Every labor1 saving invention in the history of man has thrown someone out of work. The grain binders2 were broken and burned by the old fashioned harvest hands. The hand type-setters opposed the introduction of the linotype. But the economic invention came in spite of this opposition3. The Roadtown is a new arrangement of civilization, a new plan for all commerce and all city building; it will do for the entire programme of transportation what the linotype did for the type setting industry. The entire industrial life of the world will desert the present economic system just as164 the farmers deserted4 the old scythes5 and flails6. As a result a large proportion of the people who now work with the crude systems will be thrown out of employment. Who are these people? They are teamsters and expressmen, and clerks, messengers, and bookkeepers, and others too numerous to mention, but these people are merely the servants of private corporations. And the corporations own the warehouses7, wholesale8 and retail9 stores, and the little shops, and street cars, and cabs, and conduits, and the gas and electricity, and hundreds of other things. These, corporation or trust owners, and their political henchmen who live on the fat of the land and who by employing a lot of servants distribute our goods and intelligence to us by a crude, wasteful10, dishonest, and disorganized system, will also eventually lose their jobs. The men who drive the wagons11 will learn to raise vegetables, and the girls behind the hat counters will learn to make hats. But their bosses with appetites whetted12 to luxury will be out of a job “for fair” for with the exception of the mines and foreign commerce, the Roadtown will leave them no165 chance to graft13 off the producer and consumer by the aid of a privately14 owned and barbarously inefficient15 mechanism16 of distribution and house construction.
Verily, there will be weeping and wailing17, and soft hands blistered18, and fair names of the privileged families without prestige in the world, for the trusts will have lost their jobs, and there will be but one trust, and that will be owned by the people.
Shall we Miss Them?
The Roadtown is remarkable19 for the new things that it will add to civilization, but it is even more remarkable for the things that will be conspicuous20 for their absence. In the Roadtown there will be no streets, no street cars and no “subway air”; no kitchens, no coal bins21, no back yards or back alleys22 full of crime and tin cans; no brooms, no feather dusters, no wash day; no clothes line, no beating the carpet or shaking the rug out the window; there will be no clothes brushes, no pressing clothes by hand, no lugging23 the beds out to air them; the Roadtown home will have no dish washing, no166 cooks, no maids, no janitors24, no furnace, no ashes, no dust, no noise, no kindling25 to split nor buy for five cents a bundle; there will be no moving vans, no coal wagons, no ice wagons, no garbage carts, no ash carts, no milk wagons, and no delivery wagons; no horses except for pleasure drives and no need for a society for the prevention of cruelty to animals; in Roadtown there will be no fire engines, no cabs nor taxi-cabs, no mixing of pedestrians26 and vehicles, no street car blockades, no grade crossings and no “death avenues”; there will be no bargain rushes, no small shops, no middleman’s profits, no bill boards, no advertising27 of useless and harmful articles, no waste of money for little bottles and cans and bags, no adulterated food, no wilted28 vegetables, no unsanitary “loose” milk, no systems of cesspools and wells to spread typhoid and other disease germs; for the Roadtown farmer there will be no hitching29 the horse to go to church nor driving to town to get the mail, no kerosene30 lamps, no slipshod ungraded country school, no lightning rod peddlers and no book agents; in Roadtown there will be no need for umbrellas,167 rubbers nor overcoats in the daily routine of business—such protection from the weather being only required by the keepers of live stock and upon occasional visits to the old style city; there will be no snow to shovel31, no slipping of horses or humans on icy streets, no street cleaners, no water wagons, no swill32 tubs, no rain barrels, no manure33 carts, no dumb-waiters to pull up, no popping and sizzling steam radiators34 (hot water heating instead); no beds to make, no expensive strings35 of funeral carriages, no fire escapes, no waiting in rain or snow to catch a car, no canned goods, no delicatessen diet; in the Roadtown there will be no unemployed36 problem and no men out of a job except those who are too lazy to work, and yet there will be many changes in occupation, for the Roadtown will have no news boys, no messenger boys, no mail carriers, no traffic policemen, no teamsters, no cabbies, no street car conductors, no expressmen, no delivery boys, no peddlers, no push cart men, no waiters to tip, no insurance agents; no organ grinders, no rag pickers nor old clothes men, no street fakirs nor sandwich men; no beggars, no liveried168 flunkies; no sweat shops, no child labor, no wage slavery, no rent on fictitious37 land values, and no trusts to gobble up the fruits of labor.
