The house of Industry : a new estate of the realm

CHAPTER XVI

SEQUEL

Ir there be substance in our plea for the separation of the political from the economic functions, and further, that the economic body, the representative House of Industry, should displace the plutocratic House of Lords, then we may expect world repercussions. To transform the House of Lords into an economic body with complete powers to control and co-ordinate industry, would undoubtedly set currents to work in all those countries where Second Chambers exist. The British Dominions have their Senates; so also have France and Italy in Europe; so also have the United States and many of thesmall Republics in Central and South America. If the British House of Industry did its work with reasonable efficiency, could the other countries withstand the shock? Faced with an instrument of such stupendous credit and economic power, what could they do but follow suit?

And if they followed suit, what then ?

It surely requires little imagination to foresee the industrial democracies of the world exchanging commodities and generally exploiting the world, not for the profiteers but for the peoples of

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