Page - 215 - in Otto Bauer (1881–1938) - Thinker and Politician

the ‘thirdway’ to socialism 215 once amonth.113 The concessions grantedby thebourgeoisiewere relatively far-reachingwhen it cametodefining the tasksof the industrial councils,not leastbecausetheydidnotfundamentallychangetheexistingsocialorder.Soon enough,lifewouldcrushtheSocialDemocrats’expectationsthattheindustrial councilswouldplayafundamentalrole inbringingaboutsocialist relationsin theworkplacesandleadtothebreakdownofcapitalistmonopolyovertheeco- nomy.Intruth,theindustrialcouncilshelpedtodispeltherevolutionaryatmo- sphere as they acted in opposition to arbitrary socialisation.After 1921, their responsibilitieswereconfinedtoregulatingoccupationalsafety,defendingthe social legislation, lookingaftertechnicalproblems,andmonitoringwagesand piecework.Soon, theysimplymergedwiththetradeunions.114 Even though the industrial councils lawdidnotmeet the expectations of their founders,115 the Social Democrats’ attempts to apply social legislation, alongside their housing and educationpolicies, contributed to international discussion of a ‘redVienna’.116 The actual implementation of key ideas from 113 The1947 lawconcerning industrialcouncilsandthe1973 labourconstitutionregulations onlymarginallydifferedfromthe1919 law. 114 MaxAdlerwarnedthattheindustrialcouncilsmightbeco-optedbytheexistingcapitalist system.Hewasawarethatthecouncilmemberswereinsufficientlytheoreticallyprepared anddemandedthattheyundergoanintenseeducationalperiod.Thesdapleadershipdid notapprovehisproposal. 115 In1919,Bauerarguedthat ‘asanagencyofproletarianself-governmentintheprocessesof production,theworks’committeesformapreliminarystagetothetothesocialisticmode ofproduction’–Bauer1925,p. 145. 116 Before1919,73percentofallapartmentshad0.5–1.5roomsjudgingbymodernstandards. 58percentofworking-class familymembershadtosharetheirbedwithanotherperson, and22percentofworking-class familiesweresubletting inorder tostumpuptheir rent. Themiserable livingconditionswere fertile ground for tuberculosis,whichwas referred toas theViennadisease.CompareAnreiter 1985–6,p. 35.Housingwas themost serious socialproblemthattheSocialDemocratshadtoattendtoinordertoconvincetheworking masses of the superiority of their politics over the bourgeois parties. Soon enough, the Social-Democratic localgovernmentofViennaturnedthecity intoonebigconstruction site. The treasurer of Vienna, Hugo Breitner, worked out a progressive tax system that madetherichpayhightaxesforluxuryapartments,racinghorses,domesticservants,even petdogsandtheatreandcinematickets.Themoneywasusedtobuildsome60,000 flats withen-suitebathroomsandtoilets–analmostunimaginablyhighstandardatthetime. Schools, orphanages, sports facilities, andcultural institutions for childrenwereerected enmasse.Theprofessorof anatomy, JuliusTandler, introducedmedicineasa subjectof study inschoolsandofferedrelevantcourses formothers. In 1919, theSocial-Democratic minister of education,OttoGlöckel, reformed the school systempermittingwomen to studyatuniversity.SeeKreissler 1970,p. 137;compareKonrad2008,pp.229–36.