Duke Street Prison
October 12, 1921
Delivered: October 12, 1921 at the Duke Street Prison
Transcription\HTML Markup: Scottish Republican Socialist Movement Archive in 2002 and David Walters in 2003
Copyleft: John Maclean Internet Archive (www.marx.org)1999, 2003. Permission is granted to copy and/or distribute this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.
In view of the continuance of unemployment on an unprecedented scale for at least another year yet, and in view of the failure of the Labour Party to fight hard enough in the Town Council for the unemployed, Harry McShane agreed to contest Kingston Ward and myself K.P. Ward. To defeat me the police have thrust me into prison. For at least a dozen times the Lord Provost got the police to keep me out of the City Chambers during council sittings whilst I was on deputation duty from the unemployed. The police even prevented me from leading the shelterless into Glasgow Cathedral. Kingston and K.P. have therefore to decide whether policemen are going to run the political life of the city. I ask both wards to vote me out of prison, Harry McShane and myself into the Council, and the homeless into houses.
UNEMPLOYMENT
Our first consideration is to secure work or maintenance for the unemployed, the cost to the Corporation to be met by the Government unless where Corporation work is done.
SHELTERS FOR THE HOMELESS
NO RENT TO BE PAID BY THE UNEMPLOYED
MUNICIPAL RESTAURANTS to provide free meals for the unemployed and cheap meals for other citizens, and to feed striking and locked out workers.
MUNICIPAL MANAGEMENT of loading, unloading and storage of goods at the docks in conjunction with the Dockers’ union. When dock work is slack, the dockers to be given other suitable work so as to ensure steady employment.
HOUSING — Every family should have a house with at least a scullery, kitchen, parlour and three bedrooms. Such houses the Corporation should build with Government loans, interest free, so as to keep down rents. We favour pre-war rents for pre-war houses.
MUNICIPILISATION GENERALLY — We favour the city supplying all needs and amusements. We urge a milk, bread, beef, fruit and other food supply in association with the Co-operative movement, as a step to final complete control by the Corporation.
We favour municipal theatres, music halls, picture houses, and other forms of amusement for the people. A huge Social Centre should be established in every ward, with a suitable public hall, where wanting.
LABOUR — We believe that all employees ought to have better wages and conditions than private employers provide, as an incentive to employers. Employees ought to be represented on every Corporation Committee, and workshop committees ought to be consulted by managers.
A PROVINCIAL COUNCIL — Glasgow ought to embrace the Clyde Valley and so include Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, Dumbartonshire, and perhaps a bit of Stirlingshire and Ayrshire. A council representing this area is now necessary for large undertakings.
Our Socialist or Communist Aim
Even supposing we had this programme carried out, we are far from The Goal of Labour — the social or common ownership of everything managed by the chosen representatives of the workers. Only when the world is run by the workers of the world for their own benefit, and not for the benefit of a landlord-Capitalist-Class, will security of livelihood and peace between the nations be obtained. That is Communism. That is why we are Communists. To convert Capitalism into Communism is a Revolution. In that sense we call ourselves Revolutionist. The Revolution can be helped by Labour voting itself into power — Vote for us, you vote Labour.
We are both members of the Socialist Labour Party.
Yours fraternally
John Maclean