Where the capitalist has some particular interest,
either philanthropic or possibly in a long distance
view of his own profit which causes him to desire to
keep a large number of persons in constant employ-



EVIDENCE 33

ment and not reduce his number, in that case you
constantly^find that acts as a protection to the con-
sumer and causes prices to be lower than otherwise
they would be, because he wants to go on giving this
amount of employment. If you put men in the posi-
tion of emplo37ing themselves, they feel the same
thing|only much more strongly.
10.630. If^you had to choose between a monopoly of
the workmen engaged in the industry and a^monopoly
of capitaUsts engaged in the industry, you would
choose the former ? — If you had to make a sudden
choice between the two it would be such a bad thing
that it would be difficult to say which would be
worse.
10.631. I do not say a sudden choice but the only
choice, which is the suggestion I |put before you ? —
The future is all with the workmen's side.
10.632. Sir L. Chiozza Money : I think in your precis
(page II above) you rather express the opinion that
nationalisation or pubUc ownership almost necessarily
leads to subsidies to be paid by the public ? — Yes.
10.633. Is that opinion of yours based upon an
examination of the facts ? — I think there are a great
many facts to support it.
10.634. May I ask you, have you examined the
facts relating to the Commonwealth of Australia, for
example ? — ^There may be some profitable things in
Australia.
