New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-02-18
THE BRITISH LABOR PARTY.

The great increase OF the labor vote in Par
lament is next to the overwhelming victory of
the Liberals, the most striking feature of the
recent elections in Great Britain, and 1t may
we'll be regarded as the most significant feat
ure of all The change from Conservative to
Liberal is no thing Such reversals, now
in the one direction and now in the other, have
been common enough. But in the return of a
labor delegation of more than fifty members 10
the House of Commons must discern the es-
Establishment of a new and tremendous force in
British politics. The first labor members en-
tered Parliament in 1874, when Mr. Burt and
Mr.. Macdonald were elected by the miners of
England. The increase in their numbers was
slow. In 1900 they only twelve, and of
those two were Nationalist and Socialist.
Now they have leaped to more than four times
that number or just five times that number Of
real labor men, at least forty-five Of the fifty
one being pure trade unionists as distinguished
from Socialists the remainder belonging to Mr..
Keir Hardies sOcialistic Independent Labor
Party" If they have increased four or five fold
in six years, what may they not number six
years hence? If they have increased twenty-five
fold in thirty-twO years, what may not the
next generation see?
These considerations are emphasized by the
undisguised fact that. while the Liberals have
clear majority over all, and are thus quite in
takably pledged TO some of the chief items of
the trades union political programme. Early
in the campaign, when they were not sure of
so overwhelming victory, and when it seemed
possible that the labor vote might turn the
scale, the Liberal leaders pledged themselves TO
the Labor party in return for its support. Sir
Henry Campbell Zimmerman himself was fore
most in making such a pledge, and Mr.. Glad
stone, as the chief practical manager of the
I iharol sFoaa hfy1oS' oo4fa
ton between Liberals and Unionists in many
constituencies. AS our London correspondent
reminded US in a recent letter on the subject
only twenty -nine of the labor members were
elected through the efforts of the Labor Repre-
sentation Committee, with its penny tribute
from the workingmen of the kingdom. The
others were elected by the Liberal party. But
that fact does not lessen the significance Of the
case. 1t means that even unaided labor elected
Twenty-Five men, which is three times as many
as six years ago, and it also means that the
great Liberal party has so allied itself with
labor that it has elected or helped to elect from
fifteen TO twenty members to Parliament who
will align themselves strictly with the Labor
party. The significance is equal whether it
be Of labor gains OF Liberal conversion to
labor policies
We shall await with much interest the de-
velopment of legislation by the Liberal govern
ganized labor are granted. There is a wide
spread assumption that the Prime Minister
pledged himself to the annulment of the Taft
Vale decision. That is certainly the cardinal
Item on the labor mems programme. and it is
to be doubted whether they would have agreed
TO cooperate with the Liberals in the cam
palgn and election as much as they did had
they not understood the latter party to be def
inltely committed TO such action. Now the Taft
vale decision, which was rendered after one
of the most notable legal contests in the history
or labor disputes, was briefly to this effect:
Ihat trade unions were responsible for the re-
suits of strikes caused by them, and that their
funds might be levied upon for damages That
decision has, ever since it was made, been the
chief deterrent against strikes, and the chief
handicap upon them when they have been at
tempted The amendment of the law relating
TO combinations so as to annul that decision
would greatly increase the power of the labor
unions and enable them largely to dictate terms
TO employers. The Labor party has its heart
set upon such annulment, and regards the Lib
erals as fully pledged to grant it. Yet there are
many capitalists and employers of labor in the
Liberal ranks 10 whom such action wouId ba
unwelcome. 1t will be interesting to see what
the government will do about It. and what o
considerable section of the Liberal party will do
about it If the government accedes to the labor
demand.
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