The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-10-05

a resolution submitted 10 the Congress
by the G3sworkerss calling for "a ma
tlonal system OF education under full
popular control. free and secular. from
the primary school 10 the university
by the railway men at which Secretary
h Bell said there We're only IL
members of the union in Ipswich; by
the Shop Assistants Union, a delegate
conference at which the branches with
. membership of 500 were represent
ed; by the Brassworkers and Metal
Mechanics. to try to establish a local
branch; by officials of the A~malsamat-
cd Union of Cooperative Employees,
which has q membership of $4,000,
with $50 branches and 4 reserve fund
of S145 900; by the supporters of Rus
kin College, Oxford, known as the
Workmen's University. at which there
has been a strike of students during
the last year that threatens serious
damage TO the Institution. Various
meetings such as these brought audi
enceS to the local Cooperative. Social
Settlement. and other halls daily. Con-
gress week, it is thus seen, signifies not
only the business of discussing pros
pective labor laws, but the interchange
of views and sentiments by many
groupes Of people entertaining all
sorts Of opinions on labor and reform
subjects. To these lesser gatherings.
the local give columns OF
reports, while to the Congress they &C
cord pages The press throughout the
Kingdom devotes much space to Trade
UniOn Congress events. The occasion
affords a stirring up Of ideas not only
among the 500 and odd delegates and
visitors, but among editors and public
men of the entire country. The direc-
ton to be aiken in national affairs by
a large mass of the working class is
determined by the resolutions passed
or rejected.
The deliberations at the Congress
usually move in a d%ecorous groove.
The veterans usually have the floor.
They are rarely personal in their re-
marks and are otherwise guarded in
their speech. 1t was an astounding
thing to happen when Ben Tillett said
of a cabinet minister, O he is a
liar" And when checked by the
chairman he shouted: All ministers
are liars.'
An event, of a social character, talk
ing place or Monday afternoon, at the
close Of the opening session of the
Congress, rather tended to confuse the
American observer, who had been
somewhat impressed at the Socialist
demonstrations with the idea that only
an uncomprehending towards eth ex-
ploiters' was to be expected from the
delegates. The affair vas thus re-
ferred to by the East-Anglican Times:
Congress rose for the day a few min
oISho 1dlC1, oiid q ptl So1iS L
tended a garden party in Christ
Church Park, given by the Mayor, the
local Trades and Labor COunc Local
employers Of labor, the managing d.
r%ectors Of great local firms, the Ran
SONS, the Turner's, the Catchpoles, the
Prettys, the directing officials of the
Great Eastern Company, had accepted
invitations, and rubbed shoulders with
the representatives of Labor" The
same newspaper gave in its local col
umns a detailed description of this
function. Another reception, given on
| Wednesday afternoon and evening at
their residence in Oak Hill Park by
Sir Daniel and Lady Goddard, was at
tended on the actual count" of a local
reporter, by $50 persons. 1T was quite
evident hat there was a very general
feeling of appreciation of the kindness
Of Sir Daniel wrote the reporter, lin
entertaining such a number Of perfect
strangers in so hospitable a fashion,"
I'm addition to the delegates and their
wives, all the members Of the Ipswich
Town Council were invited, and many
personal friends of Sir Daniel and
Lady Goddard were also present" To
the American mind a natural query
arises as to the significance of such
social receptions. Are they merely pO-
Iitical bids for working class support
the bare suspicion is disgusting-Or
are they genuine testimony of an in
Cilnat1On on the part OF some 81 the
trustees of wealth" to take upon
themselves the public duty of estab-
fishing the best relations possible be-
tween employers n employed? If the
latter is the case, there ought to be
some way Of systematically bringing
together all the lemnt in Great Brit
ain so interested, irrespective of politi-
cal, social or religious standing. A
long and somewhat heated debate took
place on Thursday or a resolution that
invitations to social functions not
promoted and organized by a Trades
Council or other kindred body shall
not be accepted on behalf of delegates
to the Congress-" 1t ave opportunity
for some railing against the rich and
their tOadieS, but it was rejected. 338-
600 votes in favor: 1,192,00 opposed