The history of civilization shows that mechanics control economics, that economics control morality, and that the morality of the time is expressed through the law; and conversely law does not control morality nor morality economics nor economics mechanics. Mechanics is the foundation of all that is good and bad in civilization, law the paint on the finished structure. The painters who are constantly retouching the exterior38 get credit for a good deal of change but their work is of little real moment compared with the changing of the fundamental structure.
The Roadtown Religion.
A tremendous step toward the perfection of civilization will be made when the world recognizes the two following principles:
(1) That cities should be built in long continuous lines.
(2) That housing, as a framework, and scientific transportation, as a compact mechanism169 to fit therein, should be developed as a single enterprise.
The Roadtown will tend to perfect transportation as applied39 to people, commodities and intelligence. Highly perfected transportation means opportunity to get together or to get apart. It means socialism for the socialist40, together with all the advantages of individualism, and individualism for the individualist, together with all the advantages of co?peration.
The mission of the Roadtown is to assist in the development of the physical, mental and moral qualities of mankind through the gradual elimination41 of all physical, mental and moral waste, thus creating an environment where selfishness and inequality of opportunity will gradually disappear and where man will finally enjoy all the fruits of his labor.
The above expresses the principles of the Roadtown religion—a faith which holds that the Kingdom of God can be realized on this earth and points a practical way by which such realization42 may be attained43.
If you accept these principles and can add170 them to the faith of your present religion you are indeed a Roadtowner.
The Roadtown is as humanitarian44 and revolutionary in its principles as is Single Tax or Socialism and like these is destined45 to become a great social movement enlisting46 the minds and hearts of those who have developed the social conscience—who believe in it and are willing to work for a civilization wherein the equitable47 distribution of wealth may be realized. But these other movements depend for their results largely upon the conversion48 of the majority of the population to their creeds49. Roadtown will be a great social “movement” but it will be more than a movement—it will be a realization and that speedily. In fact the object of the author in painfully preparing this little volume (for I am a round peg51 in a square hole at book writing) is to lay the Roadtown plan before the public to a degree that will stimulate52 the active interest of enough people to accomplish through their co?peration the financing, and building the first section of Roadtown. The first section built, no human power can stop the Roadtown revolution.
171 So if you find in the spirit of Roadtown a response to the feeling within your own soul write to the author that you may be counted upon as a Roadtowner to believe and to perform.
If you do not understand the mechanics of Roadtown, write. There are engineers who do and who can explain this to you. If you are an architect or an engineer, an inventor or an agriculturist with a criticism or practical idea that will make Roadtown better, write. If you live in a locality suitable for the construction of a Roadtown line, write. If you know of any one else who can help the cause write to them to write.
Whether you be preacher, carpenter or publicist; bookkeeper, broker53 or blacksmith, if you wish to play a part in founding the new civilization, talk, preach, speak, write or publish the Roadtown gospel. Send the book to one friend and advise the rest to buy it. Write an article on the subject and get your editor friend to publish it.
If you fear that the crookedness54 of finance that has blackened many a fair gift to humanity172 may smirch this latest boon—make it your business to investigate fully50; consult with men of wide experience and unquestionable honor who are well posted on this particular subject who may help you to establish in your mind the true nature and phenomenal significance of this movement. And above all if you are but a man among men toiling55 at your allotted56 task and taking the stinted57 portion which the “system” allows you, write, that your name may be filed on the waiting list as one of those to whom the occupancy of a Roadtown house may be offered as soon as the cement of the first section has hardened and the civilizing58 currents have been turned into the arteries59 of “A New Heaven and A New Earth” here on this God plowed60 and human harrowed planet in this the early years of the Twentieth Century.
