unch trade unionists. The New trade unionism is evidence of
this, for Socialists are responsible for calling it into existence.
The movement which is now gaining ground in favour of federation among
trade unionists generally, is one of Socialist origin. Trade unionists
look solely to unionism to maintain their miserable standard of
living, ignorant of the economic laws working against them. Socialists
accept unionism as only one method to maintain their present standard
of comfort.

"Both Socialists and trade unionists have a common enemy, a common
want, and a common economic force which continually and relentlessly
drives them in one direction. Both are driven to defend attacks
against their standard of living by the capitalist, and the one point
of agreement between Socialists and trade unionists, therefore, is
that they both desire to maintain and increase their present standard
of living. Trade unionists enter a union to resist the exactions of
the capitalists, and to baulk attempts on their part to reduce wages.
Socialists enter a union for precisely the same reason. If they would
view Parliamentary action from the standpoint of the collective
welfare of the people, they would soon realise its far-reaching
effects. A legal forty-eight hour working week, for instance, would
bring benefit to all and raise the standard of all by giving more
leisure; thereby affording workers an opportunity of obtaining fresh
air and following artistic and intellectual pursuits.

"One of the strongest agents which work in favour of the capitalists
is the necessity of the workers to find food and clothing for their
families. This evil can be met by the State proposal which is now
making such headway in England--namely, Free Maintenance for Children.
The old-fashioned prejudices, fostered by the capitalists and their
hangers-on, that it is degrading to accept anything from the State, is
fast dying out in the face of free education, free libraries, free
maintenance for all sickened with infectious fevers. Free maintenance
for children would be a tax on that surplus wealth which the
capitalists and the aristocracy share between them. To the worker,
free maintenance for his children would be equivalent to an additional
income. His standard of living would rise. No doubt the capitalist
would reduce his wages as much as possible, but the worker would then
be able to fight him on more equal terms. His children being well
cared for, he would