The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-18

baDOrlUeS IN Parilament owe allegiance,
1t put forward twenty-eight candidates Ii
1895. but did not secure the return Of one
while the average vote obtained was only
1893 per candidate.
In 1900 ten seats only were contested.
Again none was gained, but the average
vote per candidate went up to $40. Their
enormous vote at the recent election need
not be further insisted upon.
H INDEPENDENT LABOR PARTY.
They have nearly two-thirds Of the
Labor representatives returned to Parlia-
ment, and though complete harmony and
agreement do not exist between them
n the L.abor-Liheral members, they will
doubtless act together on trade union
questions and purely labor questions gem
orally, and before long it is considered
certain that, their interests being identical,
practically the whole of the Labor party
in the House will fight under the flag OF
the Independent Labor Representation
Committee.
Tit size and resources of the Independent
Labor party in the country may be readily
grasped on the consideration Of some facts
and figures published by Keir Hardie just
before the recent election.
AS has been said, the foundation OF tho
whole Labor party is the trade union
movement. The Independent Labor party,
the Fabian Society and q few sections OF
Cooperators make up the affiliated s~ocietie 8
Of the Labor Representation Committee.
Every trade union of any Importance is
either affiliated with il or has its own
political fund.
The Miners Federation of Great Britain,
for instance, is not affiliated with the Labor
Representation Committee, but each Of
Its $4,000 members pays one shilling a
year into a political fund for labor rep
reSentation. The trade unions actually
affiliated with the l.. r. C., with which
letters for the future the Labor Represen-
tation Committee may be conveniently
designated, have a combined membership
of more than 900, 600. The Independent Labor
party poys on a membership of 1900 and
the Fabian Society on 900.
The L. r. c. is financed OF the following
method: Each Of the affiliated societies
contributes 90 shillings per thousand mem
bers annually to meet working expenses,
and one penny per member per annum to
the Parliamentary fund. This fund is used
to pay a small proportion Of the election
expenses of candidates and an allowance
Of 81, 900 a year to each member returned
to Parliament.
A GREAT CAMPAIGN FUND.
Some affiliated societies run their own
candidates, and in that case Day all expenses
out of their own fund. The Miners Fedora
ton does thisa n imposes a levy Of n shii-
ling a year per member for political pur-
poses. As there are now 2,250,000 trade
unionists in Great Britain and Ireland, a
levy oil one shilling each per annum yields
a revenue Of e1l2, 500 for political purposes.
Lack of funds, therefore, should not stand
in the way Of the Labor party.
In addition TO the trade unions. which
are already affiliated to the L. X. c., there
is another large wealthy and highly or
gatlzed body Of woTlanen which is looked
upon as a future source Of strength. This
is the cooperators.
The cooperators exist chiefly in the north
of England. Briefly, they form a combina-
ton, the object of which is to secure to the
members the profits on all kinds of COM
modities which would otherwise be made
by individual and independent tradesmen
and merchants. The members Of a"co-op'
buy all their ~necessaries, food, clothing
and furniture, from their own stores. They
ever run their own reading rooms and cir
culating libraries.
For every purchase he makes a member
keeps the receipt. These receipts are the
vouchers he presents on dividend days,
when he receives his share of profits upon
the purchases he has made. The great
scope of this system is easily seen when it is
realized that last year the dividend paid
to members on their purchases amounted
to the huge sum of E1O, 600 ,OC0 sterling
$50, 100000.
As Kier Eurdie points out, an assessment
upon that for political purposes OF one
quarter Of l FER cent. would give an in
come of e25, 600. At present the cooper
ators do not consider it to their advantage
to Join any political party, but the bulk Of
members are supporters OF Labor candi-
oates, and may be expected as the Labor
move ment develops to throw in their lot
with it.
POLITICAL AIMS.
In considering the political aims, the
future programme Of the Labor party In
the Commons, one is not upon very firm
ground as yet. Its membership, 1t must
be remembered, is the membership Of the
trade unions. And this, again TO quote
Kier Kardie, ais made up OF men and wo-
men Of ell shades Of political beliefs, from
the most staid Conservative to the reyo-
~.utionary Socialist
Yeti isa fact that a veryla.ge proportion
OF the L.. R. c. candidates were acsive
Socialists, openly Identified as members OF
the independent Labor party, which, as
said above, is an avowedly Socialist organi-
cation. Nearly all the l.. f. c. candidates
returned are also avowed Socialists.
Every Laborite in the House of Commons
Endorsed by the L. r, C. has signed a copy
OF the constitution of the party. The
part Tearing upon candidates and m 'meers
Of Parliament is "a follows:
To secure. by united action, the election
to Parliament Of candidates promoted, in the
first instance, by an affiliated society or
societies In the constituency. who undertake
to form or join a dist act group in Parliament.
with its own " hips and its own policy on labor
questions, TO abstain strictly from identify
ing themselves with. or pro noting the
interests OF, any section Of the Liberal or
Conservative parties.
PRESENT LEGISLATIVE PLANS.