§ Sir GERALD HURSTI beg to move,
That leave be given to bring in a Bill to prohibit the funds and profits of cooperative societies from being made liable to contribute to any political party or cause,This Bill will do something to bring help to some 6,000,000 people in this country who, at the present time, are either suffering injustice or are liable to suffer injustice by having funds, which they have acquired and accumulated for the purpose of trade, diverted to partisan political purposes. It came as a great shock to members of co-operative societies in this country when a Bill was introduced earlier in the Session designed to remove some of their grievances, but leaving this principal grievance of theirs 2059 without-redress. They were very grateful, indeed, when, owing to the noble stand that was made in Committee by various hon. Members on these benches, an Amendment was passed in order to give them the redress for which they were longing, but, unfortunately, no sooner had their grievance been redressed than the Bill was withdrawn.What is the wrong of which these cooperative societies complain 2 They complain that at the present time—and it is a fact—that where the rules of the cooperative society allow of it, a majority is able legally to divert funds and profits which have been acquired on behalf of all the members of the society, in order to finance a party of which a minority may entirely disapprove, and whose policy may be wholly abhorrent to them. This power of the majority has not been abused in any case where a majority of the co-operative society happens to belong to either of the constitutional parties, but it is an unfortunate thing that where the majority in many cases happens to be Socialist, large funds have been diverted from their proper purpose, and have been spent on financing elections and financing propaganda between elections. The money which has been so acquired does not belong to a majority; it belongs to the whole society, and it must be borne in mind that were we ever to have, which Heaven forbid, Socialism in our time, it would mean the destruction of all enterprises owned by cooperative societies, and also the confiscation of all the share and loan capital belonging to individual co-operators.
The remedy which this modest little Bill of mine proposes will leave every member of every co-operative society perfectly free, if he or she is willing, to contribute to any party to which he or she may belong. Members if they wish can dispose of their assets for the benefit of the Socialist party, or of any other party which, like the Socialist, preys upon the gullibility of mankind. The case for this Bill is based upon two great principles—first of all, the principle of freedom. The co-operative society came into being for the purpose of buying and distributing goods for use and consumption. Its purpose is entirely alien from the purpose of a political party. It has no more right to spend the money of its members on a 2060 partisan policy without their consent than has a tennis or bowling club. There are hon. Members opposite who sympathise very much with the depressed peasantry of India or Egypt; will they do nothing for the wage-slaves of England? The second ground for our Bill is the intolerable hardship which this misuse of co-operative funds involves upon its members. It is easy to imagine anywhere in the industrial north a struggling home in which the family belongs to a co-operative society, waiting for the annual dividend, and, instead of having handed over the annual dividend which they ought to receive, finding that it has been grievously cut down by the diversion of co-operative funds for the purpose of financing the Socialist party.
This one-Clause Bill is a Bill which has support in every quarter of the House where there is any love of liberty still lingering, and even in the Liberal party, I am glad to say, are some of the backers—at any rate one of them has given his name. I hope, therefore, that this Bill will be treated as a non-contentious one, and will be as welcome as the Bill just introduced by my hon. and gallant Friend. I would suggest to the Front Bench opposite that, assuming this Bill receives its First Reading to-day, they would be well advised to give its further stages every possible facility. If they do that, when they go to the country they will be able to say that among the mass of bad Bills they passed, there was one good Bill, and they would be able to say, "It is true that a Socialist Government has increased unemployment, depressed industry and made most homes in this country more unhappy and poorer than when it came in, but, at all events, we have done one thing: we have given facilities to this one-Clause Bill, which enables members of co-operative societies to be freed from the shackles of political persecution."
