Weekly Times (Melbourne, Vic.: 1869 - 1954) Sat 30 Mar 1895 Page 12.
SIR HENRY WRIXON.
HIS RETURN TO MELBOURNE.
OLD AND NEW WORLD PROBLEMS.
Sir Henry Wrixon returned to Melbourne on 22nd inst. after an absence from the colony extending over ten months.
It will be remembered that he was selected by the late Premier, Sir James Patterson, to be one of the delegates from Victoria to the Colonial Conference at Ottawa, Canada. He had, however, a wider purpose in making his journey than just to do the business of the country in Canada, and then return to Melbourne.
Sir Henry determined to make an extended tour, not merely for purposes of pleasure, but rather for the more serious purpose of making a close study of social problems in Canada, the United States, and England.
Sir Henry gave our representative an hour of his time describing the lands he had seen, and especially the questions of pith and moment in which he has been concerning himself.
"Well," he said, leaning back in his chair, in his study at his residence at Kew, "it has been a most delightful tour, indeed, though I have made it a matter of business as well as of pleasure.
I have travelled across the United States, crossed the Rocky Mountains, seen Canada, travelled over to England, then back again to the States and have in every place I have been to, spent the greater part of my time in collecting information, pamphlets and books, seeing labour leaders, calling on workmen, visiting trades halls and making myself thoroughly acquainted with the labour question.
"You have not had much time for sight-seeing, then, Sir Henry?
"Oh, yes, I have done some of that; and, of course, the whole tour has been to a large extent one revealing fresh scenes and interesting phases of life. The journey through the Rocky Mountains, for instance, is one I shall never forget.
Come up to expectations?
Oh, the Rockies defeat all expectations. The immensity of the mountains, their vast solitudes, the magnificence of scenery simply defy description, and it is impossible to realise what they are like without seeing them.
I have seen the mountains of Switzerland, but there you get a house occasionally dotting the mountain side and breaking the solitude. But in the Rockies there is nothing at all to break the immensity of the whole scene.
It only needed a question to induce Sir Henry to talk about what he called the more serious purpose of his journey. At once he plunged into the heart of
"the great question not only of the day," as he said, "but of the age".
"You mean the social question? "The Socialist question? It is the question upon which, according to the way it works out, depends our whole civilization, and it is now coming home to every country.
I found this question of Socialism uppermost in men's minds in every country I have visited. It is, depend upon it, the root question of everything.
"Singular, was it not, that Sir Henry should use this phrase, "root question," bearing in mind Mr Champion's Socialist story, The Root of the Matter, which The Herald has recently published, while the subject of this interview was at sea? The coincidence flashed across the interviewer's mind as he asked:
"Have you seen much, then, of the Socialist leaders in the countries you have visited?
"Yes, I have cultivated their acquaintance. In England I met John Burns, Tom Mann, and Sydney Webb, of the Fabian Society.
Mr Webb I found to be a most charming man, a diligent collector of facts, and, above all, most accurate. He and his wife have written a 'History of Trades Unionism,' which I have heard spoken of as an admirable book. The Fabian Society, as one may say, finds the brains of the Socialist movement in England.
John Burns, whom I have met before in England, impressed me very much. He is a man of undoubted ability and of immense energy and force of character. He is not only a member of the House of Commons but also of the London County Council — a most important body — and he is, while doing his work in these bodies, continually addressing meetings night after night in various parts of London.
His industry is simply tremendous. I was very much interested in seeing Burns's library. He is a well-read man, and he told me that many of his books were purchased at the cost of sacrificing a meal.
Tom Mann struck me as being very sincere. His policy, however, differs from that of Burns, though both are Socialists. Mann believes in belonging to neither of the political parties of the State, but in the Labor and Socialist parties fighting for their own hand. Burns believes in working with the Liberal party.
"I had the good fortune," continued Sir Henry, pursuing this subject, of being present at the Trades Union Congress at Norwich. They very courteously gave me a seat on the platform and were most obliging in giving me all the information I asked for.
At the Congress I met Mr Lloyd, a delegate from America, who was of great use to me when I got over there, introducing me to leaders of the Labor party and enabling me to see the conditions of the lives of the working classes for myself.
At the Norwich Congress, Collectivist resolutions were passed. I do not think, however, that this fact must be taken as proving that the resolutions represented the deliberate conviction of the delegates in favor of Socialism or Collectivism.
Great allowance has to be made for enthusiasm setting the better of the judgment of some of the representatives. Still, however, I am bound to say that Socialism is making great strides in England.
