ENGLAND'S FREE LIST

Evening Star, Issue 14525, 29 November 1910, Page 8

ENGLAND'S FREE LIST

MB LLOYD GEORGE'S'.ATTACK ON "THE-IDLE RICH." TWO MILLIONS WITHDRAWN FROM USEFUL LABOR. THE WAVECJF UNREST, [From Our. Special Correspondent.] LONDON, October 21. " I hope we shall ivll live to sco Mr Lloyd George l'rime Minister," declared the Rev. R. J." Campbell iu a buret of enthusiasm at the dose of a remarkable speech by the Chancellor of the Exchequer at tho City Temple on Monday night. The meeting was n non-political one. held under the auspices of the Liberal Christian League, und'it receievd a benediction from Mr Balfour in tho shape of a telegram wishing success to the social sen-ice work of tho League, The themo of Mr Lloyd Georges speech was 'Social Waste,' and he described with graphic touches tho terrible inequalities of wealth and poverty to bo fouud in the United Kingdom. It is interesting to notice the clilferent moods in which various Unionist newspapers received the speech. 'The Times' finds in the speech a "sincerity and moderation of tone " and a " more philosophic handling of gravo social questions" than it can remember the speaker to have recently achieved. The 'Morning Tost,' on the other hand, discovers in it a "new expression of a predatory policy based on class warfare," and deplore? the easy good nature which led Mr Balfour to send a telegram of greeting to the assembly at which it was delivered. 'The Times' endeavors mildly to turn the Chancellor of tho Exchequer's argument to the piofit of Tariff Reform : the ' Morning Pest' bids its wealthy friends look out for an application of the doctrine of "social watte" which wiU not lie academic, ami calls upon "the professors of Gladstoniau Liberalism'' to come forward at once and dirown a doctrine which is supposed to contiict with their traditional teaching- The 'Daily Express' heads its report of the speech with the words " More Liinehuusing." a reference to a celebrated Budget speech made Rome months ago by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Mr Lloyd George look a broad view of the great uniest among the people in many of the civilised countries of the world which is beginning to attract special attention. "Everything points to the fact that the Sturm cone has been hoisted," he said, '"and that we are in for a period of temnrsts." The disturbances have spread over Protectionist and Ereetnide countries alike, ?o we must look for other explanations ihan fiscal ones. Mr Lloyd George- turned for an explanation to a growing feeling of discontent on the part of the workman, who was beginning to reflect moro and more upon the contrast between his hard grey life and that of others more favored. '• It' is no u.-e getting angry with those who arc in this frame of mind." he said. "Unlets there is some real basis for this grievance it will soon dissolve and evaporate. Bui if there is. then to ignore the real sources of trouble, iu the hope that it will soon exhaust itself, would be an act of >upreiiie unwisdom." MR CHAMBERLAIN'S GREAT WORK. Mr Lloyd George raid that Mr Chamberlain's historic agitation had done a great work in calling attention to tho festering evils of poverty which rankled in the bedy politic of the" Old Country. He went on to speak of the glaring contrast between rich and poor in this country: [ find tint in the course of a year 420,000 adults die in this country, and out of this number five-sixths leavo no property which is worth anyone's while to pick up It is not worth anyone's while securing a Government certificate for a few articles of cheap clothing, and perhaps a little furniture, which would hardlv pav the rent if it were sold by a broker's man. Out of £300 ; 000,000 that passes annually at death, about half belongs to something under 2,000 persons. Had the 350.000 who died in povcrtv led lives of indolence and extravagance? And had the 2.000 who owned between them nearly £150,000,000 pursued a career of industry, toil, and frugality? Everybody knows that that is not tho case. It is facts such as these that account for the murmurings in the heart of Britain, which betoken the presen:e of some organic disease in heT system. " THE IDLE RICH." But the part of tho speech which roused the ire of the Unionist papers was that in which the Chancellor refeired to "the idle rich." Ho was talking of unemployment as a source of waste, and said : But absolutely no thought has been given to unemployment amongst the upper classes. This is just as grave as the other, and as prolific a cause of unemployment. After devoting the lirst third of their lives in preparing and equipping 1 themselves for work, they devote themselves to a life of idleness. It is a scandalous and stupid waste of firstclass material, .and the worst of it is the system requires that they should choose some of the best men whom wealth can buy to assist them in leading tins life of indolence with a degree of luxurious ease. It is a common, but shallow, fallacy that inasmuch as these rich men find employment for, and pay good wages to, those who personally minister to their coirnort. to that extent they are rendering a service to the community. Quite the reverse. They are withdrawing a large number of capable men and women from useful and productive work. I want to make it quite clear, so as to avoid all possibility of misrepresentation, that f am not referring iu the least to tho men who. by their own brains, have made the money which enables them to purchase occasional leisure. There is no more hard-worked class of men in the world than this. I refer exclusively to the idle rich. There is a larger number of people of this class in this coiuitry than probably in any other country in the world. You will find them in London clubs, or in the country, walking about with guns on their shoulders and dogs at their heels, or upon golf courses, or tearing' along country roads at perilous speeds—nob seeking to recharge exhausted nerve cells spent in useful labor, but as the serious occupation of their lives. "TOO LARGE A FREE LIST." If you want to realise what a serious charge they impose upon the community I will put it in this way ; If you take these men, with their families, and with their very large body of retainers, you will find that they account for something like two millions of the population of this country. It is exactly as if the great commercial ind industrial cities of Manchester, Liverpool, and Glasgow were converted into great privileged communities in which no man was expected to engage in any productive or profitable enterprise, allowances running up to scores of thousands a year being made to some of the citizens, and running down tho scale until the lowest of them received a remittance three times as large as that of the average wage in this country. Can you think of anything more wasteful, more burdensome to the community, more unintelligent than a system of that kind? And yet that fairly describes the system under which we live iu this country, where a very numerous class of the population, without labor, stdl live lives of luxurious indulgence, and a great multitude of others live lives of arduous toil without earning sufficient food and raiment or repose. Believe me, there is too large a free list in this country, and it cannot afford it. THE LARGER PURPOSE. Like Mr Chamberlain, the Chancellor agrees that the remedy must be a bold one.' "I believe the masses of the people we ready for great thing?; nay, they are fexpecting them," he declared. But what Ibe remedy and what thoso "great things" eight be ho did not specify, contenting kimself with generalities, thus: My counsel to the people would be this: Let them enlarge the purpose of their politics, and* having done so, let