[Illustration:  From a copyright photograph by Lambert Weston and Son, Folkestone

H.G.  WELLS, IN 1908 At the door of his house at Sandgate]

FOOTNOTES: 

[33] Born 1865.  Clerk in the Exchequer and Audit Dept. 1884, Assistant Director of the Census of Production 1908.  Author of “Trusts and the State” (1901) and “The Trust Movement in British Industry” (1907).

Chapter IX

The Episode of Mr. Wells:  1906-8

His lecture on administrative areas—­“Faults of the Fabian”—­The Enquiry Committee—­The Report, and the Reply—­The real issue, Wells v.  Shaw—­The women intervene—­The Basis altered—­The new Executive—­Mr. Wells withdraws—­His work for Socialism—­The writing of Fabian Tracts.

The long controversy introduced by Mr. H.G.  Wells attracted much public attention to the Fabian Society, added greatly to its numbers, and for a time made it more of a popular institution than it had been before or has been since.  But, in fact, its main permanent interest arises from the persons who played the leading parts.  The real question at issue was one neither of Socialist theory nor of Socialist policy.  In so far as these entered in, Mr. Wells preached to willing listeners, and the only difference of opinion was as to the relative stress to be laid on particular points.  When the episode was over, the chief change made in Fabian policy was one which Mr. Wells did not initiate, and which as soon as it was actually adopted he virtually repudiated.[34] The substance of the controversy was whether the members desired to hand over their Society to be managed by Mr. Wells alone, or whether they preferred to retain their old leaders and only to accept Mr. Wells as one amongst the rest.

Mr. Wells became a member in February, 1903, and in March gave his first lecture to the Society on a very technical subject, “The Question of Scientific Administrative Areas in Relation to Municipal Undertakings,” a paper subsequently published as an appendix to “Mankind in the Making.”

It was probably his first appearance on a public platform; and as a lecture it was by no means a success, because he read his paper in a low monotonous voice, addressed to a corner of the hall.  If Mr. Wells had been by nature or practice as effective in speaking as he is in writing the fate of the Fabian Society might have been different.  He was severely handicapped in his contest with the skilled debaters of the “Old Gang,” and though after a short time he learnt the art up to a point, he was never really at home on a platform, and since the Fabian episode he has confined himself for the most part to controversy in writing.

The next contribution of Mr. Wells to Fabian propaganda was on January 12th, 1906.  This date had been fixed for his paper next referred to, but in view of the General Election then in progress he read in its place his admirable article entitled “This Misery of Boots,” which was subsequently issued as a special Fabian publication.