Politics and the Land 



The Church cannot be sociaHstic : it is harmful 

 for her to pretend to be so ; but she should be 

 deeply interested in social problems, and I am 

 glad to think that a large number of the clergy- 

 are concerning themselves with the solution of 

 these problems, though I am sure they would 

 do more effective work and carry greater weight 

 with the bulk of churchmen if they would avoid 

 the appellation of " Socialists." 



There is another body that I wish would not 

 proclaim its Socialism so loudly : I refer to 

 the Fabians. Some of their pamphlets are, I 

 admit, written by Socialists of the "jingo" type, 

 but their official pamphlets are often excellent 

 summaries of existing evils and contain most 

 sound suggestions for reform. Their *' Facts 

 for Socialists " ought to be called " Facts for 

 Politicians " if not indeed " Facts for the Man 

 in the Street." 



As the " laisser faire " principle weakens the 

 principle of State interference must grow stronger, 

 but its growth needs scientific guiding. This 

 will be impossible if a large proportion of 

 people, while allowing State interference in 

 this or that specific case, still refuse to consider 

 the whole question of how the State will be 

 obliged to intervene to secure the remedy of 

 admitted evils. This is eminently a subject 

 upon which the opinion of such experts in the 

 art of administration as Mr. and Mrs. Sidney 



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