PARTISAN REVIEW
463
scale. New tools, techniques, processes, products and organizational
forms must be invented. Obviously, there are many directions we might
take - I want here to talk about two, two scenarios for change.
The first alternative is the development of a large-scale, systems–
oriented life service industry, which will have charge of
all
the services,
supplies and systems necessary for the support of community life: public
utilities, housing, communication, transportation, even recreation, educa–
tion and medical care. Conglomerates will run each community's sys–
tem. They will expand vertically, to control the stages from raw material
to consumer; and horizontally, to balance the highs and lows of business.
The basic difference from our conventional view
is
the extension
of the concept of public utilities. For isn't housing as much of a public
utility as water supply? What about heat, hot water and air condition–
ing, as well as power? The functional core is a sort of General Motors
of communities. It does sound promising, but the past performance of
the large manufacturing corporation is also frightening. What controls
do individuals have? What opportunity will there be for industry?
Can we expect more public control of these aspects of community
life? Can we expect the conglomerate to be more responsible to the
community it serves than are our current fragmented systems?
There are, however, organizational forms which can supply the
service and support we need without the restrictions and standardiza–
tion associated with the mass production of automobiles and appliances.
Perhaps General Motors is not the best model. A better one may be the
Telephone Company. For your telephone is not yours; you selected its
color and its style from one of several models, but the company owns
the instrument, the wires, boxes and controls, those in your house as well
as those outside connecting you to other telephones.
Forget for a moment your frequent annoyance these days with bad
service. Compare the research activities of the
~ell
Labs with that of the
building industry. Consider the extension of telephone service over the
past few generations. Compare the telephone lines with the electric
and plumbing lines which change ownership (and responsibility for
maintenance) at each property line. The utility company provides a
pipe to your property, but you take responsibility for hooking up to it.
To do the work, the owner must select one of many small contractors
who buy their materials at high prices in small quantities from many
sources, who train workmen in different styles, who take a different
order of responsibility for their work, and for maintaining and repairing
it. We have only to compare the problem and the cost of finding a
