36 BRITAIN FOR THE BRITON 



power now. Let them frankly admit that, as trades, manu- 

 facturing industries, professions, and every other form of 

 occupation combined have utterly failed to result in aught else 

 but widespread and ever-growing unemployment and consequent 

 destitution, in ever-congested labour markets, in uneven dis- 

 tribution of wealth, and generally in a state of affairs which 

 is as inimical to the workers as it is disgraceful to tlie country, 

 they should now have recourse to the only remaining industry 

 — the Land. 



Eleventh-hour Eepentance a Necessity 



If, at this eleventh hour, they prefer to cling to their old 

 phantasms that the situation will be relieved by manufactures, 

 by Labour fighting Capital, by joining the Socialist ranks, or 

 by the hundred and one dodges and resources that have hitherto 

 utterly failed them, they may do so. This is a free age, and 

 the working-classes are free agents as other men are ; but they 

 must accept the consequences of their folly as others have to do 

 in this world. 



The situation can be relieved, as is clearly shown in other 

 chapters of this book, but it can never be relieved either by the 

 foolishly hostile attitude assumed by a large section of the 

 working-classes towards existing conditions, by antagonising 

 Capital and Labour, by class conflict, or by other violent 

 measures. 



Middle-class Apathy 



Eeferriug for a moment to the great middle-class section of 

 the body electorate, it is held that they have, by their apathy 

 and indifference, developed into a really negligible quantity in 

 the political economy of their country. They grumble and 

 growl and write irascible letters to the newspapers from time 

 to time ; they are full of complaints against the injustice of 

 certain taxes, the non-necessity for others, the ever-growing 

 burden of pauperism and the rest of it : but there it ends. The 

 working-classes do unite and organise ; they have their trades 

 unions and other institutions ; they have certain definite aims 

 and a political policy, albeit much of it is misdirected : but the 

 middle-classes do absolutely nothing but quibble. Overt action 

 in regard to organising some system of co-operation to express 

 their political views, and to impress them clearly and unmis- 

 takably on the minds of those who represent them in Parliament, 

 is lacking, and the enormous political power which they really 

 possess remains a potentiality rather than a living, moving 

 force. 



