the vested interests and the common man-第34章
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bound up with the kept classes； there are other vested interests
of a more doubtful and perplexing kind； classes and occupations
which would seem to belong with the common lot； but which range
themselves at least provisionally with the vested interests and
can scarcely be denied standing as such。 Such； as an illustrative
instance； is the A。 F。 of L。 Not that the constituency of the A。
F。 of L。 can be said to live on free income； and is therefore to
be counted in with the kept classes the only reservation on
that head would conceivably be the corps of officials in the A。
F。 of L。； who dominate the policies of that organisation and
exercise a prescriptive right to dispose of its forces； at the
same time that they habitually come in for an income drawn from
the underlying organisation。 The rank and file assuredly are not
of the kept classes； nor do they visibly come in for a free
income。 Yet they stand on the defensive in maintaining a vested
interest in the prerogatives and perquisites of their
organisation。 They are apparently moved by a feeling that so long
as the established arrangements are maintained they will come in
for a little something over and above what would come to them if
they were to make common cause with the undistinguished common
lot。 In other words； they have a vested interest in a narrow
margin of preference over and above what goes to the common man。
But this narrow margin of net gain over the common lot； this
vested right to get a narrow margin of something for nothing； has
hitherto been sufficient to shape their sentiments and outlook in
such a way as； in effect； to keep them loyal to the large
business interests with whom they negotiate for this narrow
margin of preference。 As is true of the vested interests in
business； so in the case of the A。 F。 of L。； the ordinary ways
and means of enforcing their claim to a little something over and
above is the use of a reasonable sabotage； in the way of
restriction； retardation； and unemployment。 Yet the constituency
of the A。 F。 of L。； taken man for man； is not readily to be
distinguished from the common sort so far as regards their
conditions of life。 The spirit of vested interest which animates
them may； in fact； be nothing more to the point than an aimless
survival。
Farther along the same line； larger and even more perplexing；
is the case of the American farmers； who also are in the habit of
ranging themselves； on the whole； with the vested interests
rather than with the common man。 By sentiment and outlook the
farmers are； commonly； steady votaries of that established order
which enables the vested interests to do a 〃big business〃 at
their expense。 Such is the tradition which still binds the
farmers； however unequivocally their material circumstances under
the new order of business and industry might seem to drive the
other way。 In the ordinary case the American farmer is now as
helpless to control his own conditions of life as the commonest
of the common run。 He is caught between the vested interests who
buy cheap and the vested interests who sell dear； and it is for
him to take or leave what is offered； but ordinarily to take
it； on pain of 〃getting left。〃
There is still afloat among the rural population a slow…dying
tradition of the 〃Independent Farmer；〃 who is reputed once upon a
time to have lived his own life and done his own work as good him
seemed； and who was content to let the world wag。 But all that
has gone by now as completely as the other things that are told
in tales which begin with 〃Once upon a time。〃 It has gone by into
the same waste of regrets with the like independence which the
country…town retailer is believed to have enjoyed once upon a
time。 But the country…town retailer； too； still stands stiffly on
the vested rights of the trade and of the town； he is by
sentiment and habitual outlook a business man who guides； or
would like to guide； his enterprise by the principle of charging
what the traffic will bear； of buying cheap and selling dear。 He
still manages to sell dear； but he does not commonly buy cheap；
except what he buys of the farmer； for the massive vested
interests in the background now decide for him； in the main； how
much his traffic will bear。 He is not placed so very differently
from the farmer in this respect； except that； being a middleman；
he can in some appreciable degree shift the burden to a third
party。 The third party in the case is the farmer； the massive
vested interests who move in the background of the market do not
lend themselves to that purpose。
Except for the increasing number of tenant farmers； the
American farmers of the large agricultural sections still are
owners who cultivate their own ground。 They are owners of
property； who might be said to have an investment in their own
farms； and therefore they fancy that they have a vested interest
in the farm and its earning…capacity。 They have carried over out
of the past and its old order of things a delusion to the effect
that they have something to lose。 It is quite a natural and
rather an engaging delusion； since； barring incumbrances； they
are seized of a good and valid title at law； to a very tangible
and useful form of property。 And by due provision of law and
custom they are quite free to use or abuse their holdings in the
land； to buy and sell it and its produce altogether at their own
pleasure。 It is small wonder if the farmers； with the genial
traditions of the day before yesterday still running full and
free in their sophisticated brains； are given to consider
themselves typical holders of a legitimate vested interest of a
very substantial kind。 In all of which they count without their
host； their host； under the new order of business； being those
massive vested interests that move obscurely in the background of
the market； and whose rule of life it is to buy cheap and sell
dear。
In the ordinary case the farmers of the great American
farming regions are owners of the land and improvements； except
for an increasing proportion of tenant farmers。 But it is the
farmer…owner that is commonly had in mind in speaking of the
American farmers as a class。 Barring incumbrances； these
farmer…owners have a good and valid title to their land and
improvements； but their title remains good only so long as the
run of the market for what they need and for what they have to
sell does not take such a turn that the title will pass by
process of liquidation into other hands； as may always happen。
And the run of the market which conditions the farmer's work and
livelihood has now come to depend on the highly impersonal
manoeuvres of those massive interests that move in the background
and find a profit in buying cheap and selling dear。 In point of
law and custom there is； of course； nothing to hinder the
American farmer from considering himself to be possessed of a
vested interest in his farm and its working； if that pleases his
fancy。 The circumstances which decide what he may do with his
farm and its equipment； however； are prescribed for him quite
deliberately and quite narrowly by those other vested interests
in the background； which are massive enough to regulate the
course of things in business and industry at large。 He is caught
in the system； and he does not govern the set and motions of the
system。 So that the question of his effectual standing as a
vested interest becomes a question of fact； not of preference and
genial tradition。
A vested interest is a legitimate right to get something for
nothing。 The American farmer say； the ordinary farmer of the
grain…growing Middle West can be said to be possessed of such
a vested interest if he habitually and securely gets something in
the way of free income above cost； counting as cost the ordinary
rate of wages for work done on the farm plus ordinary returns on
the replacement value of the means of production which he
employs。 Now it is notorious that； except for quite exceptional
cases； there are no intangible assets in farming； and intangible
ass