THE END
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1
labor
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| n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦 | |
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2
binders
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| n.（司机行话）刹车器；（书籍的）装订机( binder的名词复数 )；（购买不动产时包括预付订金在内的）保证书；割捆机；活页封面 | |
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opposition
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| n.反对，敌对 | |
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deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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5
scythes
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| n.（长柄）大镰刀( scythe的名词复数 )v.（长柄）大镰刀( scythe的第三人称单数 ) | |
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6
flails
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| v.鞭打( flail的第三人称单数 )；用连枷脱粒；（臂或腿）无法控制地乱动；扫雷坦克 | |
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7
warehouses
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| 仓库，货栈( warehouse的名词复数 ) | |
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wholesale
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| n.批发；adv.以批发方式；vt.批发，成批出售 | |
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retail
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| v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格 | |
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10
wasteful
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| adj.（造成）浪费的，挥霍的 | |
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wagons
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| n.四轮的运货马车( wagon的名词复数 )；铁路货车；小手推车 | |
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12
whetted
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| v.（在石头上）磨（刀、斧等）( whet的过去式和过去分词 )；引起，刺激（食欲、欲望、兴趣等） | |
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13
graft
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| n.移植，嫁接，艰苦工作，贪污；v.移植，嫁接 | |
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14
privately
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| adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地 | |
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15
inefficient
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| adj.效率低的，无效的 | |
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16
mechanism
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| n.机械装置；机构，结构 | |
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17
wailing
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| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的现在分词 )；沱 | |
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18
blistered
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| adj.水疮状的，泡状的v.（使）起水泡( blister的过去式和过去分词 )；（使表皮等）涨破，爆裂 | |
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19
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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20
conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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21
bins
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| n.大储藏箱( bin的名词复数 )；宽口箱（如面包箱，垃圾箱等）v.扔掉，丢弃( bin的第三人称单数 ) | |
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22
alleys
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| 胡同，小巷( alley的名词复数 )； 小径 | |
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23
lugging
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| 超载运转能力 | |
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24
janitors
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| n.看门人( janitor的名词复数 )；看管房屋的人；锅炉工 | |
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25
kindling
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| n. 点火, 可燃物 动词kindle的现在分词形式 | |
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26
pedestrians
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| n.步行者( pedestrian的名词复数 ) | |
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27
advertising
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| n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的 | |
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28
wilted
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| （使）凋谢，枯萎( wilt的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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29
hitching
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| 搭乘； （免费）搭乘他人之车( hitch的现在分词 )； 搭便车； 攀上； 跃上 | |
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30
kerosene
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| n.(kerosine)煤油，火油 | |
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31
shovel
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| n.铁锨，铲子，一铲之量；v.铲，铲出 | |
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32
swill
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| v.冲洗；痛饮；n.泔脚饲料；猪食；（谈话或写作中的）无意义的话 | |
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33
manure
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| n.粪，肥，肥粒；vt.施肥 | |
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34
radiators
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| n.（暖气设备的）散热器( radiator的名词复数 )；汽车引擎的冷却器，散热器 | |
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35
strings
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| n.弦 | |
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36
unemployed
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| adj.失业的，没有工作的；未动用的，闲置的 | |
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37
fictitious
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| adj.虚构的，假设的；空头的 | |
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38
exterior
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| adj.外部的，外在的；表面的 | |
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39
applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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40
socialist
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| n.社会主义者；adj.社会主义的 | |
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41
elimination
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| n.排除，消除，消灭 | |
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42
realization
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| n.实现；认识到，深刻了解 | |
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43
attained
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| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
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44
humanitarian
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| n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者 | |
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45
destined
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| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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46
enlisting
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| v.（使）入伍， （使）参军( enlist的现在分词 )；获得（帮助或支持） | |
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47
equitable
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| adj.公平的；公正的 | |
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48
conversion
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| n.转化，转换，转变 | |
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49
creeds
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| （尤指宗教）信条，教条( creed的名词复数 ) | |
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50
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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51
peg
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| n.木栓，木钉；vt.用木钉钉，用短桩固定 | |
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52
stimulate
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| vt.刺激，使兴奋；激励，使…振奋 | |
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53
broker
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| n.中间人，经纪人；v.作为中间人来安排 | |
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54
crookedness
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| [医]弯曲 | |
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55
toiling
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| 长时间或辛苦地工作( toil的现在分词 )； 艰难缓慢地移动，跋涉 | |
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56
allotted
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| 分配，拨给，摊派( allot的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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57
stinted
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| v.限制，节省（stint的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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58
civilizing
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| v.使文明，使开化( civilize的现在分词 ) | |
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59
arteries
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| n.动脉( artery的名词复数 )；干线，要道 | |
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60
plowed
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| v.耕( plow的过去式和过去分词 )；犁耕；费力穿过 | |
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