WORKING-CLASS INVESTMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 45, 16 November 1907, Page 6

WORKING-CLASS INVESTMENTS.

The extent to which the working classes ire investors, and capital is becoming "Boxialised" An this way, is suspected by few. 'A writer in the "Contemporary Review" has, in two articles, one on "Investments of the Masses," and the other on "Wealth of ■the Workers,", been analysing working-class investments, and the statistics he cites,' from official sources, entirely refute :tbe common Socialistic fallacy that capital pa the monopoly of a few and that tho workers are debarred from its benefits. It is probable that even, the writer's estimate of ono thousand millions as the amount of the aggregate investments of the working classes of this country is under the mark, for it is impossible to ascertain with any degree of precision how much of the capital of limited liability companies has bcon subscribed by wage earners. Certainly a vory considerable portion of it; For instance, ten millions is a moderate estimate of operatives' holdings in Lancashire cotton spinning companies alone.' As an illustration of labour's capitalistic projects we may mention the proposal coming before the onsuing Trade Union Congress for starting a Labour daily newspaper, which will require not less tlian £]0().UO0 capital. In America a Labour Bank, with a capital of £2,000,000, is in process of incubation, which indicates that the workers there can command capital on large lines.