THE MAKING OF SOCIAL ISTS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 314, 23 November 1910, Page 3

THE MAKING OF SOCIAL ISTS.

The only millionaire who is also an avowed Socialist, is Mr Joseph Fels, an American soap maker. Mr Fels attended the International Conference on Unemployment in Paris a few months ago, and made a speech that startled the statistical experts who were present. His title to fame, however, is his development of an original system of "educating" the public. He is forming a company consisting of twenty stockholders in twenty different cities of the United States and Canada. Each member of the company is to contribute £IOOO, making a total working capital of £20,000, and this sum of money he proposes to use in land speculation. Vacant city sections are to be purchased, and on each lot is to be erected a large sign advertising the fact that the property is held by the "Land Value Speculation Company," which is keeping it idle in order to secure the increased value created by public effort. "This land is owned by robbers who are holding it for ransom," the sign will announce. "All the other men who are holding vacant property for speculation are robbers. too, but thoy will not admit it. We do. Is it not about time that you broke up a system that takes your earnings and puts them into the hands of non-producing landlords? The undersigned company will be pleased to furnish you free their plan for destroying this system. Or, if you prefer to he ribbed., it will sell you this land." Mr Fels states that when his company makes a sale, full particulars of the profits secured will be made public. He expects by this means to convert hundreds of people to Socialism every week, while at the same time making a handsome profit. The scheme is certainly calculated to attract attention.