74 polities _LONDONLETTER THEREisagreatdealofactivityinparliamentandin thegovernmentdepartmentssogreatthat inatime ofhousingshortagehundredsofdwelingsincentralLon- donhavebeenconvertedintonewoficesbutthechanges aregreaterinappearancethaninreality. Thelackofarealchangeindirectionisilustratedby thewayinwhichthegovernmentdepartmentsstillcontain thesamereactionarypersonnelandstillmaintainthesame traditionof legalisticbureaucracy.Inonesectionof the executive,thepolice,thesituation isactualybecoming worse,andthereisevidenceofadeliberatetendencyonthe partofthepoliceauthoritiestobuildupthe"crimewave" astheexcuseforanincreaseintheirownpower.When the"wave"firstbegan,thepoliceaskedforspecialassistance,butwhenvolunteersappearedtheywereexpectedto signonforthreeyearsaspartofa"Special"PoliceForce. Recentcheck-upsinLondonhavebeenobviouslylittlemore thandemonstrationsofpower,fortheyservednopurpose infoilinganyastutecriminals.But themostominousof thesemovesintheincreaseofpolicepowerhasbeenthe appointmentofSirPercySillitoetoa"mystery"poston theImperialGeneralStaff,wherehewillbeabletocoordinatetheactivitiesofboththemilitaryand_thecivilian police.Hisostensibleworkwillbeconnect-24>H-ith"banditry",butthosewithlongmemoriesrecall-thatSillitoe playedanactiveandruthlesspart inthesuppressionof theGeneralStrikeof1926. I t maywellbeaskedwhata LabourGovernmentwantswithsuchaman! Thisincreaseinpolicepowergoesserywellwiththe lackofconcernforpersonallibertiesshownbymembers oftheCabinet.Demandsforanamnestyfordeserters,one ofthemostsensiblewaysofendingthe"crimewave.have beenrejected,andministerstakealegalisticlineoncasesof discriminationwithwhichtheyaretaxed.Thisattitudeis causingannoyanceamongtheyoungerandmoreradical LabourM.P's.Amongparticularlyflagrantrecentcases arethoseofPhilipSansom,oneof theanarchistssentto prisoninApril lastyearforatemptingtodisaffectthe forceswhohasnowbeenjailedagainforrefusingtoenter thearmy,andAdolfoCaltabiano,anItaliananti-Fascist whohasbeenputintoalunaticasylumforhavingafeeling ofpersecutionafterthepoliticalpolicehasactualybeen persecutinghimfornearlyayear. THE threesignificantmeasuresbeforeparliamentat presentaretheCoalIndustryNationalisationBill, the newNationalInsuranceBill,andthemeasuretorepealthe TradesDisputesAct.TheCoalBill is thefirst of the measurestonationaliseindustrialundertakings,andisthus ademonstrationofwhatthegovernmentmeansby"nationalisation".As inthecaseof theBankofEngland, it is clearthatnofundamentalchangeiscontemplated.Productionwillberationalisedbyacentralboard,whichShin- wel(MinisterofFuelandPower)hasemphasised will be dominatedbypeopleofbusinessability.Theactiveowners willenterthenewstructureasmanagersandtheshareholderswillbepresentedwithstockatafixedratewhich willprotectthemagainstanyfuturefluctuationsof the coalmarket.Asonewouldexpect,theMiningAssociation (representingtheindustrialists)acceptedthetermswith alacrity.Workers'control ofanykindisnotevencon- sidered,andit willbeinterestingtoseethereactionofthe miners,whoseideasofnationalisationtendedrather to- BibliotecaGinoBianco wardssomeformofmodifiedworkerscontrolthantowards thecreationof acentralisedbusinessbureaUcracytoextractmoneyforcompensatingtheshareholdersout of a dyingindustry. TheNationalInsuranceBill is inonewayanimprove- mentonpastconditions, in thattheratesofbenefitare slightlyincreasedinpurchasingpower.But,evenso,the paymentof26/(about$5.40)toasinglemanrepresents astandardwellbelowacceptednutritionallevels.The worstpartsoftheBillaretheclauseswhichinterferedirectlywiththeindependenceofthebeneficiary.Formostof thebenefitstheapplicantmustbeabletoshowayearly averageof50weeklycontributions,creditbeinggivenwhen sickorunemployed.Thismeansvirtuallythatallpeople ofworkingareareexpectedtobeinregulaiworkforthe wholeof theirproductivelives,andmakesnoalowance forthemanwithatasteforperiodsofvoluntaryleisure. Similarly, inthecaseofunemployedpeople,therewillbe atribunal todecideontheavailabilityofworkandthe suitabilityoftheapplicanttoundertakeit. Themanwho isnotwilingtotaketheworkoferedwillalsobedebared frombenefit,althoughhewillhavepaidfor it.Thisis anexampleofthewayinwhichthegovernmentisatpres- entremovingthelabourrestrictionsbasedonlegalcompulsion,andreplacingthembyequalyformidablemeans ofeconomiccompulsion. TherepealoftheTradesDisputesActisanexampleof the othersideofthesameprocess. As TheObserver mentionedrecently,thereisanapparentinconsistencyinagov- ernmentwhoseconceptionofsocialismissopatentlyauthoritarian,givinguponeof itsmostformidableweapons ofindustrialcompulsion.But thisrepealis infactonly atokengesture,tosavethefacesof theTradeUnion leadersintheLabourhierarchyandtosatisfyatraditional promisemadetotheworkerseversince1926.TheGov- ernmentcanmakethisconcessionpartlybecauseunderthe TransitionalPowerslegislation itcanstillissueordersin- volvingindustrialcompulsionandanyseriousstrikecould becoveredbysuchanorder. Butthereisanotherreasonwhyanti-strikelegislation canberepealed,andthatisbecausetheTradeUnionsare alreadyworkinginalmostcompleteco-operationwiththe state,andnoseriousofficialstrikeis likelytooccurwhile thepresentcircumstancescontinue.An ilustrationofthe valuesetonastrongtradeunionasameansof industrial disciplinewasgivenintheHighCourtdecisionlastyear, whentheMunicipalandGeneral Workers'Unionwon a libelactionagainsttheleft-wing(I.L.P.sponsored)ChemicalWorkers'Union,forhavingmadeaccusationsofin- eptitudeandbadfaith.Thejudgemadeveryclearthe "national"valueofastrongtradeunionandtheneedfor itsreputationto beguardedagainstatack. ThestartlingdiferencebetweentheEnglishandAmer- icanindustrialsituationsisduemostlytothefactthat, whileAmericanunionleadershavestill tomakethegrade toasecurepositionintherulingclassélite,andfor that reasonmuststillappearbothaschampionsof their fol- lowersandaspotentialyusefulaliestothestate,English unionleadershavealreadyreachedsecurityaspartofthe administrativehierarchy. InEnglandalsotherehasbeen alargefall inwages,owingtothecessationofovertime, andmanydemobilisedmenarefindingthattheircivilianpay isactualylessthanwhattheyreceivedasprivatesinthe army.Nevertheless,therehavebeennoofficialstrikes,and onlyonelargeunofficialstrike,thatofthedockers. Thisindustrialcalmhascomeasasurprisetomanywho heldhistoricistbeliefsinthepostwarmilitancyofthework- ers.Yetthereisnodoubtthatanybody ofmenwhobegin
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