Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-01-12
WEALTHY AND POWERFUL
The London Guilds Exercise Vast Amount
of Influence
Every Politician of Importance in
More of These Companies.


From tie New YORK Tribune.
Among the many extraordinary honors
which have been conferred upon Lord
Kitchener in recognition of his victory over
the dervishes at 0mdurman a year ago
there is none that to American ears sounds
more peculiar than his appointment as a
fishmonger. a draper, a grocer mercer
and goldsmith. Moreover, he is about to
become an apothecary, butcher and
merchant tailor.
In order to explain this transformation of
England's foremost general into a master
of so many trades and calings 1t is neces-
sary to state that he owes 1t to his election
to membership of the various great COM
panies or guilds of the ancient city of Lon
don. 1t is mere empty honor that is
thus conferred upon him. For these COM
panies. or ''liverieS." they called.
colOssally rich and each member has a
considerable financial interest in the estate
of the guild to which he belongs. Roughly
speaking, the guilds of the city of London
own about S1pp, 10000 worth of property,
the income of which is at the lowest est-
mate SJno,OoO a year. OF this amount not
more than 81 .OOODDO is spent in charity,
while the remainder is devoted to banquet
ing. to the payment of big fees for attend
ance of the so-called courts" that usually
precede the banquet and to dividends to
the members of the company. That. at
least, is the understanding. For while it
is possible to trace the sums disposed of in
charity and in banqueting, 1t is impossible
to obtain any definite information with re-
gard to the disposal of the balance of the
yearly income of the various guilds. Time
and again have efforts been made in par
Lament and through the press TO obtain
some definite account of the expenditure of
the city companies. Il has been argued
that they We're public trusts and charities,
and should such be subject to the laws
providing for the state supervision of such
organizations. But the influence. legisla-
tive and otherwise. that the hveries have
been able to bring TO bear has been so
strong that they remain to this day abso-
luteIy free to manage their own affairs and
to dispose of the property of the company
in the way that they see fit
Source of influence.
Much of this influence which the guilds
are able to command is attributable to
their cleverness in electing to membership
the leading statesmen of the day. There is
not any politician of Importance or weight
on either side of the house of commons or
of the house of lords who does not belong
TO one or more of these city companies, in
which he therefore possesses a financial
perhaps it would sound better to say
VeSted-interest Thus, Lord Salisbury is a
fshmonger. while Lord Rosebery IS
draper and Mr.. Chamberlain a grocer. Mr..
Goschen, the first lord of the admiralty.
being a goldsmith Sir William Harcourt
| is a butcher. The Duke of Devonshire is
a barber and the Duke of Portland Is
needle maker. The companies are con-
stantly on the lookout FOR men likely to ex-
ercise influence in one form another,
and hasten to convert them into champions
of their interests by admitting them to
membership. In this manner every effort
to start reforms in connection with the
city of London companies has been frus-
trated. conservatives and liberals alike
agreeing TO leave the guilds to manage
their own affairs without legislative or
state control. some of them have done
| for the last thousand years.
Yet If the liveries did not require govern
ment supervision charitable organiza-
! tons or trade associations they as
suredly need it in view Of the numerous
and responsible functions with which they
are intrusted. and which practically have
the effect of converting some of them into
state departments. Thus the Goldsmiths'
Company by virtue of a charter granted
by King James /, enjoys not only the right
of marking all gold and silver ware placed
upon the market with the mark of its hall,
but likewise of searching for and seizing
all gold and silver goods that have been
fraudulently marked. In fact. the Gold
smiths Company is virtually intrusted by
the government with the duty of protecting
the public from fraud by bringing to book
all those dealers in gold and silver ware