f periods of office and paid at
the rate of ordinary workmen; and of a central Executive Committee
chosen in like manner or else directly appointed by the local Communal
Councils. The second part consists of "Anarchism, drawn up by C.M.
Wilson on behalf of the London Anarchists." This is a statement of
abstract principles which frankly admits that "Anarchists have no fears
that in discarding the Collectivist dream of the scientific regulation
of industry and inventing no formulas for social conditions as yet
unrealised, they are neglecting the essential for the visionary,"

This tract was never reprinted, and, of course, it attracted no
attention. It was however the first of the long series of Fabian tracts
that aimed at supplying information and thus carrying out the original
object of the Society, the education of its members and the systematic
study of the reconstruction of the social system.

The spring of 1886 was occupied with arrangements for the Conference,
which was held at South Place Chapel on June 9th, 10th, and 11th.

Here again a quotation from Bernard Shaw's "Early History of the Fabian
Society" is the best description available:--

"THE FABIAN CONFERENCE OF 1886.

"You will now ask to be told what the Fabians had been doing all this
time. Well, I think it must be admitted that we were overlooked in
the excitements of the unemployed agitation, which had, moreover,
caused the Tory money affair to be forgotten. The Fabians were
disgracefully backward in open-air speaking. Up to quite a recent
date, Graham Wallas, myself, and Mrs. Besant were the only
representative open-air speakers in the Society, whereas the
Federation speakers, Burns, Hyndman, Andrew Hall, Tom Mann, Champion,
Burrows, with the Socialist Leaguers, were at it constantly. On the
whole, the Church Parades and the rest were not in our line; and we
were not wanted by the men who were organizing them. Our only
contribution to the agitation was a report which we printed in 1886,
which recommended experiments in tobacco culture, and even hinted at
compulsory military service, as means of absorbing some of the
unskilled unemployed, but which went carefully into the practical
conditions of relief works. Indeed, we are at present trying to
produce a new tract on the subject without finding ourselves able to
improve very materially on the old one in this respect. It was drawn
up by Blan