§ Mr. HERBERT GIBSONI cannot help but notice the ever-increasing interest which the hon. Gentleman takes in this subject, and my first observation is that of all the Private Members' Motions to which I have listened in this House, none has been a greater abuse of Private Members' time than this one; in fact, I could not quite decide whether I was listening to a farce or a comic opera. I am opposing this Bill because it im- 2061 poses a condition that it has no right to impose on a co-operative society, which is an organisation of members for business reasons, and also for an ideal. It is establishing the principle that these members may combine for any other purpose, but not to defend their political interests and their political advancement. It is saying that they shall have no power to decide how they shall spend their own money. [HON. MEMBERS: "It is the other way round."] It is a Bill which says that they shall not be able to decide how they shall spend their own money. It is telling the 6,000,000 co-operators that while private banks, private railways, private breweries, private electrical companies and private food companies may send their managing and other directors to this House to protect their interests, co-operative societies shall not have the same privilege.
Co-operators have two ways of protecting their interests in this House. One way is to send to this House men from their own ranks who have an interest in their ideal and particular form of business and to pay for that representation. The other is to send our business opponents to this House to look after our interests. Our business opponents are always getting up and saying what a fine movement it is. They are always giving lip-service, but they never lose an opportunity to weaken this organisation. The second
§ method has been tried. We have relied upon our opponents to try to defend us in this House, with the result, which we could only expect, that we have always been let down, especially in War time. We have had, therefore, to adopt the first course, and send men from our own ranks interested in the ideal and business of co-operation, and to pay for that representation. So successful have we been in this method that we have the spectacle of the hon. and learned Member for Moss Side (Sir G. Hurst) coming here to-day and proposing that it shall stop. That is the crux of the matter and I suggest that every Member of this House should oppose this Motion, first because it is a denial of liberty to people to say how they shall spend their own money; secondly, because it is an attempt to put members of the co-operative movement, the great majority of whom are working-class men and women, at a political disadvantage; and, thirdly, because it will limit and restrict what, to my mind, is the finest example of working-class achievement—the Co-operative movement.
§ Question put, "That leave be given to bring in a Bill to prohibit the funds and profits of co-operative societies from being made liable to contribute to any political party or cause."
