hs' tour of the Continent, devoting his whole attention to the
study of social conditions. Burns's real work as an agitator began on his
return to England. He had settled down to work as an engineer, but he gave
all his spare time to organizing the working people, both into
trade-unions and into a new political party. The result was that he lost
his job, and for seven weeks he tramped through the country looking for
another one.

Shortly after this he was arrested for the part he took in the unemployed
agitation, but he conducted his case with such skill that he went free.

The following year, 1887, he was arrested again because of his work during
the demonstration of the unemployed, and was sentenced, together with
Cunninghame Graham, to six weeks' imprisonment for rioting in Trafalgar
Square.

In 1889 the great dock strike occurred, and the part Burns took in it made
him known on both sides of the Atlantic. During January of that year he
was elected to the London County Council, and two years later he entered
Parliament.

Burns's whole work in Parliament was devoted to those subjects with which
he was thoroughly acquainted, and his readiness in debate and his
willingness to force the issue jarred the dignity of some of the older
members.

"The honorable member is not in the London County Council now," suggested
a well-known horse-owner and racing enthusiast who had been worsted in
argument. "Nor is the right honorable gentleman on Newmarket Heath,"
replied Burns.

After that the right honorable race-track patron let him alone.

Burns Enters the Cabinet.

At the last election the Liberal and Labor parties swept everything before
them, and Burns was selected from among the Laborites for a place in the
cabinet. He had said on one occasion, while a member of the London County
Council:

"No man is worth more than five hundred pounds a year." His salary as
president of the Local Government Board is two thousand pounds.

"What about that 'ere salary of two thousand pounds?" one of his Battersea
constituents asked.

"That is the recognized trade-union rate for the job," Burns answered. "If
I took less I would be a blackleg."

"What are you going to do with the fifteen hundred too much?" persisted
the questioner.

"Well," answered Burns, "for details about that you'll have to ask the
missus."

The coming of Burns into office shook things up considerably. The Local
Government Board has to deal with the Poor