Article by Pankhurst describing what socialism is not, in which she emphasizes the importance of worker councils as the main instruments of decision-making and workers' power. The article appeared in the Vol. 10 No. 21 (11 August 1923) issue of the Workers' Dreadnought. Pankhurst had previously published articles on the same theme, such as "What Is Socialism?" (Vol. 10 No. 17) and "Socialism" (Vol. 10 No. 19), in the preceding weeks.
The terms Socialism and Communism had originally the same meaning.
They indicate a society in which the land, the means of production and distribution are held in common, and in which production is for use, not profit.
State Socialism, with its wages and salaries, its money system, banks and bureaucracy, is really not Socialism at all, but State Capitalism.
A recent leading article in the "Daily Herald" referred to the Port of London Authority as "a concrete illustration of Socialism as a working system."
A more gross mis-statement could hardly be made. It was a specially cruel mis-statement, since the dockers are on strike against the Port of London Authority.
Mr. Herbert Morrison, secretary of the London Labour Party, and a man of very moderate views, wrote to the "Daily Herald" to protest. He pointed out that the Port of London Authority has a chairman appointed by the Board of Trade, ten members appointed by the Admiralty, the Board of Trade, the City Corporation, London County Council and Trinity House, only two of whom are Labour representatives. These ten members, who might be remotely regarded as public representatives, though most indirectly appointed, are counterbalanced by no fewer than 18 members elected by private capitalist interests, including payers of dues, owners of river craft and wharfingers, the voting being upon the basis of the business done.
Mr. Morrison declared it unfair to "genuine democratic Socialism" to regard the P.L.A. "as Socialism in practice."
He added, however, this very curious statement:
"I could understand such a phrase coming from a so-called Communist who admires Soviets."
It is well that Mr. Morrison prefixed the adjective "so-called." Obviously the Port of London Authority is the complete opposite of the Soviets under Communism.
The Soviets are the industrial councils under Communism.
Though the term Soviet is Russian, we cannot look to the Russia of to-day to find the correct Soviet. The Russian Soviets now in being are apt to be composite assemblies of representatives, not merely of workers in industries, but of political organisations, national groups, trade unions, etc.
The typic Soviets, or those which will arise under Communism, are not composite bodies of this kind. They consist, firstly, of the workers in a factory, on a farm, in a dockyard, in a ship, in a coalpit, in a railway station, and so on. In each centre of production the workers will co-operate in organising their work. The large factory or works may have, if convenient, several sub-councils, each managing its own affairs. For questions of organisation affecting the whole works, either all the workers may confer, should occasion arise, or delegates may be appointed to hold any discussion and make any arrangements that may seem necessary, provided, of course, those whose delegates they are agree to what has been planned.
For arrangements which may have to be made for an entire industry, or for a group of industries in a given area, delegates will be appointed and instructed in the same way from the workers in the various centres, and will make their reports in due course.
No professional class of delegates will be created. The delegates will be chosen from amongst those actually working, and will return to their work when the occasion for conference has passed.
No authoritarian control will be imposed, but an efficient system of statistical and information bureaux will knit together the workers' council organisation.
The object of the Workers' Council is not to govern a race of slaves, but to supply the needs of free people.
The forerunners of the Workers' Councils under Communism are those which have already begun to spring up under Capitalism. The war-time shop stewards' and workers' committee movement in this country was an example of this. Similar, but more advanced movements developed in other countries at the same period. In Germany these are still maintained.
In the Russian Revolution of 1905 Soviets or Workers' Councils arose, and also in the Revolution of 1917. In the German and Austrian Revolutions of 1918, and the various revolutionary outbreaks which have since occurred, the Workers' Councils have been the medium through which the workers have acted.
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