end
on the standard of life of the family. After all the parents had
brought the child into the world without asking if he wanted it, and
consequently, so far from having rights with regard to the fruit of
their pleasure, they had only duties. Aristotle was reduced to pulp
with regard to this point.

Such a policy would safeguard the liberties of the child, who, on
reaching a reasonable age, could always go away and need not accept his
father's politics and religion with his father's beef. The home would
thus be a compulsory association only during early childhood and would
be a voluntary association for the adolescent. Thus would we solve the
woman question and build an honest, self-reliant nation. Let Dr
Bosanquet maunder on about organisms and compare the family meal--that
ghastly rite--to the Holy Communion. To hell with such sentimentality!
(_Applause._)

Martin then reverted to political philosophy and maintained that no
group whose membership was not spontaneous could have a vital purpose
and a common will. In so far as the family remained compulsory it
could have no such will: because a man was born a Jones he need not
have the same interests as the rest of the Jones' group: indeed most
great men loathed their relations. For the small children a home of
some sort, whether private or municipal, was inevitable. The question
was whether they were going to save the young adult from sentimental
tyranny by insisting on incomes and latch-key rights for sons and
daughters and building up a multitude of voluntary co-operative groups
on a strictly business basis.

"Of course I admit it is more or less impossible," he said as he
finished. "But we may as well talk theory."

There was a short interval, and then Rendell, by grace of his three
"F's," was chosen to open the discussion.

He couldn't, he said, accept all that about voluntary associations. He
wasn't a Syndicalist, though, judging from the latest efforts of the
Tories, we were all not only Socialists, but Syndicalists nowadays. He
believed in the State.... The State ... yes, organisms and all that.
He didn't mind the commercialism, provided it was State commercialism.
Couldn't have these voluntary groups ... dangerous. Besides, he wanted
domestic work all done by clever machines, electric stoves and
automatic beds that "made" themselves and became sofas in the next room
by slipping through the wall. This would liberate woman. "Woman's
sphere