skilful propagandists was
neglected which might shake the opposition to the Bills, or convince
some of the Liberal and Labour opponents that for once at any rate a
good thing might come from the Conservative Party.

The transfer of the control of all elementary schools to the local
authorities rendered at last possible the public feeding of school
children, long before advocated by the Social Democratic Federation.
This had hitherto been regarded by the Fabian Society as impracticable;
though an eloquent and often quoted passage in Graham Wallas's
contribution to "Fabian Essays" describes the schools of the future with
"associated meals [served] on tables spread with flowers, in halls
surrounded with beautiful pictures, or even, as John Milton proposed,
filled with the sound of music." Our contribution towards this ideal was
Tract No. 120, "After Bread Education: a Plan for the State Feeding of
School Children," published in 1905, one of the few tracts for which
Hubert Bland was largely responsible, which advocated a reform carried
into law a year later.

* * * * *

In 1893, and even before, the Fabian Society had urged the Trade
Unionists to form a Labour Party of their own, and earlier in the same
year the Independent Labour Party had been founded which was originally
intended to achieve the object indicated by its name, but which quickly
became a purely Socialist society. It carried on a vigorous and
successful propaganda amongst Trade Unionists, with the result that in
1899 the Trade Union Congress passed a resolution directing its
Parliamentary Committee, in co-operation with the Socialist Societies,
to call a conference in order "to devise ways and means for securing an
increased number of Labour members in the next Parliament." In
accordance with this resolution the Society was invited to appoint two
representatives to meet the delegates of the Parliamentary Committee and
of the two other Socialist organisations. Bernard Shaw and myself were
appointed, and we took part in the business of arranging for the
Conference. This was held on the last two days of February, 1900, and I
was appointed the one delegate to which the Society was by its numbers
entitled. The "Labour Representation Committee" was duly formed, and it
was decided that the Executive Committee of twelve should include one
elected by the Fabian Society. This Committee was constituted then and
there, and, as "Fabian N