The
founders of the commonwealth understood perfectly that business was the
sterile activity of the function interposed between the demand and the
supply; that it was nothing structural; and they intended its extinction,
and expected it from the moment that money was abolished."
"This is all pretty tiresome," said the professor to our immediate party.
"I don't see why we oblige ourselves to listen to that fellow's stuff. As
if a civilized state could exist for a day without money or business."
He went on to give his opinion of the Altrurian's pretended description,
in a tone so audible that it attracted the notice of the nearest group of
railroad hands, who were listening closely to Homos, and one of them sang
out to the professor: "Can't you wait and let the first man finish?" and
another yelled: "Put him out!" and then they all laughed with a humorous
perception of the impossibility of literally executing the suggestion.
By the time all was quiet again I heard the Altrurian saying: "As to our
social life, I cannot describe it in detail, but I can give you some
notion of its spirit. We make our pleasures civic and public as far as
possible, and the ideal is inclusive and not exclusive.
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