It
has no official programme; but in view of its membership its policy is
and must be Socialist. This is not because the majority rules. It is
because the Socialist section has a policy and the non-Socialist
section approves of that policy so far as it can be translated into
Bills or resolutions to be laid before Parliament. There is no
anti-Socialism in the Labour party. There is far more difference
between sections of Liberals or Conservatives than there is between
Socialist and non-Socialist Labour men. All these bodies are working
more or less together for the same great ends."[1164] The connection
between organised Labour and organised Socialism is further
illustrated by the important letters printed on pages 141-143 of this
book.

The demands and semi-official programme of the Labour party are
practically identical with those of avowed Socialists, as may be seen
from the following statement of its Secretary:

"We are in favour of the special taxation of land values, of a minimum
income-tax on earned incomes, and a super-tax on a graded scale on all
incomes over, say, _1,000l._ This is described as robbing the rich.
That does not express either the purpose or the spirit of the Labour
party however. We call it--securing for the public values created by
the public. Our critics, if they are to have any effect on intelligent
public opinion, must understand this cardinal point in our creed, this
axiom in our programme-making. We do not regard taxation as a taking
by the State of property which belongs to other people, but the
appropriation of property which ought to belong to itself. This theory
of taxation goes very far, and its full application involves the
complete destruction of parasitic classes. It can only be applied
slowly, but as people get clearly to understand that socially-created
values should be socially-owned values, many of our most recondite
problems, like overcrowding, waste-lands, high rating, will be in a
fair way to settlement."[1165]

The foregoing shows that the Labour party, like the most predatory
Socialist, wishes to tax all private capital out of existence. "The
Labour party is not as yet a purely Socialist organisation, because
any attempt to make it such would disrupt it."[1166] However, its rank
and file are rapidly being permeated with Socialism.

The following table shows the composition of the Labour party and its
numerical strength and growth:

"GROWTH OF THE LABOUR PARTY