Chapter XI
The Minority Report, Syndicalism and Research: 1909-15
The emergence of Mrs. Sidney Webb--The Poor Law Commission--The
Minority Report--Unemployment--The National Committee for the
Prevention of Destitution--"Vote against the House of Lords"--Bernard
Shaw retires--Death of Hubert Bland--Opposition to the National
Insurance Bill--The Fabian Reform Committee--The "New Statesman"--The
Research Department--"The Rural Problem"--"The Control of
Industry"--Syndicalism--The Guildsmen--Final Statistics--The War.
A former chapter was entitled "The Episode of Mr. Wells." The present
might have been called "The Intervention of Mrs. Sidney Webb," save for
the fact that it would suggest a comparison which might be misleading.
I have insisted with some iteration that the success of the Society,
both in its early days and afterwards, must be mainly attributed to the
exceptional force and ability of the Essayists. Later in its history
only two persons have come forward who are in my opinion entitled in
their Fabian work to rank with the original leaders, to wit, Mr. Wells
and Mrs. Webb. Of the former I have said enough already. The present
chapter will be largely devoted to the influence of the latter.
[Illustration: MRS. SIDNEY WEBB, IN 1909]
It must however be observed that in all their achievements it is
impossible to make a clear distinction between Mrs.
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