1910: Campaign for the Prevention of Destitution. Eugenics and ‘Equality’

Abstract

This chapter looks briefly at what form, often misunderstood, the Fabians’ interest in eugenics took, before passing on to the National Committee set up by the Webbs to organize a Campaign for the Prevention of Destitution working for the implementation of the recommendations of the Minority Report. This grass-roots campaign quickly became bigger than the Fabian Society itself, and the Webbs gave many speeches throughout England, as did Shaw at the bigger venues and also in Ireland and Scotland. Shaw delivered his first major lecture on Equality, putting forward his postulate of equal incomes, and how this might be achieved over the long term. He hoped it would give the Fabian Society a long-term goal after the failure of Wells’s revolt.