TRADITIONAL ENGLAND

Hokitika Guardian, 16 August 1930, Page 7

TRADITIONAL ENGLAND

lii “Current History” Professor Laski seeks to demonstrate that the accession of the Labour party to / power “cannot feo regarded as a decisive challenge to the framework of 1 traditional England.” The final great broadening of the suffrage, like the smaller previous extensions of it, has disappointed the expectations of those who did not realise the continuity of English political character and habit. Professor Laski, who has a passion for equality, insists that the aristocracy is still ruling. Yet the judiciary is middle class, the permanent civil service' “upper middle class.” The Labour Government sends no workingman to the House of Lords. On the other hand, the Labourite aristocrats seem fortunate in getting office. As yet, Labour has but 80!) of 10,000 magistrates, but this is an inequality which may be remedied in time, though Professor Laski -seems to forsee a long predominance of Conservative Lord Lieutenants

The public - school and uhiversity men in the Foreign Office and Diplomatic Service may not be able to hold their advangtagje permanently. Mr Kamsay MacDonald has shown that a great talent for the management of foreign affairs is not dependent upon birth or. a particular form of education. Outside of business and finance Great Britain has offered too scant opportunity to "self-made men.” Their opportunity in all parties has come, Professor Laski says mournfully that "in a Labour Government the Labourites will have about half the Government posts.” But the Labour party has not yet grown into a majority, though it has had numerous re_ cruits from the middle class and lias become inviting to more and more members of the aristocratic class.

Is it to grow liy exclusion ? Pro-

cessor Laski’s greatest dissatisfaction

istthat trade unionism has no hold on banks, railways, commerce and industry.; The upper middle class is devoted fo individualism. What chance has the Labour party of carrying out Socialist principles? Mr Thomas gives his blessing to the Securities Management Trust whereby the Bank of England will take its powerful

part in “rationalisation.” Mr Snowden’s Budget is purely Gladstonian. A little more taxation, more social reform, is all that can be expected of the Labour party. Even in regard to the mines, whose nationalisation is promised, it follows “the classic method of capitalist amalgamation. To be sure, its lack of a majority necessarily makes it more careful; but in any . event "the certainty of an extraordinary gradualness in the position is inherent in its character.”

Well, it was committed to that policy by file resolutions of the Liverpool Conference in 1925. introduced by Mr MacDonald, Socialism was to come about by “parliamentary means and in progressive stages.” In its appeal to the nation last year the

Labour party warned against;expectation that the work of socialisation could be brought about “in*a;day or a year.” Against the Conservative and Liberal parties, the ,<underlying essential conservation of the people, in the teetli of all the economic forces against the;.grain of English' history and the English temperament, what could it do.? How could .an English party carryi on without half .measures, adjustments, contempt of logic, a certain assimilation of the policies of other parties, conflict, muddling and delay P