Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-25
ENGLISH LABOR|TEs
Benches Below GangWay
Shared With Nationalist.
Special cablegram 10 The star.

Speeiat SdoleBTam 10 Inc star.
LONDON. March 25.-No newly born
party In any parliament OF recent tim,s
has so quickly or so effectuaIly asserted IT
self as the bowler hated. work-a-da.s-
clothed band OF determined. earnest, zeal
GUS men who cali themselves members nf
the new labor party. and who at present
share the benches below the gangway with
the Irish nationalists.
Every day that has passed since the be-
ginning of the session. whatever the subject
Of debate may have been the labor menu
bers have found and promptly seized loop
holes for insinuating the advocacy OF the
cause they represent. And sometimes 1t
has happened that they have approached
very close to the borderiand of socialism
After the master Of Elibank. dignified
but somewhat MISUNDERSTANDING figure,
with flashing. unscabbered sword held
poised at business-like angle, early in
the present session had expressed the
kings satisfaction at the address of the
house of commons in reply to his majesty's
speech, there arose a shrewd-looking
youngish man. with thin. gray face, a
stubbly mustache spanning a firm mouth,
long head, the chronological marks of
which are revealed by thinning strands Of
hair. He spoke in a somewhat pedagogic
his body restlessly swinging from side to
side. A running fire of cheers from every
part of the house rather startled him as he
presented his arguments In favor of the
children Of the nation.
Aggressivenes Of Laborites.
This incident is typical because 1t indi-
Gates the aggressiveness Of the laborites.
Man for man, the members of the labor
party are undoubtedly better debaters than
the members of either the liberal party or
the conservative party. And while Mr..
Ut 80 - -
baters OF his party, his attitude shows that
he Ii business from the word Ago'' He
moved the second reading of a bill provfd-
ing for the feeding OF school children at
the expense of the state A distfngulshing
feature Of the proposal leaves to local ed
ucation authorities the decision whether
they shall supply food not only to neces-
sitous children, but to any other pupils
In their schools. Further, 1t empowers the
authorities to make charge for recover
Ing the cost of the food from the parents
or guardians.
"A frankly socialistic bill,' was an ex-
preston used by its critics, and an an
swering cheer from the labor members in
variably greeted that definition. 1t was
courageous challenge from the new party
to the government and the fact that the
bill was only mildly and timorously COM
mented upon by the ministerialists was
eloquent testimony. to the power which the
labor members WELD over the men who
now rule the destinies of the British empire.
we must do something for these
starving little ones" said Mr.. Wilson. the
mover of the second reading. People may
talk of the thriftlessness Of the parents.
but 1t is not the fault of the children that
they are here"
Undertaking of School Children.
IT" he affirmed. I'VE could arrest the
physical deterioration due to the under
feeding of school children. we should do
something Of signal benefit to the nation
In the future. This want of sufficient nour-
ishment is also in my opinion responsible
for a great deal Of mental impairment. and
We should save the expenditure involved
by the adoption of this resolution IN the re-
duced number of warehouses. jails and lu-
natic aSylums"
Charity he exclaimed in ringing ac-
cents of contempt. I'VE have relied upon
charity too long,"
The vigorous outburst of cheering swelied
In volume as he asked the government In
the name of humanity and Christianity to
help the starving little ones"
In contrast to the rather famboyant but
effective speech of the Lancashire labor
member, came the quiet, studious and delib-
crate manner of Mr.. Herbert Paul, Ok
ing from the government benches he heart
lily agreed with the contentious Of the ex-
carpenter, Wilson.
ITO teach a starving child Is TORTURE"
he asserted. Free meals would be no more
demoralizing than free education.
THE evils Of the sweat shops in London
are declared by experts to be in a great
measure due to the boards of guardians
themselves who accept contracts at prices
which could not be offered them except
by giving starvation rates OF payment to
the slaves of the needle.
Sweating System in London.
An expert in the readymade clothing
trade, who was at the head Of a large
Yorkshire firm. and who for twenty years
has collected information about the sweat
ing system in London. being interview, said;
1T is the London guardians themselves
who are really to blame for much OF the
starvation pay which is running and muir
dering many women every day." he said.
They almost invariably accept the lowest
tender for mems and boys clothing, and in
the clothing trade it is q recognized fact
that the lowest tender always spells sweat
Ing.
certain metropolitan board of guard
ians recently considered tenders for the
supply Of mems clothing. The highest was
$6.995 from a reputable north of England
firm, and the lowest was 81, 500 from a Lon
don manufacturer.
found that the cost price of the cloth and
the trimmings would entail an outlay of
over $1,000 So that II the successful con-
tractor had bought the proner material and
paid anything like a fair wage he would
have lost over So, 600 on the contract. And
so 1t goes. 1t Is no wonder that the sweat
shop system is obtaining holo on Lon
DON"
The fact that among the go members of
parliament there are 200 free churchmen
was the cause OF rejoicing at a recent ban
quet at the Hotel Cecil. Mr.. Lloyd-George,
In congratulating the non-conformists on
the power they held in the present parlia-
ment warned them not to abuse that
power.
you must remember that 30 per cent Of
the population is outside organized Chris
tianity," he said TT is that so per cent
which is the deciding force. In the applica-
ton of their principles non-conformists
must be very careful lest they endeavor to
carry parliament further in matters of de-
tail than this 30 per cent of the population
can appreciate for the moment.
'"rhe catastrophe which awaited the
church in 1905-08 may await non-conform-
tty unless 1t COMFORTS itself with wisdom
in the hour of its triumph"
Pure Food Legislation.
Efforts are being made to secure addi-
tionai pure food legislation for the united