The house of Industry : a new estate of the realm

84 THE HOUSE OF INDUSTRY

dilemma of choosing one of two candidates, while believing both to be right, and so denied their tight to express an opinion on both politics and industry.”

The wisps of hair were again in disorder and the Labour Veteran’s fingers drummed nervously on the arms of his chair.

“ Humph!”’ he muttered. ‘‘ That would be a pretty kettle of fish.”

“The worst is yet to come,’ I continued. “For when the Commons assembled, it would be found that industrial reconstruction—it must be reconstruction and again reconstruction to the end of the chapter, remember—was at least seemingly most pressing. Whereupon industrial problems would occupy the time of the House to the exclusion of a thousand political issues, many of them of vital importance; our foreign policies, our relations with our Dominions and Colonies, the public health, education, the army, the navy, the police. Have you thought of all that? ”

‘“ Wisdom must prevail,’’ snapped the Labour Veteran. “‘ You presume a lot.”’

“There is no wisdom without foresight,” I answered. ‘“‘ And wisdom in this instance demands the avoidance and not the acceptance of such criminal confusion.’’

““ And pray how are we to avoid it, short of relinquishing our Socialist principles ? ’’

“ There is nothing in Socialist principles that predicates such a stupid confusion of the political and the economic. But I haven’t come to the