§ The House divided: Ayes, 191; Noes, 265.
2065| Division No. 176.] | AYES. | [4.15 p.m. |
| Acland-Troyte, Lieut.-Colonel | Bullock, Captain Malcolm | Everard, W. Lindsay |
| Ainsworth, Lieut.-Col. Charles | Burton, Colonel H. W. | Falle, Sir Bertram G. |
| Albery, Irving James | Butler, R. A. | Ferguson, Sir John |
| Alexander, Sir Wm. (Glasgow, Cent'l) | Cadogan, Major Hon. Edward | Fermoy, Lord |
| Allen, Sir J. Sandeman (Liverp'l., W.) | Castle Stewart, Earl of | Fielden, E. B. |
| Allen, W. E. D. (Belfast, W.) | Cautley, Sir Henry S. | Fison, F. G. Clavering |
| Ashley, Lt.-Col. Rt. Hon. Wilfrid W. | Cayzer, Sir C. (Chester, City) | Ford, Sir P. J. |
| Astor, Maj. Hon. John J. (Kent, Dover) | Cayzer, Maj. Sir Herbt. R. (Prtsmth, S.) | Forestier-Walker, Sir L. |
| Astor, Viscountess | Cazalet, Captain Victor A. | Ganzonl, Sir John |
| Atholl, Duchess of | Chadwick, Sir Robert Burton | Gault, Lieut.-Col. Andrew Hamilton |
| Baillie-Hamilton, Hon. Charles W. | Chamberlain, Rt. Hn. Sir J. A. (Birm., W.) | Gibson, C. G. (Pudsey & Otley) |
| Baldwin, Rt. Hon. Stanley (Bewdley) | Christle, J. A. | Glyn, Major R. G. C. |
| Balfour, George (Hampstead) | Churchill, Rt. Hon. Winston Spencer | Gower, Sir Robert |
| Balfour, Captain H. H. (I. of Thanet) | Cockerill, Brig.-General Sir George | Graham, Fergus (Cumberland, N.) |
| Balniel, Lord | Colman, N. C. D. | Gratlan-Doyle, Sir N. |
| Beaumont, M. W. | Colville, Major D. J. | Gretton, Colonel Rt. Hon. John |
| Bellairs, Commander Carlyon | Courtauld, Major J. S. | Gritten, W. G. Howard |
| Berry, Sir George | Courthope, Colonel Sir G. L. | Guinness, Rt. Hon. Walter E. |
| Bevan, S. J. (Holborn) | Crichton-Stuart, Lord C. | Gunston, Captain D. W. |
| Birchall, Major Sir John Dearman | Croft, Brigadier-General Sir H. | Hacking, Rt. Hon. Douglas H. |
| Bird, Ernest Roy | Crookshank, Cpt. H. (Lindsey, Gainsbro) | Hamilton, Sir George (Ilford) |
| Blindell, James | Culverwell, C. T. (Bristol, West) | Hammersley, S. S. |
| Bourne, Captain Robert Croft | Cunliffe-Lister, Rt. Hon. Sir Philip | Hannon, Patrick Joseph Henry |
| Bowater, Col. Sir T. Vansittart | Davies, Dr. Vernon | Hartington, Marquess of |
| Bowyer, Captain Sir George E. W. | Davies, Maj. Geo. F. (Somerset, Yeovil) | Harvey, Major S. E. (Devon, Totnes) |
| Boyce, H. L. | Davison, Sir W. H, (Kensington, S.) | Haslam, Henry C. |
| Bracken, B. | Dawson, Sir Philip | Heneage, Lieut.-Colonel Arthur P. |
| Brass, Captain Sir William | Duckworth, G. A. V. | Hennessy, Major Sir G. R. J. |
| Briscoe, Richard George | Dugdale, Capt. T. L. | Hills, Major Rt. Hon. John Waller |
| Brown, Col. D. C. (N'th'ld., Hexham) | Edmondson, Major A. J. | Hope, Sir Harry (Forfar) |
| Brown, Brig.-Gen. H. C. (Berks, Newb'y) | Elliot, Major Walter E. | Howard-Bury, Colonel C K. |
| Buckingham, Sir H. | Erskine, Lord (Somerset, Weston-s. M.) | Hudson, Capt. A. U. M. (Hackney, N.) |
| Hurd, Percy A. | Nicholson, Col. Rt. Hn. W. G. (Ptrsf'ld) | Somerville, A. A. (Windsor) |
| James, Lieut.-Colonel Hon. Cuthbert | Nield, Rt. Hon. Sir Herbert | Somerville, D. G. (Willesden, East) |
