In 1909 the Society consisted of 1674 men
and 788 women, a total of 2462; of these 1277 were ordinary members
residing in or near London, 343 scattered elsewhere in the United
Kingdom, 89 abroad; 414 were members of provincial Societies and 339 of
University Societies. There were in addition about 500 members of local
Fabian Societies who were not also members of the London Society, and
the Associates numbered 217. The income from subscriptions of all sorts
was L473 in 1904 and L1608 in 1908, the high-water mark in the history
of the Society for contributions to the ordinary funds.
Of course there is all the difference in the world between a new member
and an old. The freshly elected candidate attends every meeting and
reads every word of "Fabian News." He begins, naturally, as a
whole-hearted admirer and is profoundly impressed with the brilliance of
the speakers, the efficiency of the organisation, the ability of the
tracts. A year or two later, if he has any restlessness of intellect, he
usually becomes a critic: he wants to know why there are not more
brightly written tracts, explanatory of Socialism and suitable for the
unconverted: he complains that the lectures are far less interesting
than they used to be, that the debates are footling, the publications
unattractive in appearance and too dull to read. A few years later he
either settles down into a steady-going member, satisfied to do what
little he can to improve this unsatisfactory world; or else, like Mr.
Pages:
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229