The New York herald., 1922-01-01

that every man should claim work or main
tenance at full trade union rates "for the
revolutionary reason" Il am quoting his own
words), that capitalism can neither refuse
it with dignity nor concede it without sui
eide"
The Poplar Councillors accordingly started
out by giving as unemployment dole" an
amount which in the case of a married man
with children came to approximately E5 a
week, more than can be earned by most
unskilled workmen at the best OF times But
the Poplar Councillors went still further
declaring that all the money that could be
raised in the borough was not sufficient TO
support the local unemployed, and refused
10 devote any part of the local rates to pay
ing their proportion of police. education and
the like to the London County Council. AS
a result OF this contempt" they are now
enjoying a much desired halo Of martyrdom
in prison, with the happy conviction that
in Poplar at least they have carried out the
wishes of their leaders Gam again using Mr.
McManus's own words) ito capture the
machinery of bourgeois administration and
use 1t for revolutionary aims"
Meanwhile in the neighboring boroughs
the unemployed, which Is to say their self
elected Communist leaders. have been black
mailing the councils by threats of disturb
ances, demanding even more extravagant
"doles," so that in Islington and Woolwich,
for example, they are proposing that more
than &c a week shall be paid-practically
double the salary of many city clerks and
an income which the average curate of the
Church of England cannot hope to obtain.
MIR. McManus and his colleagues are by
no means satisfied as yet, although their
ideal Is well on the road to accomplishment.
Unfortunately for them, the majority OF the
borough councillors are not Communist and
are, on the other hand, very much afraid
of the ratepayers upon whose votes they
depend for election. 1t seems that for the
moment they have gone as far in their
present direction as they dare, though I
have it on the authority of the Communist
leaders themselves that before the present
winter is over in at least certain districts
of London their campaign will have sue
ceeded and the dole" become so liberal
that the average working man shall throw
up his employment and "come on the rates."
and that the whole working population shall
be supported in comfortable leisure at the
expense Of the unhappy bourgeois.
The burden must thus inevitably become
too great for his shoulders. The dole"
will be drastically reduced or even abolished
altogether and the bitterest dissatisfaction
aroused among it's recipients. Disorders
will inevitably occur throughout the coun-
try beside which those that have already
taken place shall be negligible and to use
the words Of one of those Communist gentle
men who look 80 like potato statesmen, "the
proletariat will seize the power and. profitng
by the living historical example of Russia,
exercise their iron dictatorship in the inter-
ests Of the whole working class, and merci-
lessly suppress every society, secret and
otherwise, fostered by the bourgeoisle to
prevent the undivided sway of the working
class over all the means Of political, social
or economic life"
II is curious commentary on English
methods that although these plans are quite
openly put forward by the responsible lead
ers Of the Communists neither the Gov