| Jones, Sir G. W. H. (Stoke New'gton) | Oman, Sir Charles William C. | Southby, Commander A. R. J. |
| Jones, Henry Haydn (Merioneth) | O'Neill, Sir H. | Spender-Clay, Colonel H. |
| Kindersley, Major G. M. | Ormsby-Gore, Rt. Hon. William | Steel-Maitland, Rt. Hon. Sir Arthur |
| King, Commodore Rt. Hon. Henry D. | Owen, Major G. (Carnarvon) | Stewart, W. J. (Belfast, South) |
| Knox, Sir Alfred | Peake, Capt. Osbert | Sueter, Rear-Admiral M. F. |
| Lamb, Sir J. Q. | Penny, Sir George | Thomas, Major L. B (King's Norton) |
| Lambert, Rt. Hon. George (S. Molton) | Peters, Dr. Sidney John | Thomson, Sir F. |
| Lane Fox, Col. Rt. Hon. George R. | Peto, Sir Basil E. (Devon, Barnstaple) | Titchfield, Major the Marquess of |
| Law, Sir Alfred (Derby, High Peak) | Power, Sir John Cecil | Todd, Capt. A. J. |
| Leighton, Major B. E. P. | Pownall, Sir Assheton | Train, J. |
| Lewis, Oswald (Colchester) | Purbrick, R. | Tryon, Rt. Hon. George Clement |
| Locker-Lampson, Rt. Hon. Godfrey | Ramsay, T. B. Wilson | Turton, Robert Hugh |
| Long, Major Eric | Ramsbotham, H. | Vaughan-Morgan, Sir Kenyon |
| Lymington, Viscount | Remer, John R. | Ward, Lieut.-Col. Sir A. Lambert |
| McConnell, Sir Joseph | Richardson, Sir P. W. (Sur'y, Ch'te'y) | Wardlaw-Milne, J. S. |
| Macquisten, F. A. | Roberts, Sir Samuel (Ecclesall) | Warrender, Sir Victor |
| Mac Robert, Rt. Hon. Alexander M. | Rodd, Rt. Hon. Sir James Rennell | Waterhouse, Captain Charles |
| Makins, Brigadier-General E. | Ross, Major Ronald D. | Wells, Sydney R. |
| Margesson, Captain H. D. | Ruggles-Brise, Lieut.-Colonel E. A. | Williams, Com. C. (Devon, Torquay) |
| Marjoribanks, E. C. | Russell, Alexander West (Tynemouth) | Wilson, G. H. A. (Cambridge U.) |
| Meller, R. J. | Salmon, Major I. | Windsor-Clive, Lieut-Colonel George |
| Merriman, Sir F. Boyd | Samuel, A. M. (Surrey, Farnham) | Winterton, Rt. Hon. Earl |
| Mitchell, Sir W. Lane (Streatham) | Sandeman, Sir N. Stewart | Wolmer, Rt. Hon. Viscount |
| Monsell, Eyres, Com. Rt. Hon. Sir B. | Savery, S. S. | Womersley, W. J. |
| Moore, Sir Newton J. (Richmond) | Simms, Major-General J. | Wood, Rt. Hon. Sir Kingsley |
| Moore, Lieut.-Colonel T. C. R. (Ayr) | Sinclair, Col, T. (Queen's U., Belfst) | Worthington-Evans, Rt. Hon. Sir L. |
| Morris, Rhys Hopkins | Skelton, A. N. | Young, Rt. Hon. Sir Hilton |
| Morrison, W. S. (Glos., Cirencester) | Smith, Louis W. (Sheffield, Hallam) | |
| Morrison-Bell, Sir Arthur Clive | Smith, R. W. (Aberd'n & Kinc'dine, C.) | TELLERS FOR THE AYES. |
| Muirhead, A. J. | Smith-Carington, Neville W. | Sir Gerald Hurst and Lieut.-Colonel |
| Nicholson, O. (Westminster) | Smithers, Waldron | Sir G. Dairymple-White. |
| NOES. | ||
| Adamson, Rt. Hon. W. (Fife, West) | Cocks, Frederick Seymour | Hollins, A. |
| Adamson, W. M. (Staff., Cannock) | Compton, Joseph | Hopkin, Daniel |
| Addison, Rt. Hon. Dr. Christopher | Cove, William G. | Hudson, James H. (Huddersfield) |
| Aitchison, Rt. Hon. Craigle M. | Daggar, George | Isaacs, George |
