicforcesaccordingtoProudhon’sproposals。Onthecontrary，itistothegreathonoroftheCommunethatinallitseconomicmeasuresthe\"drivingspirit\"wasnotanysetof\"principles，\"butsimple，practicalneeds。AndthereforethemeasurestakenbytheCommune——abolitionofnightworkinthebakeries，prohibitionofmonetaryfinesinthefactories，confiscationofidlefactoriesandworkshopsandtheirhandingovertoworkers’associations——werenotatallinaccordancewiththespiritofProudhonism，butcertainlyinaccordancewiththespiritofGermanscientificsocialism。TheonlysocialmeasurewhichtheProudhonistsputthroughwasthedecisionnottoseizetheBankofFrance，andthiswaspartlyresponsibleforthedown，falloftheCommune。
Inthesameway，whentheso-calledBlanquistsmadeanattempttotransformthemselvesfrommerepoliticalrevolutionariesintoasocialistworkers’
fractionwithadefiniteprogramme——aswasdonebytheBlanquistfugitivesinLondonintheirmanifesto，InternationaleetRevolution——theydidnotproclaimthe\"principles\"oftheProudhonistplanofsocialsalvation，butratheradopted，andalmostliterallyatthat，theviewsofGermanscientificsocialismonthenecessityofthepoliticalactionoftheproletariatandofthedictatorshipoftheproletariatasthetransitionalstagetotheabolitionofclassesandwiththemofthestate，viewssuchashadalreadybeenexpressedinTheCommunistManifestoandsincethenoninnumerableoccasions。AndifMulbergerevenconcludes，fromthedisapprovalofProudhonbytheGermans，alackofunderstandingofthemovementintheLatincountries\"downtotheParisCommune，\"-thenlethimasaproofofthislacktelluswhatworkfromtheLatinsidehasevenapproximatelysocorrectlyunderstoodanddescribedtheCommuneastheAddressoftheGeneralCounciloftheInternationalontheCivilWarinFrance，writtenbytheGerman，Marx。
TheonlycountrywheretheworkingclassmovementisdirectlyundertheinfluenceofProudhonist\"principles\"isBelgium，andpreciselyasaresultofthistheBelgianmovementcomes，asHegelwouldsay，\"fromnothing，throughnothing，tonothing。\"
WhenIconsideritamisfortunethatfortwentyyearstheworkersoftheLatincountrieswerefeddirectlyorindirectlyonProudhon，IdonotmeanthatthoroughlymythicaldominanceofProudhon’sreformrecipe——termedbyMulbergerthe\"principles\"——butthefactthattheireconomiccriticismofexistingsocietywasinfectedbytheabsolutelyfalseProudhonistphrasesandthattheirpoliticalactionswerebungledbyProudhonistinfluence。
Whetherthusthe\"ProudhonizedworkersoftheLatincountries\"\"standmoreintherevolution\"thantheGermanworkers，who，inanycase，understandthemeaningofGermanscientificsocialisminfinitelybetterthantheworkersoftheLatincountriesunderstandtheirProudhon，weshallbeabletoanswerwhenwehavediscoveredwhatto\"standintherevolution\"reallymeans。
Wehaveheardtalkofpeoplewho\"standintheGraceofGod，inthetruefaith，inChristianity，\"etc。But\"standing\"intherevolution，inthemostviolentofallmovements？Isthen\"therevolution\"adogmaticreligioninwhichonemusthavefaith？
Mulbergerfurtheraccusesmeofhavingasserted，indefianceoftheexpresswordingofhisarticles，thathehaddeclaredthehousingquestiontobeanexclusivelyworkingclassquestion。
ThistimeMulbergerisreallyright。Ioverlookedthepassageinquestion。Itwasirresponsibleofmetooverlookit，foritisoneofthemostcharacteristicofthewholetendencyofhisarticles。Mulbergerwritesactuallyinplainwords：
\"Aswehavebeensofrequentlyandlargelyexposedtotheabsurdaccusationofpursuingaclasspolicy，ofstrivingforclassdomination，andsuchlike，wewishtostressfirstofallandexpresslythatthehousingquestionisbynomeansaquestionwhichaffectstheproletariatexclusively，butthat，onthecontrary，itintereststoaquiteoutstandingextenttheactualmiddleclasses，thesmalltradesmen，thepettybourgeoisie，thewholebureaucracy……Thehousingquestionispreciselythatpointofsocialreformwhichmorethananyotherappearscalculatedtorevealtheabsoluteinneridentityoftheinterestsoftheproletariatontheonehand，andtheinterestsoftheactualmiddleclassesofsocietyontheother。Themiddleclassessufferjustasmuchas，andperhapsevenmorethan，theproletariatundertheoppressivefettersoftherenteddwelling。Todaytheactualmiddleclassesofsocietyarefacedwiththequestionofwhether……theycansummonupsufficientstrength……toparticipateintheprocessofthetransformationofsocietyinalliancewiththeyouthful，vigorousandenergeticworkersparty，atransformationwhoseblessingswillbeenjoyedaboveallbythemiddleclasses。\"FriendMulberger，therefore，laysdownthefollowingpointshere：
\"We\"arenotpursuingany\"classpolicy\"andarenotstrivingfor\"classdomination。\"ButtheGermanSocial-DemocraticParty，justbecauseitisaworking-classparty，doesinevitablypursuea\"classpolicy，\"thepolicyoftheworkingclass。Sinceeachpoliticalpartysetsouttowindominanceinthestate，sotheGermanSocial-DemocraticPartyisnecessarilystrivingforitsdomination，thatoftheworkingclass，hencea\"classdomination。\"
Moreover，everyrealproletarianparty，fromtheEnglishChartistsonward，hasputforwardaclasspolicy，theorganizationoftheproletariatasanindependentpoliticalparty，astheprimaryconditionofitsstruggle，andthedictatorshipoftheproletariatastheimmediateaimofthestruggle。