I think, indeed, that in older countries we find Socialism taking a greater hold than ever in democratic Australia. Here we have some measures of practical Socialism; as, for instance, in the State ownership of the railways; but it is theoretic Socialism that is spreading so rapidly in England and America.
For the moment it has been checked in London, by the defeat of the Progressives at the County Council elections. The Socialists, however, expected that result to follow. The main point against them, you see, was that the rates were increasing.
They laid down the rule, which is admirable if it can be carried out, that they would give every man employed by the council a good wage, irrespective of whether the work could be done cheaper or not; and also that ground should be found for making more open spaces for the people.
Well, a good many ratepayers thought there was extravagance, and unquestionably the rates were increased. Nothing touches the ratepayer more than finding he has to put his hand in his pocket, and consequently there was a rebuff to the Socialists at the polls.
"Do you think this Socialist movement is as marked in the United States as in England?
"Oh, you find the movement going on in all parts of the world, and substantially I found that the Socialists were agreed as to their platform and objects in England, in Canada, in European countries, and in the United States.
As to your question, I think the movement is less powerful in the United States than elsewhere; but, oddly enough, I came to the conclusion that though there was more appearance of popular domination there was really less reality behind it in the United States than in England.
That surprises you; and the fact surprised me; but the central executive in the States is very powerful, and in cases where the trades unions have resorted to violence, the disturbance has been put down very determinedly by the central executive force.
As to Canada, that is a much more Conservative country. You find there that one Government has been in office for a long term of years. I think the Macdonald Government was in office for thirty years, with a break of only five years. Political forces in Canada, you may say, are more settled than ours, or than the forces in England.
"How do you account for that? have you any theory?
"Well, I think the climate has something to do with it. There is a slowness, a solidity about the Canadians, which you don't find among British people generally.
No doubt, too, the long winter has a sedative influence on the people. They seem a steady solid people. Canada is very interesting altogether. Some parts of it, you know, are really more antiquated than some parts of Europe.
"Speaking of Canada, did you form any impression of the results of the federal system there?
"I inquired very carefully into it, and the conclusion was that the sooner we people in Australia secure federation for ourselves the better it will be for us politically, socially and commercially. I found that the people had a great respect for the Federal Government, and yet that the local territorial Governments had not lost in prestige.
The Premiers of provinces like Ontario, Quebec, and Montreal, are men of great ability, who stand very high in the opinion of the people. The great thing is that by federation Canada is able to speak with one united voice on any subject, we felt that at the conference.
The Canadian delegates were able to speak unitedly; we Australians, though indeed we were pretty unanimous in opinion, could not speak for the whole of our country. Oh, I think that the Canadian example is certainly a strong argument for federation.
"Do you think that any good results are likely to follow from the Ottawa Conference?
"Unquestionably; but of course, that depends upon ourselves. I was the means, at the Conference, of getting a resolution passed favoring an alteration of the law so as to permit various parts of the Queen's Dominions to make commercial treaties with each other; so that, say, we may make a treaty with the Cape, or with Canada.
Since then a bill has been brought into the Imperial Parliament carrying the resolution into effect, and I dare say it is law by this time. That is one good result from the Conference.
"Sir Henry was so interesting with his reminiscences of travel, that he really talked enough for two good interviews. We must, however, bring this one to a close for reasons of time and space. Suffice it to say that Sir Henry found everywhere the keenest interest in Australia.
In America he had an interview with President Cleveland, who seemed particularly well posted in Australian affairs, and asked several questions about our tariff difficulties.
Sir Henry hopes to enter Parliament again shortly, but before seeking re-election intends to devote himself to putting into some permanent record the impressions, opinions and facts he has formed and collected in this long and useful tour round the world.
Notes on the Article
fascinating layer to Sir Henry Wrixon's story that makes his later critiques even more credible and nuanced. In this 1895 interview (right after his big world tour), Wrixon speaks warmly and respectfully about the Fabian leaders he met in England:
Sidney Webb: "a most charming man, a diligent collector of facts, and, above all, most accurate." He praises the Webbs' History of Trade Unionism as "an admirable book."
John Burns: "impressed me very much… a man of undoubted ability and of immense energy and force of character." Notes his tremendous industry, well-read library, and sacrifices to buy books.
Tom Mann: "very sincere."
Fabian Society overall: "finds the brains of the Socialist movement in England" — he gives them credit for intellectual seriousness and organization.
Link to:
Sir Henry Wrixon "Socialism: being Notes on a Political Tour" 1897
"The Pattern Nation"1906
Sir Henry Wrixon. THE RELIGION OF THE COMMON MAN. 1909
"Jacob Shumate 1903
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