| Alexander, Rt. Hon. A. V. (Hillsbro') | Dallas, George | John, William (Rhondda, West) |
| Alpass, J. H. | Dalton, Hugh | Johnston, Thomas |
| Ammon, Charles George | Davies, Rhys John (Westhoughton) | Jones, J. J. (West Ham, Silvertown) |
| Angell, Norman | Day, Harry | Jones, Rt. Hon Leif (Camborne) |
| Arnott, John | Denman, Hon. R. D. | Jones, Morgan (Caerphilly) |
| Aske, Sir Robert | Dukes, C. | Jowett, Rt. Hon. F. W. |
| Attlee, Clement Richard | Duncan, Charles | Jowitt, Rt. Hon. Sir W. A. |
| Ayles, Walter | Ede, James Chuter | Kelly, W. T. |
| Baker, John (Wolverhampton, Bilston) | Edmunds, J. E. | Kennedy, Thomas |
| Baldwin, Oliver (Dudley) | Edwards, C. (Monmouth, Bedwellty) | Kenworthy, Lt.-Com Hon. Joseph M. |
| Barnes, Alfred John | Edwards, E. (Morpeth) | Kinley, J. |
| Batey, Joseph | Egan, W. H. | Kirkwood, D. |
| Beckett, John (Camberwell, Peckham) | Foot, Isaac | Knight, Holford |
| Bellamy, Albert | Forgan, Dr. Robert | Lang, Gordon |
| Benn, Rt. Hon. Wedgwood | Freeman, Peter | Lansbury, Rt. Hon. George |
| Bennett, Captain E. N. (Cardiff, Central) | Gardner, B. W. (West Ham, Upton) | Lathan, G. |
| Bennett, William (Battersea, South) | Gill, T. H. | Law, Albert (Bolton) |
| Benson, G. | Gillett, George M. | Law, A. (Rosendale) |
| Bevan, Aneurin (Ebbw Vale) | Gossling, A. G. | Lawrence, Susan |
| Bondfield, Rt. Hon. Margaret | Gould, F. | Lawrie, Hugh Hartley (Stalybridge) |
| Bowen, J. W. | Graham, D. M. (Lanark, Hamilton) | Lawson, John James |
| Bowerman, Rt. Hon. Charles W. | Graham, Rt. Hon. Wm. (Edin., Cent.) | Lawther, W. (Barnard Castle) |
| Broad, Francis Alfred | Greenwood, Rt. Hon. A. (Colne). | Leach, W. |
| Brockway, A. Fenner | Grenfell, D. R. (Glamorgan) | Lee, Frank (Derby, N. E.) |
| Bromley, J. | Griffiths, T. (Monmouth, Pontypool) | Lee, Jennie (Lanark, Northern) |
| Brooke, W. | Groves, Thomas E. | Lees, J. |
| Brothers, M. | Grundy, Thomas W. | Lewis, T. (Southampton) |
| Brown, C. W. E. (Notts. Mansfield) | Hall, F. (York, W. R., Normanton) | Lloyd, C. Ellis |
| Brown, Ernest (Leith) | Hall, G. H. (Merthyr Tydvil) | Logan, David Gilbert |
| Brown, James (Ayr and Bute) | Hall, Capt. W. P. (Portsmouth, C.) | Longbottom, A. W. |
| Buchanan, G. | Hamilton, Mary Agnes (Blackburn) | Longden, F. |
| Burgess, F. G. | Hardie, George D. | Lowth, Thomas |
| Buxton, C. R. (Yorks. W. R. Elland) | Harris, Percy A. | Lunn, William |
| Buxton, Rt. Hon. Noel (Norfolk, N.) | Hartshorn, Rt. Hon. Vernon | Macdonald, Gordon (Ince) |
| Calne, Derwent Hall | Hastings, Dr. Somerville | MacDonald, Rt. Hon. J. R. (Seaham) |
| Cameron, A. G. | Haycock, A. W. | MacDonald, Malcolm (Bassetlaw) |
| Cape, Thomas | Hayday, Arthur | McElwee, A. |
| Carter, W. (St. Pancras, S. W.) | Hayes, John Henry | McEntee, V. L. |
| Charleton, H. C. | Henderson, Right Hon. A. (Burnley) | McKinlay, A. |
| Chater, Daniel | Henderson, Thomas (Glasgow) | MacLaren, Andrew |
| Church, Major A. G. | Henderson, W. W. (Middx., Enfield) | MacNeill-Weir, L. |
| Clarks, J. S. | Herriotts, J. | McShane, John James |
