The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1909-05-15
IllBOR|| members III:
HOUSE COMMONS
Activity Of Labor. Party in the
e. Political Life Of Great 1.
]. ~ z.gs,# Britain. ..@ T. t4ls 81
Third Of Series Of Papers on the
c lit :G Labor Movement in u; -
....s L.. =. <.>..: Europe. # e E:
BY REV. CHARLES sTELz LE.

= ~. , ss
!. BY REV. CHARLES sTELzLE.@ s.
:, There is more interest and greater
activity in politics in England, among
working people than there is in any:
country that I have visited, and they;
are making good. Already the Labor
Party in Great Britain has in the,
rouse of commons 81 members; but inS
addition to, these, the Miners Union
has elected 20 members. These .labors
members cooperate in all legislationh
which affects the interests of the
masses of the pople The appointment,
Of John Burns to the cabinet was 81
lament. Even though they are in the
minority in the house Of commons, the.
labor members are often in a position
to dictate legislation favorable to labor
because they frequently hold the BAL
ance Of power. It was due to the en-
franc, of workingmen into the political
life of the nation that the Taff-Vale
decision was reversed, a,
Pursue Sensible Policy.
While probably tw> thirds Of the
labor members are socialists, only one
member of parliament was elected on
the socialist ticket. They are not
dreamers, these men of labor. They
are not working for tho p..ssage OF Z
resolution which will sweep out of
existence all Of the prevailing ills in
their time simply in agitation-but
they are opportunists, accepting the
next thing. 1t is in this way that they
are making very decided progress. -,
Effect Many Reforms
The budget presented by the, prime
minister of England and passed, last
week, by parliament, which provides
for old-age pensions, out-of employ
1nent benefits, and many other reforms,
is largely the result Of the political
agitation of the workingmen in Great
Britain. The liberal policy adopted
by the socialist trades uniopists in
parliament of seeking to obtain these
reforms, one by one, has aroused con-
siderable antagonism on the part of
the extreme socialists who are led hy.
Victor Grayson, the representative Of
the socialist party in parliament. These
expected the representatives Of the
I labor party who are socialists, to
fight exclusively for socialist measures
and they resented the friendly rela-
tons which have been maintained with
non-socialfst labor M. P.'s. and with
the liberal party generally AS re
| suit o fthis lack Of confidence in the
policy Of the socialist trades unio:ists,
the ablest leaders Of the party, Mr.. D.
Ramsey Macdonald, Mr.. Kerr Hardie,
Mr.. Philip Snowden and Mr.: Bruce
Glasier. within a month, resigned from
the council Of the Independent; labor
party, which is the ,socialist wing of
the labor party and represents Is per
cent Of the trades unionists actively
engaged in the political propaganda:
Comparison With. Germany -,
! In Germany, the political movement
among the workingmen is distinctively
| socialistic, although am told by the
| leaders Of the trades union movement
| that only about Is per cent Of the or
gamzed wordngnnen are members of
the social-democrat party This is
about the same percentage of social
| lists, therefore, that is found among
the trades unionists, although the Diff
ference in the situation is that the Ger
mans elect socialists as such to rep
resent them in the Reichstag, while in
England the representatives of the
workingmen are bona fide trades I'M
ionists and the question as to their
being socialists or not; being socialists
is not insisted upon. The. matter OF
the Englishmen's socialism is purely
personal, as is the question Of his ire
ligion. Z i = =
i - Situation in Belgium.
Belgium contains one Of the most
effective political organizations among
the working people in any part OF
Europe. Laboring under many disad-
Vantages on account Of the previous
strength Of the opponents of labor, the
Belgium trades unionists, the cooper
atives and the: mutual insurance soci-
cites are organized into labor party
which. however, is practically a so
cialist movement. ,.s2.f.e = IL .. II