Part I. the False Policy of Labour

CHAP.

I The Labour Party’s Constitution and Its Defects 21

Origin of the Labour Party—Reconstitution in 1918—The Trades Union Congress—The National Joint Council—The Parliamentary Labour Party—The Labour Party, a Class Party—The Party’s Want of Leadership.

II An Outline of the Labour Party’s General Policy 32

A National Minimum Standard of Living—Effective Personal Freedom—Socialization of Land and Industry—A Revolution in Public Finance—The Surplus Wealth for the Common Good—International Co-operation—No Protective Tariffs—Freedom of International Trade.

III The Labour Party’s Adoption of Socialism 40

1. Meaning of Socialism.—The Common Characteristics of all Socialistic Creeds—State Socialism—Syndicalism—National Guildism—Nationalization and Democratic Control.

IV The Labour Party’s Adoption of Socialism 46

2. History of the Alliance.—Labour’s Struggle for Political Power, 1825-1832—Labour’s Alliance with Revolutionary Socialism, 1832-1842—Labour’s Renunciation of Socialism, 1842-1885—The Era of Constitutional State Socialism, 1885-1905—The New Syndicalist Revolutionary Ferment of 1905—The Socialist Societies—The Social Democratic Federation—The Communist Party—The Fabian Society—The Independent Labour Party—The Socialist Labour Party—The Socialist Party of Great Britain—The National Guilds League.

V The Labour Party’s Adoption of Socialism 56

3. The Home Socialistic Programme.—Nationalization of the Means of Production, Distribution and Exchange—The Labour Addendum to the Whitley Report, 1918—The Industrial Programme of 1918—Land Nationalization—The Control of Industry—Labour’s Report to the Industrial Conference, 1919—Nationalization of the Coal Industry.

VI The Labour Party’s Adoption of Socialism 65

4. The International Socialistic Programme.—The First International—The Old Second International—The International Labour Charter of 1919—The New Second International—The Geneva Resolutions on Socialism of 1920—The Second International and Bolshevism—The Third or Moscow International.

VII The Labour Party’s Adoption of Socialism 76

5. Approval of Direct Action.—The Meaning and Qualities of Direct Action—Direct Action on the Clyde, 1916—Conversion of the Labour Party to Use of Direct Action—Establishment of the Council of Action—Setting-up of Local Soviets.

VIII The Labour Party’s Industrial and Land Policy 85

1. Details of the Proposals.—The Industries and Businesses to be Nationalized—Extension of Municipal Enterprise—Control of Capitalistic Industries and Businesses—Labour’s Agricultural Policy—Abolition of Landlordism—Councils for Agriculture—A Legal Minimum Agricultural Wage—Workers’ Control of Agriculture.

IX The Labour Party’s Industrial and Land Policy 92

2. A Criticism.—What Capitalism is—Our Debt to Capitalism—The Alleged Defects of Capitalism—Where Reform is Admittedly Needed—The Failure of Past Socialistic Experiments—Limits within which Nationalization is Practicable—The Different Schemes of Land Nationalization—The Taxing-out Scheme—The State Purchase Scheme—The Socialistic Confiscation Schemes—The Conceptions Underlying Each Scheme—The Disadvantages of State Ownership of Land.

X The Labour Party’s Policy for Unemployment 106

1. Work or Maintenance.—The Manchester Resolution of 1917—The Memorandum on War Aims, 1917—The Memorandum on Unemployment after the War, 1917—The London Resolution of 1918—The Prevention of Unemployment Bill, 1919—Labour’s Recommendations to the Industrial Conference, 1919—The Right Hon. A. Henderson’s Addendum—The Southport Resolution of 1919—The Resolution of September 1919—The Recommendations of the Joint Committee on Cost of Living, September 1920—Vote of Censure in Parliament, October 1920—Resolution of December 1920—Labour’s Refusal to Co-operate with the Government, 1921—Labour’s Statement of Policy for Unemployment, 1921—Manifesto on Unemployment, 1921.

XI The Labour Party’s Policy for Unemployment 124

2. Its Impracticability.—The Unsoundness of the Right to Work—The Failure of Work or Maintenance in France—Impossibility of Providing Suitable Work—Employment Depends Primarily on Demand—The Farm Colony Fiascos.