The Economy of Permanence: A Quest for a Social Order Based on Non-violence (स्थायी अर्थतन्त्र)

are run by government, are very often wasteful. We must condone a certain
amount of waste. Concentration of wealth is much more wasteful. All these
wars are the result of concentration of wealth and power consequent on
centralisation of industries. Look at the huge amount of wealth that has been
wasted during the last few years.
If we must have centralised industry, we can have it only where we cannot help
it. It is just like a poison. Even poison is sometimes good. For example, you
take quinine. It is a good thing when you take in limited quantities and as
prescribed by a doctor. You put a red label to the effect that it is a poison, and
you take it in small doses. If you want to have a centralised industry that is a
poison for the nation you may have it with a red label, and take it in small
doses as prescribed by the doctor! Otherwise there is danger. Centralised
industries are in their very nature anti-social. Therefore, we have got to limit
their sphere. How do we limit it? Limit it to cases where society requires their
function and the industry itself is of the nature of a monopoly. Take for
example, water-supply. We should let government arrange for water-supply.
We have to allocate to government things which require a long-range view.
Costs and Profits: There are people who talk in terms of cost. They say
centralised industries are good because things can be produced cheap. It is not
always so. Centralised industries can be used with advantage in the case of
public utility concerns, such as Railways, Posts and Telegraphs, Electricity
supply, Irrigation, which are by nature monopolistic; there must not be any
profit motive, but they should be run on a service basis. When the State
undertakes these enterprises the profit motive is eliminated, which an
individual has uppermost in his mind.
Private individuals are actuated by profit motive. Higher the cost, lower the
profit, and lower the cost, higher the profit. This means we cut down cost in
centralised industry. The easiest way to do so is to cut down wages, purchase
raw materials at a cheaper price and effect other economic savings in overhead
charges. Profit is the main motive power. When we are cutting down wages and
the raw materials are purchased cheap, then we make one man who organises