Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-01
FUND OF SOCIALISTS
Party in England Is Financially
Well Fixed.
THEIR PLAN OF CAMPAIGN
Review of the Diamond Situation in
South Africa.
NAVAL VALUE OF HELIGOLAND
Seems Now That Kaiser Wilhelm
Drove a Good Bargain When
He Acquired It.
Special Correspondence of The Star.


LONDON, January 81, 1905
Preparations are now being made for
the state opening of parliament January
%, when both the king and queen will be
present. The brilliant event is being
anticipated with an eagerness which
shows that their feminine dependents, no
matter what self-denying ordinances lib
eral members may in the heat of the
election moment have embraced are de-
voutly attached to ancient institutions
and picturesque ceremonial which happen
to be highly fashionable and exclusive
The labor member who whispered in the
midst of last sessions glitterng royal
pageant that this sort of thing" would
take an awful lot of abolishing was prob
ably right.
The main interests of the labor party
at Westminster during the coming ses-
sion and the broad policy which will di-
rect their energies may BE- inferred from
the resolutions drafted for consideration
hy tn" conference at HUI, which is at
present sitting.
The official resolution dealing with un-
employment and calling for general com
mnhtStic intervention by the state care
filily diSconnectS the question from ma
,fona' fiscal controversy although the
to ahsolve Cobdeliam of any blame for
tn" misfortunas of those who are denied
the opportunity tn work. Vigorous ad-
minlstrative action by the government
and tn" local authorities. the shortening
OF the hours of labor and the protection
OF the worker from ''monopoly'' i'm land
and other interests are the measures ad-
vocated. OF this resolution Mr. j. RAM
say Mcdonald has charge
Old Age Pensions.
Mr.. Philip Snowden has been intrusted
with that effecting old age pensions. the
sine qua non being that the latter must
be non-discriminatory. non -contributory
and apply at sixtyfive years of age The
revenues for this purpose should be OBJ
tanned, says the labor party not by in
direct taxation. but by a direct cha rye
on incomes which are largely social in
their origin. and Ought never to have
been appropriated for private use" The
labor party is following the lead of the
! Irish nationalists. and by pitching its de-
mands far in excess of any reasona BILE
prospect of realization. perpetually pre-
serving a raiSon d'etre for existence while
| guaranteeing itself against the awkward
possibilities OF political gratitude. The
role which in "Oliver Twist so dunn
founded Mr.. Bundle is the only really
| practicable one.
| There can be no doubt of the immense
| =
years after reading the report submitted
at Hull. which has just been issued In
| 1901 the total membership of the party
was 1881: in 1903 that total had in
creased to 1.072.413. Two socialist bodies
contribute o2.267 members. and the Co
| operative Society of Tunbridge Wells
which is the only body OF co-operatives
now affiliated with the party, contributes
47S members The rest belong to the af-
! filiate1 trade unions.
Plenty of Funds.
| Last year the parliamentary levy was
increased from one penny per head to two
pence Despite this heavier tax. only one
society--a cooperative one-has dropped
out. and the aggregate membership Of the
party now exceeds one million. The con-
ira, organization does not bear the can
! didate i'm each ease. Tho main expendi-
ture of the party. therefore. is the main
| tenance of its thirty&one members of par
lament by means of the tNo-penny capi-
tation levy. The income of the party
fund for the year has been cS93c lis I'd