NOTES ' 629 



subject to criticism for a long period. It might seem that serious criticism 

 was a post-war development ; on the contrary, however, there were vigorous 

 discussions in the seventies of last century on the defects of parliamentary 

 procedure. The difference at the present day lay in the rapid development 

 of a widespread distrust of the whole parliamentary system, whereas in the 

 seventies the criticism reflected a general behef in the system and desire to 

 improve it. There was a definite decline in the influence of the House of 

 Commons since its great period, between 1832 and 1870. The attention of 

 the people was no longer concentrated on its proceedings, as it was forty or 

 fifty years ago. At that time the fate of ministers was decided there : now it 

 was decided within the purheus of Downing Street, whose barriers few people 

 are permitted to pass. 



This change Mr. Laski attributed to various causes. Among these was the 

 growth of the power of the Executive, many questions nowadays being 

 argued, and even decided^ privately, between ministers or civil servants, and 

 representative traders or workers. A deeper cause was the change in the 

 character of the questions to which Parliament had to devote attention after 

 1870. Economic problems had come to the front, and were now more 

 important than political questions in the older sense. The House had not 

 sufficient time to deal effectively with work of this sort, nor were members 

 well equipped, as a rule, for the task. Members of ParUament were drawn 

 from a comparatively small section of society, and the qualifications which 

 gave them their seats were not usually the results of training and service in the 

 local area which they represented in Parliament. Such training in local 

 government would be of great value to members in enabhng them to under- 

 stand and represent effectively the interests for which they stood. 



The disadvantages of the present system of Committees in the House were 

 great. Members were chosen to sit on Committees without reference to their 

 qualifications for the work. There was a whole range of questions, now 

 dealt with by Committees of the House, which could be much more effectively 

 treated outside it, as, for instance, industrial questions. These should come 

 under the consideration of such a body as the National Industrial Council 

 set up by the Government not long ago. It was obvious that in a Parliament 

 elected on a nominally geographical basis, but in which occupational 

 interests really preponderated, industrial problems would meet with a some- 

 what one-sided treatment, owing to the smaU proportion of labour and 

 independent representatives. 



To reassure the working classes of the honesty and value of parliamentary 

 government, some beaugeste was necessary, e.g. the Nationahsation of the Mines. 



Mr. Laski said, in conclusion, that he could see no better method of govern- 

 ment for Great Britain than by the party system, which was so closely allied 

 to the spirit of our race. 



In the discussion which followed Mr. Graham Wallas, Mr. G. P. Gooch, 

 and ]\Ir. Finer took part. 



Science Masters' Association (G. H. J. Adiam, M.A.) 



Educational conferences are generally very heavy, solemn affairs from 

 which the rank and file often go away depressed rather than stimulated, and 

 with their mental faculties in rags and tatters, so to speak. Their only 

 consolation is that, by putting in an appearance, they have done the correct 

 thing, and they hope that benefits may follow. The S.M.A. does not aspire 

 to the dignity and dullness of a conference, but prefers to call its annual 

 gathering a " meeting," and encourages the social side, being convinced that 

 members get at least as much help from informal talks with fellow members 

 as from the set pieces. 



This year the Association met at Oxford (Jan. 4-7), and by the kind 

 permission of the authorities the members were housed in Balliol and Trinity 



41 