| Cluse, W. S. | Hirst, G. H. (York W. R. Wentworth) | Malone, C. L'Estrange (N'thampton) |
| Clynes, Rt. Hon. John R. | Hoffman, P. C. | Mansfield, W. |
| March, S. | Richardson, R. (Houghton-le-Spring) | Sutton, J. E. |
| Marcus, M. | Riley, Ben (Dewsbury) | Taylor, R. A. (Lincoln) |
| Markham, S. F. | Riley, F. F. (Stockton-on-Tees) | Taylor, W. B. (Norfolk, S. W.) |
| Marley, J. | Roberts, Rt. Hon. F. O. (W. Bromwich) | Thomas, Rt. Hon. J. H. (Derby) |
| Marshall, Fred | Romeril, H. G. | Thorne, W. (West Ham, Plaistow) |
| Mathers, George | Rosbotham, D. S. T. | Thurtle, Ernest |
| Matters, L. W. | Rowson, Guy | Tillett, Ben |
| Maxton, James | Runciman, Rt. Hon. Walter | Tinker, John Joseph |
| Melville, Sir James | Salter, Dr. Alfred | Tout, W. J. |
| Messer, Fred | Sanders, W. S. | Townend, A. E. |
| Mills, J. E. | Sandham, E. | Trevelyan, Rt. Hon. Sir Charles |
| Milner, J. | Sawyer, G. F. | Turner, B. |
| Montague, Frederick | Scurr, John | Vaughan, D. J. |
| Morgan, Dr. H. B. | Sexton, James | Viant, S. P. |
| Morley, Ralph | Shaw, Rt. Hon. Thomas (Preston) | Walker, J. |
| Morrison, Herbert (Hackney, South) | Shepherd, Arthur Lewis | Wallace, H. W. |
| Morrison, Robert C. (Tottenham, N.) | Sherwood, G. H. | Wellhead, Richard C. |
| Mort, D. L. | Shield, George William | Watkins, F. C. |
| Moses, J. J. H. | Shiels, Dr. Drummond | Watson, W. M. (Dunfermline) |
| Mosley, Lady C. (Stoke-on-Trent) | Shillaker, J. F. | Wellock, Wilfred |
| Mosley, Sir Oswald (Smethwick) | Shinwell, E. | Welsh, James (Paisley) |
| Muff, G. | Short, Alfred (Wednesbury) | Welsh, James C. (Coatbridge) |
| Muggeridge, H. T. | Simmons, C. J. | West, F. R. |
| Naylor, T. E. | Sinkinson, George | Westwood, Joseph |
| Noel Baker, P. J. | Smith, Alfred (Sunderland) | Wheatley, Rt. Hon. J. |
| Oldfield, J. R. | Smith, Ben (Bermondsey, Rotherhithe) | Whiteley, Wilfrid (Birm., Ladywood) |
| Oliver, George Harold (Ilkeston) | Smith, Frank (Nuneaton) | Whiteley, William (Blaydon) |
| Oliver, P. M. (Man., Blackley) | Smith, H. B. Lees (Keighley) | Wilkinson, Ellen C. |
| Palin, John Henry | Smith, Rennie (Penistone) | Williams, David (Swansea. East) |
| Paling, Wilfrid | Smith, Tom (Pontefract) | Williams, Dr. J. H. (Llanelly) |
| Palmer, E. T. | Smith, W. R. (Norwich) | Williams, T. (York, Don Valley) |
| Parkinson, John Allen (Wigan) | Snell, Harry | Wilson, C. H. (Sheffield, Attercliffe) |
| Pethick-Lawrence, F. W. | Snowden, Rt. Hon. Philip | Wilson, J. (Oldham) |
| Phillips, Dr. Marlon | Snowden, Thomas (Accrington) | Wilson, R. J. (Jarrow) |
| Picton-Turbervill, Edith | Sorensen, R. | Winterton, G. E. (Leicester, Loughb'gh) |
| Pole, Major D. G. | Stamford, Thomas W. | Wise, E. F. |
| Potts, John S | Stephen, Campbell | Wood, Major McKenzie (Banff) |
| Price, M. P. | Stewart, J. (St. Rollox) | Wright, W. (Rutherglen) |
| Quibell, D. J. K. | Strachey, E. J. St. Loe | Young, R. S. (Islington, North) |
| Raynes, W. R. | Strauss, G. R. | |
| Richards, R. | Sullivan, J. | TELLERS FOR THE NOES.— |
| Mr. Perry and Mr. Hubert Gibson. |