Chapter II: 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.