XPost: uk.politics.misc, uk.politics.parliament, uk.local.london   
   From: oO@oO.com   
      
   COMMUNISM VERSUS REFORMS   
   MISTAKES OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF IRELAND   
   The Communist Party Of Ireland , Third International, through its organ, The   
   Workers' Republic, puts forward a programme for an Irish Republic   
      
      
   This programme is not a Communist one: we urge the Irish Communists to   
   withdraw it and put forward a genuine Communist programme in its place.   
      
      
      
      
      
   NON-COMMUNIIST PROGRAMME OF THE IRISH C.P. REQUIRING REVISION   
   (I) Ownership and control of all the heavy industries by the state for the   
   benefit of all the people   
    (2) Complete ownership of the transport system by the state -railways,   
   canals, shipping, etc.   
   (3) State ownership of all the banks.   
      
   (4) Confiscation of the large ranches and estates without compensation to   
   the landed aristocracy, and the distribution or the land amongst the   
   landless farmers and agricultural labourers. Election of joint council   
   representative of these two classes to distribute and manage the land.   
   Abolition of all forms of tenure and indebtedness either to private owners   
   or the State. Cancellation of all debts and mortgages.   
      
      
   (5) Establishment of all-round eight-hour working day.   
      
    6) Control of workshop conditions to be vested in a joint council   
   representing the workers, trade unions concerned, and the State   
      
    (7) Municipalisation of all public services, trams, light, heat, water,   
   etc, and free use by the workers.   
      
    (8) Compulsory rationing of all available housing accommodation and the   
   abolition of all rents.   
      
   (9) Full maintenance for the unemployed at full trade union rates.   
      
    (10) Universal arming of all workers in town and country to defend their   
   rights.   
      
    The above programme should be changed for the following:   
      
      
      
   Communist Programme   
      
   (1) The abolition of Dail Eireann and the present local governing bodies.   
      
      
   (2) The summoning of the Soviets (Workers Councils) composed of the workers   
   in industry, on the land, in transport and distribution and domestic work,   
   to arrange for the practical work of carrying on and ministering to the   
   needs of the people, by co-operative effort. The working hours will be   
   decided by those who are doing the work in conformity with necessity and   
   inclination.   
      
      
   (3) The abolition of all private property in land, and in the means of   
   production, distribution, transport, and communication.   
      
      
   (4) Closing of banks and abolition of money.   
      
      
   (5) Free use by all of the common products and possessions according to need   
   and desire. In case of scarcity, equal rationing of what may be scarce, the   
   common effort being directed to overcoming the scarcity so that rationing   
   may cease.   
      
      
   (6) The abolition of unemployment, parasitism, and overwork, by all members   
   of the community joining in doing a share of the necessary work of the   
   community.   
      
      
   (7) The throwing open of all educational facilities to all, and their very   
   great extension and development.   
      
      
   (8) The building up of Communist ideology and ways of life, and the   
   abolition of all forms of buying, selling, and barter of goods and   
   services - a great task, in which the Russian effort has largely failed.   
      
      
   (9) The preparation of Ireland to maintain itself without intercourse with   
   capitalist Governments and capitalist trade, and to hold out asa   
   self-contained, self-sufficient community until the people of other   
   countries become Communist. Such isolation is inevitable to a country which   
   becomes Communist, since capitalism will not assist in the maintenance of a   
   Communist community.   
      
    Encouragement of Communists in other countries to bring to Ireland such raw   
   materials and manufactured articles as she may lack, and to give also their   
   personal service if required.   
      
   Preparation and equipment of the Communist Commonwealth to withstand attack   
   from without or within.   
      
      
      
   Where the CPI Programme is unsound   
      
   In demonstrating the unsoundness of C.P.I.'s programme for an Irish Republic   
   ( a Workers Republic even the C.P.I. surely cannot call it), it should first   
   be pointed out that the programme does not include the abolition of   
   capitalism and private property in land, although all Communists are agreed   
   that the workers cannot be emancipated within the capitalist system. The   
   programme is, therefore, purely a reformist one, not differing widely from   
   that of the British Labour Party   
      
   Is It a Moscow Programme?It should be observed that the C.P.I. is working in   
   close conjunction with the CPGB, premises at Covent Garden, The question   
   therefore arises as to whether this unsound reformist programme is a   
   hastily-drafted, ill-considered production of the Irish Party or whether it   
   is a Moscow product, framed with the deliberate purpose of falling into line   
   with the Reformist parties at any price. Any steadfast and well-informed   
   Communists still remaining within the Third International should give their   
   serious attention to this problem..   
      
    A Fabian Scheme?The proposals for the ownership and management of industry   
   are on truly Fabian lines. They appear in clauses 1, 3, 5, 6, 7 and 9. It   
   should be observed that under this scheme the State would remain, as at   
   present, and would own ' the heavy industries and railways, canals, shipping   
   and other means of transport. The municipality would own the trains, light,   
   heat, water etc. ' As it is specifically stated that there would be free use   
   of these services we take it that these services, but not other services are   
   to be supplied without payment.   
      
    Is it intended the payment for the "freely used" municipal services should   
   go through the rates, in truly Fabian style? Most probably that is so, for   
   money would remain - note the provision for State ownership of all banks in   
   clause 3, and trade union rates of wages, clause 9.   
      
    Housing, apparently, would pass into State or municipal hands, because   
   clause 8 says: Compulsory Rationing of all available housing accommodation   
   and the abolition of all rents'   
      
    Immediate building of free housing accommodation to meet the needs and in   
   accordance with the desires of the people ought certainly to be added to any   
   catalogue of slogans; for the rationing' of existing property could never   
   produce satisfactory results.   
      
    Private Enterprise Remains  Certainly the supply of food, the first   
   essential need of manki.nd, and apparently the supply also of clothing and   
   many other necessaries, would remain a source of private money making under   
   this vague programme of half-measures,   
      
   Thus in this C.P.I. Republic we should have as at present, private   
   enterprise catering for certain needs, the state catering for others, and   
   the municipality catering for others. Some of these services would be   
   supplied without direct payment, like upkeep of the roads, the lighting of   
   the streets, and the assitance of the Fire Brigade today and like the water,   
   for which people whose rates are included in their rents, do not realise   
      
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