majorities which have been the
rule since 1885 are not healthy. They are the chief cause of the growth
of Cabinet autocracy. And they are due primarily to the working of the
single-member constituency.

The second ground of distrust is the belief that Parliament is unduly
dominated by party; that its members cannot speak and vote freely; that
the Cabinet always gets its way because it is able to hold over members,
_in terrorem_, the threat of a general election, which means a fine of
L1000 a head; and that (what creates more suspicion than anything) the
policy of parties is unduly influenced by the subscribers of large
amounts to secret party funds. I am a profound believer in organised
parties as essential to the working of our system. But I also believe
that there is real substance in these complaints, though they are often
exaggerated. What is the remedy? First, smaller majorities, and a
greater independence of the individual member, which would follow from a
change in the methods of election. And, secondly, publicity of accounts
in regard to party funds. There is no reason why an honest party should
be ashamed of receiving large gifts for the public ends it serves, and
every reason why it should be proud of receiving a multitude of small
gifts. I very strongly hold that in politics, as in industry, the best
safeguard against dishonest dealings, and the surest means of restoring
confidence, is to be found in the policy of "Cards on the table." Is
there any reason why we Liberals should not begin by boldly adopting, in
our own case, this plainly Liberal policy?

REPRESENTATION OF "INTERESTS"

There is a third reason for dissatisfaction with the composition of the
House of Commons, which has become more prominent in recent years. It is
that, increasingly, organised interests are making use of the
deficiencies of our electoral system to secure representation for
themselves. If I may take as instances two men whom, in themselves,
everybody would recognise as desirable members of the House, Mr. J.H.
Thomas plainly is, and is bound to think of himself as, a representative
of the railwaymen rather than of the great community of Derby, while Sir
Allan Smith as plainly represents engineering employers rather than
Croydon. There used to be a powerful trade which chose as its motto "Our
trade is our politics." Most of us have regarded that as an unsocial
doctrine, yet the growing representation of interests suggests that it