Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-02-27
TEE ENGLISH LABOR PARTY.

1t is peCullar tnat In q country re-
tanning so much of the feudal form as
Great Britain that a political party of
resentation in parliament than in any
other of the prominent govern
ments of the world In the last general
British elections the workingmens
party came to the front in an aston
fishing fashion. 1t has now sixty one
members of the house of commons or
almost 10 per cent of the member
ship of that body. OF all the special
interests represented in the parliament
one-half centuries, nothing like this
body of workingmen's members has
ever existed.
These members are by the platform
upon which they were elected pecul-
iarly \ workingman representatives.
They shall not attempt to influence
general legislation not directly affecting
the workingmen. 1t is simply COM
pact partly directly chosen from among
the laborers of the country and pledged
to spend their parliamentary time in
lettering the conditions of working
men in practical ways Among the
labor members are thirteen miners,
seven factory hands, five printers, four
carpenters, three grocers, two en-
gineers, stonecutters, and bricklayers,
one farm hand, railway brakeman,
sailor, pilot, blacksmith and cooper
The labor party is divided into four
groups-twenty- five labor members,
twenty labor representation socialists
nine labor representation unionists, and
seven Fabians. There is no salary paid
to members of the British parliament,
and those labor members who are
compelled to give up their trade to at
tend to their legislative duties, are
given salaries by their trade unions
$1,000 year each. The trade
unions also pay the election expenses
of all the labor candidates who can
not find the money themselves. This
to $4,000 at the recent
elections The workingmen raised
their election funds by an extra tax
on themselves and they will pay the
salaries of their representatives by a
special tax of about 4 cents a year
oil ictc
Dispatches indicate that the labor
party is going to make things hum in
the coming session of parliament. II
will insist on consideration being given
at once to the most important of it's
It's first act will be to
strengthen the position of British trade
unions
According to recent decision of the
British courts an employer whose prop
an action against the trade union to
which the striker belongs and recover
the full amount of the damage. The
labor members of the house of COM
mons will introduce a bill that will
certainly be passed, specifically declar-
ing that trade unions are not RESPONSE
BILE for the acts of individual mem
bers
A bill will be introduced to provide
for state pensions of about 50 a week
to every needy English man or wom-
an above SIS who can show his or her
life has been spent industriously.
The liberal government is said to be |
sympathetically inclined toward the
aims of the labor party and likely to
give favorable consideration to the de-
mands of the workingmens representa-
tives
B. Dunn Good (who wants to sell his |
brokerage business)-"Billy. where is
my office coat-the one with the dia-
mond buttons on itr'
Billy (the office boy)-"The dog is
sleeping on it. Say. boss, let me have
a little car fare. pleaseo'
Goode-"All right; here's $500 for
your car fare"
Plonsky (who is thinking of buying
the business -"Vehr duss dot poy lift |