This book contains a translation of Freiland; ein sociales Zukunftsbild,by Dr. Theodor Hertzka, a Viennese economist. The first German editionappeared early in 1890, and was rapidly followed by three editions in anabridged form. This translation is made from the unabridged edition, with afew emendations from the subsequent editions.
The author has long been known as an eminent representative of thoseAustrian Economists who belong to what is known on the Continent as theManchester School as distinguished from the Historical School. In 1872 hebecame economic editor of the Neue Freie Presse; and in 1874 he withothers founded the Society of Austrian National Economists. In 1880 hepublished Die Gesetze der Handels-und Sozialpolitik; and in 1886 DieGesetze der Sozialentwickelung. At various times he has published workswhich have made him an authority upon currency questions. In 1889 hefounded, and he still edits, the weekly Zeitschrift für Staats-undVolkswirthschaft.
How the author was led to modify some of his earlier views will be founddetailed in the introduction of the present work.
The publication of Freiland immediately called forth in Austria andGermany a desire to put the author's views in practice. In many of thelarger towns and cities a number of persons belonging to all classes ofsociety organised local societies for this purpose, and these localsocieties have now been united into an International Freeland Society. Atthe first plenary meeting of the Vienna Freilandverein in March last, itwas announced that a suitable tract of land in British East Africa, betweenMount Kenia and the coast, had already been placed at the disposal of theSociety; and a hope was expressed that the actual formation of a FreelandColony would not be long delayed. It is anticipated that the Englishedition of Freiland will bring a considerable number of English-speakingmembers into the Society; and it is intended soon to make an application tothe British authorities for a guarantee of non-interference by theGovernment with the development of Freeland institutions.
Any of the readers of this book who wish for further information concerningthe Freeland movement, may apply either to Dr. Hertzka in Vienna, or to theTranslator.
A.R.
St. Loyes, Bedford: June, 1891.
The economic and social order of the modern world exhibits a strangeenigma, which only a prosperous thoughtlessness can regard withindifference or, indeed, without a shudder. We have made such splendidadvances in art and science that the unlimited forces of nature have beenbrought into subjection, and only await our command to perform for us allour disagreeable and onerous tasks, and to wring from the soil and preparefor use whatever man, the master of the world, may need. As a consequence,a moderate amount of labour ought to produce inexhaustible abundance foreveryone born of woman; and yet all these glorious achievements havenot--as Stuart Mill forcibly says--been able to mitigate one human woe.And, what is more, the ever-increasing facility of producing an abundancehas proved a curse to multitudes who lack necessaries because there existsno demand for the many good and useful things which they are able toproduce. The industrial activity of the present day is a ceaseless confusedstruggle with the various symptoms of the dreadful evil known as'over-production.' Protective duties, cartels and trusts, guild agitations,strikes-