Moreover, in addition to “Facts for Londoners,” Sidney Webb published in 1891 in Sonnenschein’s “Social Science Series” a volume entitled “The London Programme,” which set out his policy, and that of the Society, on all the affairs of the metropolis.  The Society had at this time much influence through the press.  “The London Programme” had appeared as a series of articles in the Liberal weekly “The Speaker.”  The “Star,” founded in 1888, was promptly “collared,” according to Bernard Shaw,[27] who was its musical critic, and who wrote in it, so it was said, on every subject under the sun except music!  Mr. H.W.  Massingham, assistant editor of the “Star,” was elected to the Society and its Executive simultaneously in March, 1891, and in 1892 he became assistant editor of the “Daily Chronicle,” under a sympathetic chief, Mr. A.E.  Fletcher.

Mrs. Besant and the Rev. Stewart Headlam had been elected to the London School Board in 1888, and had there assisted a Trade Union representative in getting adopted the first Fair Wages Clause in Contracts.  But in the first London County Council the Society, then a tiny body, was not represented.

At the second election in 1892 six of its members were elected to the Council and another was appointed an alderman.  Six of these were members best known to the public as Trade Unionists or in other organisations, but Sidney Webb, who headed the poll at Deptford with 4088 votes, whilst his Progressive colleague received 2503, and four other candidates only 5583 votes between them, was a Fabian and nothing else.  He had necessarily to resign his appointment in the Colonial Office, and thenceforth was able to devote all his time to politics and literary work.  Webb was at once elected chairman of the Technical Education Board, which up to 1904 had the management of all the education in the county, other than elementary, which came under public control.  The saying is attributed to him that according to the Act of Parliament Technical Education could be defined as any education above elementary except Greek and Theology, and the Board under his chairmanship—­he was chairman for eight years—­did much to bring secondary and university education within the reach of the working people of London.  From 1892 onwards there was always a group of Fabians on the London County Council, working in close alliance with the “Labour Bench,” the Trade Unionists who then formed a group of the Progressive Party under the leadership of John Burns.  Under this silent but effective influence the policy of the Progressives was largely identical with the immediate municipal policy of the Society itself, and the members of the Society took a keen and continuous interest in the triennial elections and the work of the Council.

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