who were appointed to meet me on my
arrival England, to meet me once more here on the eve of the reopening
of Parliament."

There was a grim silence. No one spoke. Their general attitude was one
of suspicious waiting.

"You all know," Maraton went on, "with what ideas I first came to
England. I found, however, that circumstances here were in many
respects different from anything I had imagined. You all know that I
modified my plans. I decided to adopt a middle course."

"A seat in Parliament," Graveling muttered, "and a place at the Prime
Minister's dinner table."

"For some reason or other," Maraton continued, unruffled, "my coming
into Parliament seemed obnoxious to Mr. Dale and most of you. I
decided in favour of that course, however, because the offer made me by
Mr. Foley was one which, in the interests of the people, I could not
refuse. Mr. Foley has done his best to keep to the terms of his
compact with me. Perhaps I ought to say that he has kept to it. The
successful termination of the Lancashire strike is due entirely to his
efforts. The prolongation of the Sheffield strike is in no way his
fault. The blind stupidity of the masters was too much even for him.
The position has developed very much as I feared it might. You cannot
make employers see reason by Act of Parliament. Mr. Foley kept his
word. He has been on the side of the men throughout this struggle. He
has used every atom of influence he possesses to compel the employers to
give in. Temporarily he has failed--only temporarily, mind, for a Bill
will be introduced into Parliament during this session which will very
much alter the position of the employers. But this partial failure has
convinced me of one thing. This is too law-abiding a country for
compromises. For the last six weeks I have been travelling on the
Continent. I have realised how splendidly Labour has emancipated itself
there compared to its slow progress in this country. From town to town
in northern Europe I passed, and found the great industries of the
various districts in the hands of a composite body of men, embracing the
boy learning the simplest machine and the financier in the office, every
man there working like a single part of one huge machine, each for the
profit of the whole. A genuine scheme of profit-sharing is there being
successfully carried out. It is owing to this visit, and the
convictions which have come to me from the same, that I have called you
together to-day."