A B C of modern socialism

V THE CULTURAL STRUCTURE

Ty a memorandum issued by the House of Industry League to the Non-Exploitation Conference, the following appeats: ‘‘Although the House of Industry League is primarily concerned with economic problems, it realises that the functional principle is equally applicable to our cultural life. It would therefore, welcome the institution of a House of Culture. Apart from the fact that culture should march with economic development, it is humiliating to find that Great Britain relatively lags behind other countries in art and literature, if not in science. Pure science, which is the source of applied science, education, medicine, the fine arts—all these higher activities of human genius and effort are, in the life of the community, beyond price. To exploit these outpourings of the human spirit comes perilously near to the sin against the Holy Ghost. Nor need we forget that, unless our economic life is directed by the higher life expressed in culture, we indeed labour in vain. Accordingly, the House of Industry League visualizes the economic chamber as the national instrument of production, and the cultural chamber as the vast spending department of an enlightened people.”