Party News Briefs
Hackney Branch is contemplating the possibility of using slides and films in conjunction with next season’s lectures at Bethnal Green Central Library. The branch would appreciate help from any reader of the SOCIALIST STANDARD who has experience with this form of propaganda. Please write to, or contact, The Organiser, S.P.G.B., 197 Mare Street, E.S, as soon as possible.
West Ham Branch has completed a month’s canvassing in the East Ham, South, constituency. Commencing at Burgess Road, by the East Ham Palace, the branch members intend to systematically cover the whole of the constituency. The team of four canvassers which set out on the first week has now grown to ten. They have canvassed for one and a half hours on Sunday morning and for about two hours on the evening of one Sunday only. Literature sales for the five occasions have been 6s. 9d., 7s. 6d.. 16s., 25s. and £1 (on the evening canvass). The branch sales of SOCIALIST STANDARD have increased from 12 dozen to 26 dozen.
St. Pancras Branch is continuing its monthly lectures and, when weather permits, holds an outdoor meeting in Regents Park. The local Labour Party was recently challenged to debate but declined with the usual excuses—no useful purpose would be served— S.P.G.B. too small to appeal to the electorate, etc.
Edgware Branch, after a bad spell, is now revitalised. Branch membership is slowly increasing. New activities are being planned.
Lewisham Branch has been unable to obtain a room at either of the two schools on the Bellingham Estate. Members are now trying for accommodation elsewhere. The canvassing on the Estate has continued during January and February with the same success as attended the efforts during the latter months of last year.
Glasgow Branch had a surprise when the debate with the I.W.W. attracted an audience of 250.
Ealing Branch continues to grow and has now overflowed its old branch room. So new premises have been found at Grange Secondary Modern Girls’ School, South Ealing. To reach these new branch premises from South Ealing Station, turn left on leaving the station and proceed to St. Mary’s Church on the right, where a short alleyway, known as Church Place, leads to the school. A discussion group meets here on alternate Mondays. A number of debates are in the offing. There will be one in March with Mr. H. Blenkinsop, Labour M.P. for Newcastle East. The Party representative will be Comrade H. Young. Another debate in April will be versus Mr. D. Eccles, Conservative M.P. for Taunton, Somerset. This time the party will be represented by Comrade W. Waters. Yet another debate with the Society of individualists is being arranged to take place at Ealing Town Hall during May. Ealing branch is also holding an evening Social on March 5th at The Fox and Goose, Hanger Lane, Ealing.
The W.S.P. of U.S. tells us that it started the year right. Our American comrades appear to have some rollicking social evenings. At one held at the Boston Headquarters an attendance of 75 “had a gay and sparkling time. Besides favours and noisemakers and delicious sandwiches and refreshing liquids we had a tuneful juke box (hired) which beat out rhythm. We all had a grand time dancing, drinking and discussing until the wee hours. The net income for the Party was about $80.00.” New York local also had a successful social affair. A debate with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology was the most successful indoor activity since the debate with Scott Nearing in May, 1947. According to the Institute’s own claim, its representatives were two of the outstanding debaters in New England. But they gave the audience loud laughs at their farcical attempts to glorify Capitalism. During question time the Institute debaters had to admit their ignorance on some points raised.
The Dublin Socialist Group continues its activities. From recent correspondence we conclude that an attempt is being made to obtain, a duplicating machine with a view to starting a Socialist journal in Ireland. On January 31st the Group had its first debate; Comrade Walsh representing the Group versus a representative of the Catholic Social Guild. The small hall was crowded out. The weekly meetings at The Boilermakers Hail, Lower Gardiner Street, arc continuing. We are looking forward to meeting some of the Dublin Comrades at our Conference gathering at Easter.
The Executive Committee’s Report to the Annual Conference which will meet at the Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, London, W.C.I, on April 15th, 16th and 17th, will soon be in the hands of the branches. Following are some items of interest from this report. Membership of the Party on 31/12/48 was 1,036. The average attendance at branch meetings during the year was 33. Two new branches, St. Pancras and Fulham, were formed during the year and an attempt was made to re-form Edinburgh branch, but without success to date.
On the matter of our prospective parliamentary campaign we learn that the estimate, based on previous experience, for contesting a constituency is £450 and that if it is decided to contest two constituencies the cost will be around £900. The reports of meetings held during 1948 reveal that a new high has been reached. As in previous years, some branches have not reported all the meetings that they have held, so the figures are not complete. But, as they stand they are encouraging. There were 825 outdoor meetings held, as against 678 in 1947. In addition there were 124 indoor meetings, 16 debates and 19 addresses to other organisations, making a total of 984 meetings. Literature sales at these meetings amounted to £430, an increase over 1947 of £98. Collections taken totalled £593, an increase above the previous year of £45. In an effort, to overcome the problem of speakers failing to turn up at the appointed meetings, branches are to be encouraged to run their meetings with their own speakers.
With an increase in our paper quota we may be able to produce a 16 page SOCIALIST STANDARD again. We could then revert to a larger type and to the headed paragraph. The Sales of the SOCIALIST STANDARD increased considerably during 1948 due, mainly, to increased sales by the branches. Some, branches have doubled their sales in the year. We published three new pamphlets during the year, “The Racial Problem,” “The Communist Manifesto and the Last Hundred Years,” and “Russia Since 1917.” We also received “Socialism or Chaos ” from the Australian Party and “The Russian Revolution ” from our Canadian comrades. We have large stocks of pamphlets in hand. Additional books have been placed in the Head Office library. Most of the 1948 publicity effort was directed towards advertising the new pamphlets. A poster announcing the SOCIALIST STANDARD was produced and the stock is gradually being used up. The B.B.C. refused us an opportunity to broadcast.
A selection of our pamphlets was made, bound into a volume and entitled “Collected Socialist Pamphlets.” Seventy-five of these volumes have been supplied to public libraries all over Great Britain and further orders are expected.
New contacts have been, made in Germany, in South America and in Southern Asia. Contact has been kept with Party members who have gone abroad. Members who have travelled in Europe have visited contacts in one or two countries. A proposition to allow members who take up residence abroad to retain their membership, is to be considered by the Conference.
General Election in 1950. Only a year in which to raise the necessary funds. Please do your best NOW.
W. WATERS.
ANNUAL CONFERENCE SOCIAL ARRANGEMENTS
ACCOMMODATION. It will ease matters if provincial Delegates try to arrange direct with London members as before. Where this is not possible full details should reach Social Committee at Head Office not later than Monday, 4th April. This also applies to London Members willing to offer accommodation.
CATERING. Members’ assistance will be welcomed in providing milk, butter, tea, sugar and any items of refreshments and early notification of what is available will facilitate the .job of the Social Committee, who would like non-perishables, where possible, delivered to Head Office on or before Tuesday, 12th April. Other items to Conway Hall direct.
SOCIAL-DANCE. As usual, Saturday, 16th April, commencing 7.30 sharp. Tickets 2s. 6d. at the door. The usual features—first class Orchestra—Spot Prizes and Grand Raffle (tickets 6d.). Gifts of Spot or Raffle prizes will be much appreciated by Social Committee – and the more so if delivered or notified well in advance.