TRADITIONAL ENGLAND.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 188, 11 August 1930, Page 6

TRADITIONAL ENGLAND.

In "Current History" Professor Laski seeks to demonstrate that the accession of the Labour party to power "cannot be regarded as a decisive challenge to the. framework of traditional England." The final great broadening of the suffrage, like the smaller previous extensions of it, lias disappointed the expectation's 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 800 of 10,000 magistrates, but this is an inequality wlr;eh maybe remedied in time, though Professor Lasßi seems to foresee a long predominance of Conservative Lord Lieutenants. The public school and university men in the Foreign Office and Diplomatic Service may not be able to hold their advantage permanently. Mr. Eamsay Mac Donald 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 "selfmade 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 recruits from the middle class and lias become inviting to more and more members of the aristocratic class. «

Is it to grow by exclusion? Professor Laski's greatest dissatisfaction is that trade unionism has no hold on banks, railways, commerce and industry. The upper middle class is devoted to individualism. What chance has the Labour party of carrying out Socialist principles? Air. Thomas gives liis 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 Tsy the resolutions of the Liverpool Conference in 1925, introduced by Mr. Mac Donald. 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 conservatism of the people, in the teeth of all the economic forces, against the grain of English history and the English temperament, what could it do? How could an English party carry on without half measures, adjustments, contempt of logic, a certain assimilation of the policies of other parties, conflict, muddling and delay ?