PREVENTION OF CORRUPTION BILL. (Hansard, 10 June 1902)

§ EARL GREY
My Lords, with the permission of your Lordships I desire to ask the noble and learned Lord on the Woolsack whether it is his intention to re-introduce the Prevention of Corruption Bill. If it is his intention to re-introduce it I earnestly hope that the Government will use every means in their power to secure the passage of the measure this session. My excuse for pressing the matter is that I have been requested by the Co-operative Union, which is a voluntary union of about 1,500 separate societies, with 1,700,000 registered members, to impress on your Lordships and His Majesty's Government the importance of dealing with this question without delay. At the Co-operative Congress recently held at Exeter an almost unanimous resolution of regret was passed that no progress had been made in this direction. I am convinced that in the interests of honest trade, and in the interests of individual workmen and of every private soldier, the endeavour to obtain trade by offering secret commissions should be constituted a criminal offence, and should be punished by imprisonment. As those of your Lordships who are conversant with the co-operative system are aware, although the 1,500 societies are affiliated with a central organisation which is able to buy for them the articles they require on the most advantageous terms—namely, in large quantities on the basis of a ready money payment, the movement is so constituted that each society is an independent unit, and has the fullest freedom to purchase the articles it requires for its members from any quarter it likes. Without admitting that the standard of trade morality is lower in co-operative movement than outside—and I contend that it is higher—it must be obvious that the freedom of co-operative societies to buy where they please exposes them at times to the temptation of placing their orders with firms which offer secret commissions. It is well known that where secret commissions are given an honest trader has no chance in competition with an unscrupulous rival. It is well known, also, that the Government rations of bread and meat served out to the soldier are not sufficient for nourishment, and that it is absolutely necessary for the soldier 225 to supplement them by the purchase of other eatables which he can only obtain through the dry canteen, to which he is limited. It is essential that every possible precaution should be taken that the soldier should get the best article that money can buy, and that he should in no case be handed over to the tender mercies of the trader who obtains entrance to the canteen through the dishonesty of secret commissions. It is because I am persuaded that the system of bribes and commissions obtains very largely in English trade that I venture to press upon the noble Lord on the Woolsack the importance of re-introducing his Bill without delay and of passing it into law as quickly as possible.

§ LORD RIBBLESDALE
I do not understand on what my noble friend rests his assumption that the sergeant of a dry canteen gets secret commissions. I was president for some little time of the Rifle Brigade canteen at Gibraltar, and I believe nothing of the sort took place there. As to the private soldier supplementing his rations, as far as I am aware the soldier is not obliged to go only to the military canteen, as my noble friend has suggested.

§ EARL GREY
I am quite sure that the noble Lord took every possible precaution against this practice. I do not wish to state more than this, that it is the fact that certain traders find it difficult to get Army canteen business, and attribute that difficulty to the fact that they offer no commissions.

§ THE LORD CHANCELLOR (The Earl of HALSBURY)
I was not aware that the question of the soldiers position was likely to arise, and your Lordships will not expect me to enter into the controversy between the two Lords. I will cheerfully answer the particular question put to me; certainly do intend to re-introduce the Bill, and I hope it may receive sufficient encouragement in another place so that it may become law. I cannot help saying that, looking to what is going on in another place, I cannot with great confidence assert that it will become law. Your Lordships have already appreciated the value of such an altera- 226 tion as this Bill recommends, and I have no doubt that you would again re-affirm the principle it is intended to establish. When we have done all that, however, I am afraid we must leave it to the other House, if it pleases them, to spare time to consider so important and serious a matter. I will do all that I can to forward the progress of the Bill through that other place. The delay in re-introducing it is intentional; I am not certain that it is desirable to send Bills very rapidly to the other House after the session has commenced, as there is a greater chance of their being considered a little later in the session. I am not sure that it is altogether consistent with the dignity of this House, or with the belief in its efficiency, that year after year Bills should be introduced and sent to the other place of which no notice at all is taken afterwards, as if the matter were of no importance.