The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1909-05-13
THE LABOR MOVEMENT IN Ell.
ROPE.
Personalities of Labor Leaders.

1t was privilege to meet the labor
leaders who have made such a distinct
impression upon the political and eco
monte life of Europe On a number of oc-
casion, had tea in the house of com
mons with some of the labor members.
One afternoon spent an hour or more
discussing English and American trade.
mionism with about dozen of the lead
crs, among them being Arthur IIcnder
son, VI. F.. the chairman of the labor
party in parliamcnt; J. Ramsay Mac
donald, VI p. secretary OF the labor
party; d. j. Shacllcton. VI. p chair
man of the Irdacs Union congress; Will
Stcadman, NJ r.. secretary of the
| Trades Union congress; Harry Costing,
member Of the parliamentary commit
tee of the Trades Union congress and
member of the London County council;
George Nichols NJ. p. and Will Crooks.
VI. p. also met many of the labor off
cials who are at the head of the nation
| al organizations. several of them hay
ing been fratcrnal delegates to the CON
vcntions of the American Federation of
Labor
The thing that impressed me most
in talking with the men was the fact
that trades uniOnsts, particularly in
| England, have developed a company of
! :. ,,-1.. :
parliament or in obtaining concessions
from their employers. In such matters
as child labor, old age pensions, wo-
mems place in the state and in indus
| try, in educational questions. and in
Temperance, the British leaders have few
superiors in any walk of life. In many
cases they are the authorities on these
subjects. Organized labor in Europe has
learned the value of retaining the serv-
ices of their leaders long enough to utilize
the experience which they have obtain
ed as students of industrial problems.
\ labor leader on the other side seems
to make a profession of his business.
which is as it should be- The results
have been that labor leaders abroad, as
a class, are more effective in leoisla-
tive matters than are labor leaders in
America. True enough. they have been
longer confronted by industrial problems
and having studied them more diligently
in the necessity of the case, they have
become experienced in these matters.
There is solidity in their characters
which must impress even an ordinary
observer. As class they are modest
and unassumng. Their moral standing
is fully as high as the average member
of parliament some respects it is
very much higher. As public speakers
they are everywhere in demand and,
on the whole, they speak more interest
ingIy than the average platform man.
In Germany there are number of
women labor leaders" who are doing
very effective service | was particular
ly impressed with their refined manners
and the intimate knowledge which they
seemed to posses concerning not only
the various aspects of theindustrial
problems in Germany but their famil.
iaritT with the labor situation through
out the entire world As one would eX-
pect to find in Germany, practically
all OF the leaders among the women are
socialists. Herr Bebel, leader of tbs
socialists in the German reichstag, Is
not the aggressive-looIing individual
that | expected to find. He is a quiet
unassuming' rather under sized man
VINO Is thoroughly familiar with the
political situation. On the day that I at
tended the reichstag the question m
der consideration was the banking sys