Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-21

! than it might desire if it had an out-and-
out liberal party majority.
Members Of the house of commons
| receive no pay, and they are forced to
meet all the expenses of holding cleo
| tons. in addition to their personal
campaign expenditures. AS the expenses
-. of an election range from $4,000 to
$4,000, and as the member must devote
practically all Of his time to his work
in parliament. it is not difficult to un-
derstand why the great majority Of
members are wealthy. 1t is impossible
for poor man to be member of par
lament, unless he is supported by out
side contributions.
In Great Britain the trades unions
operate under charter from parlfa-
ment, by which
Unions Chartered their powers and
n,. privileges are de-
The unions levied regular assessment
upon their members to defray expenses
Of labor candidates for parliament, and
to give each member elected an annual
salary of $500. A member of the
Amalsamated Society of Railway Ser
wants sued the union on the ground that
it had, no right to levy an assessment
for the purpose of paying salaries to
members or pdTildINenI, BECAUSE OF TIE
condition that all candidates should
sign and accept the conditions Of the
la Dor party, and be subject to the labor
| whip
events, 10 the house of lords, Which is
not only the upper chamber of the
British legislature. but also the SUI
preme court of the British empire. The
lords decided that the unions had no
| right to assess their members for the
support of labor members of parlla-
ment. This was a severe blow to the
labor party, and resulted in recourse
| to popular subscriptions to meet the
demands of the situation.
| In the event that the present constitu-
tional crisis should result in victory for
the commons and the veto of the lords
should be abolished, it is certain that
| parliament will provide for salaries for
| its members When that is done. the
so-called governing classes will have
/ lost another OF its advantages in con-
trolling the government Under the prac,
ttice that none but wealthy men could
AFFORD to take seats in pariment. DOtn
parties returned a great majority OF
landed gentry, and there was no hope OF
any legislation tending to curb the ex-
tortions Of the land trust.
| The commons in May, 1909. adopted
resolution declaring that the non-payment
of members and
Commons Takes Up the liability of
Salary Question. expenses Of the
election returning officers rendered it I'M
possible for many constituencies to exer-
| else free choice in the selection or
candidates and election of members OF
parliment, and expressing the sense or
the house that members should be paid
regular salary and that the treasury
should pay the cost Of conducting the
elections This resolution was adopted
| by a vote. of 242 to 81, but legislation to
make such scheme effective is utterly
!! impossible as long as the house OF lords
exercises it's present power.
| 1t Is interesting to note that the con.
sentative opposition to the payment OF
members and the public betrayal of cleo
ton charges is based. upon references to
the horrible examples OF Tammany Hail
and of American politics in general 1t
is urged that an annual salary of $1,5GO
would create in England an objectionable
class Of professional politicians wig would
degrade the present high ideals OF the
British political system to the low level
of machine politics and bossism existing
In the United States.
Lewis Vernon Harcourt, speaking for
the government, replied to these objec-
not see why politics should be the only
! profession run by amateurs He said
he was not frightened by the prospect of
an assembly of professional politicians.
that public servants deserved to be paid
and that the time had gone by when the
country could select its legislators solely
from the leisure class. The American
observer finds 1t odd that a government
refusing to pay salaries to its legislators
when they are in service is willing to pay
$50, 600 a year to the lord high cham
cellor and $4,000 a year to eight or ten
of its cabinet members. 1t Is even more
strange when it is recalled that ex-mem-
beers of parliament, although wealthy.
are frequently retired on pensions of
from ten to fifteen thousand dollars
year.
The liberal party as now constituted is
becoming more and more radical, and
| every year makes distinct progress in
the direction of approving public policies
which would be regarded in America as
socialistic. Indeed, in the last British
campaign the liberals We're referred to
in the opposition press as socialists al
| most as often as they were called radi-
Gals Among the present leaders of the
party Lloyd-GeOrse and winston
| Churchill are ultra radical, Sir Edward
Grey is hydrocarbons and Premier AS
quith occupies middle ground