Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-07-18
CALL GEORGE LANSBURY
HAMMERED MAN
Parliament Member From
Bow Given More Latitude
Than Any Other
Special Correspondence Of The Star.

Special Correspondence Of The star.
LONDON. June %, 1912
George Lansbury, the burly member for
Bow who startled the house Of commons
a couple OF days ago on account Of the
sunragette' cause, is, as Mr.. Asquith
would readily admit. the "mildest-man-
nered man" who ever shook a fist.
Big and strong. with big voice, hds
heart Is yet the biggest thing about him,
and the house loves him and has more
respect for George" than 1t has for al,
the rest Of the socialist party put to-
gether.
George Lansbury's defect Is that he is
so impatient to put the thing right. De-
Hghtfully irresponsible in his utterances,
he yet has the speaker in thrall. and
there is no one to whom Mr.. Lowther
allows 50 much latitude as to LAnsbury.
Any story of cruelty or oppression is
enough to set the heart Of this man
beating SO strongly that he is obliged
to shout his protest or burst.
Give him hint Of persecution, and
whether the ma nor woman who ID suf-
fering persecution Is an enemy or friend,
which they are suffering or not, this
rugged timber merchant from the East
End will fight for them until he has won
for them some benefit.
II would be strange if such q man
were unpopular In the house, more par
Gcularly when one can add that he is
a man OF such transparent honesty that
there is not another at Westminster in
whom straightforwardness is so openly
manifest. Only, as a liberal cabinet
minister put it, 'Lansbury spoils HIM
SELF because as soon as he gets on his
feet he loses his head
Firm Largest in London.
In private life-if, indeed, he has any
private life-the man who menaced Mr..
Asquith is in business with his brother
in-law at st. Stephens road, Bow, az
timber merchant and sawmill proprietor.
His firm is the largest in London. IL not
in England. which makes those delicate
1ttie bands OF wood which give such
nnish when used as inlays by cunning
cabinetmakers, and they also do a big
business In veneer cutting.
1t Is mistake to imagine, as Is often
done, that George Lansbury is dependent
upon MS Zoo year from parliament.
AS a matter of fact, that E4OO. and
many another golden sovereign, is ear
marked for private benevolence of
Which the outside world hears nothing.
MANY a poor man and many a poor
woman in Bow and Poplar has cause to
oiess the shaggy-headed- man who. in his
early manhood-he is now forty-three-,
knew what it was to fight starvation in
Australia. "
His business is one in which the sweat
Ing of labor is common-and he end hts
partner pay the best wages In London
win 1t all. however, they have a strict
notion OF what is due to business. When
the oei rings in the morning, and after
L,eaD' tney expect every man, every ma
cnlne, TO start with the first stroke of
the bell, and to continue until the he'll
rings again. Though a socialist. the
iheihOer is not stupid at his business, but
ne expects. and gets. justice for his gem
.a = man n, applied for a joo one day. The
apphcation was made to an assistant and
passed in to Mr.. Lansbury. DO You
Know him. he asked. Yes"
what sort OF a man is hep
very good laborer. indeed, I am
told. came the reply
Tell him We can't promise hin, a ,or.
manency. but that he can sta. after
olnner. he don't start theu We don't
ana. turning to friend. he explained
that ne never believed that a man wanted
work unless he is willing to start at
once. The men who start now" n.
1uoeo' are the good ones. and we never.
l am glad to say. have to sack them"
At His Work Early.
he lives on the works. and early every
morning he can be seen at his post. so
ahdt ne can get of In the afternoon down
10 the mouse or to the London county
council His nights rest must be OF the
shortest. for he rarely can be home be-
Tore midnight. and the timber yards start
1t In the morning
II was on the occasion Of one Of the
Jul ras1st riots at Westminster that
George" strolled through Palace yard
ana across the street. and stood In the
croWo watching the women make vain
eHorts to break through. Suddenly a
George and "our George" looked
around. to find a party of his own CON
stituents who had journeyed from Row
TO see the fun" For few minutes the
dutiiui member stood and did the honors
10 MS supporters. then walked back again
TO the house to get his dinner.
He put his hand in his pocket for hi.
purse-t was not there. The dear lads
VINO mad SO lovingly hailed "our George
and made such a friendly circle round
MIN mad borrowed" his purse and the
three pounds odd that were in II. He
says now that they will have enough of
gratitude to vote for him at the nexf
election.
A friend of VIII Crooks, the most nom
uiar labor man. socialist, and everybody
else. he Is an authority on poor-law adj
ministration. and signed the minority re-
port OF the poor-iaw commission He does
not see eye to eye with John Burns on
this question, but Is too good natured to
quarrel. though he attacks John In the
House. His kindness Of heart even led
him to join the Observation-Disclosures he
does not believe In syndicalism-and II
is dimcult to say whether he or Mr.. A.
auith is the more sorry for the house
of commons scene.