The house of Industry : a new estate of the realm

XXV1 FOREWORD

new bodies to a competent authority such as the House of Industry we project.

This, in our judgment, is the final and convincing argument for the reform of Parliament on the lines laid down in this book. We commend it in particular to Labour Members of Parliament and to the Trade Union and Socialist movement as a practical proposal; but we invite the members of all parties, and the general body of electors, to consider it as a method of re-establishing the authority, influence and prestige of Parliament and of bringing our system of Parliamentary government into line with modern needs. The system now is giving way visibly under the strain of economic crisis. Ministers, upon whom our system throws the responsibility of initiative and decision, are almost at their limit of capacity in dealing with the work of their departments and the claims of the House of Commons. They have literally no time to think out the broad issues of policy, to get down to the roots of the questions on which they must legislate, or to inform themselves adequately upon the facts and figures, the pros and cons of the subjects they have to debate. Still less are they able to find time to study even the most important aspects of the vast and complicated problems connected with the reorganisation of industry, economic regeneration, and the revival of trade in the post-war world.

But these problems brook no delay. They are becoming increasingly complicated and acute. Every proposal made for their solution adds to