The Sun.
London, England, 1869-06-02 00:00:00

LONDON CO-OPERATIVE COAGRESS.

The Co-operative Congress resumed its sittings at the
rooms of the Society of Arts, Adelphi, on Tuesday.
Mr. A. J. MUNDELLA, M.P., who presided, in opening
the proceedings of the day, remarked that he was
glad to find that the Congress had been discussing
the most important question of how Trades Unions
could be utilised for co-operative purposes. He hoped
that as masters and servants arrived at a better mode of
adjusting the rights of labour, the House of Commons
would give protection to the funds of unions to give perfect
freedom for their investment and outlay ; and that when
this was accomplished, trades unions, instead of having
to waste their millions in disastrous strikes,
would have their funds in hand to lay out in
some manner by which they would fructify for the
benefit of their members and of society at large. He
thought that trades unions might, instead of giving
their members donations from their funds in periods of
want of work, employ them usefully. There might in some
instances be something like an interchange between union
and union to their mutual advantage. Anything that he had
been able to do in this direction had been to reconcile, so far as
he could, the conflicting claims of masters and workmen;
and he believed that this very congress was a proof
of the progress they were making in the right direction,
and, that they were not far from solving this important
question.
A letter was read from Miss Florence Nightingale,
expressing deep interest in the proceedings of the con-
gress.

The discussion of the question, "How to utilise the organi-
sation of trades unions for co-operative purposes," adjourned
from the previous day, was continued. Mr. DREWITT,
secretary of the London Operative Tailors' Society, stated
his belief that, as trades unions were at present consti-
tuted, there would be difficulty in utilising them for
co-operative purposes. Many of the members were
opposed to using the funds for any purpose than their
specific object; and therefore a co-operative movement
should be supported independently of a trades union
organisation, while members of trades unions might be
carefully selected to consider the subject.
Mr. BURNS, of Highbridge, moved a resolution urging
upon trades unions the expediency of their entering upon
some joint plan of action for the furtherance of co-opera-
tion, whether generally or in their respective trades.
Mr. J. LEIGH, of Oldham, seconded the motion.
The HoN. SECRETARY (Mr. Pare) at this point asked
whether Mr. Allen, the secretary of the Amalgamated
Engineers, and Mr. Drewitt would object to deposit the
moneys of trades unions in banks for co-operative pur-
poses, if those banks were established on sound principles
and elicited a reply in the negative.
The CHAIRMAN observed that the unions required to
nave their funds available for the payment of their mem-
bers, and what they feared was such a lock-up of their
money as would prevent them from meeting the demands
made upon them at any moment. This difficulty
could be met, not so much by their engaging
in industrial productions as by combining co-operative
societies' funds and trades union societies' funds in a
bank. A co-operative bank would be as safe as any
undertaking in England. As the unions could
not spare their money to be locked up, they
could put it into co-operative banks, and draw
it out when they wanted it. They would thus
have the advantage..of interest, which might be 10 per
cent., and at the end of the year find themselves all the
richer.

The resolution was then carried unanimously.
The next subject of consideration was " The best means
of making co-operative societies mutually helpful ;" and
the first point taken was the bringing of the productions
of co-operative societies into the general market.
Mr. NUTTAL, of Manchester, read a description of the
operations of the Manchester Wholesale Agency as an
411ustration of the best method to be adopted.
A paper was read from Dr. WATTS, of Manchester,
suggesting a general scheme of retail stores in every town
and village, with wholesale stores, held in shares by a
federation of retail stores in large towns. But the grand
idea, said Dr. Watts, was to make the consumers of pro-
duce their own producers.
Mr. LLOYD JONES supported the latter recommendation.
A lengthened debate ensued, the main topic being the im-
portance of the smaller societies dealing with the wholesale
co-operative stores.

Mr. Burcnnn, of llanimry, stated that a co-operative
society had been formed in that town, and that, ..6,;,,a-
-tural labourers were ready to undertake co-operation
when the matter was put before them in a proper manner.
In the course of the discussion,
The Hon. AUBERON HERBERT observed that it would
not be desirable for the retail societies to purchase of the
wholesale if the goods of the latter were offered at a price
above the market value.

Mr. Mundella being called away to attend a deputa-
tion after the adjournment, the Rev. M. Molesworth
succeeded to the chair, and the debate was concluded by
the passing of several resolutions.
The first of these, proposed by Mr. IVILKINsoN, of Bir-
mingham. was as follows :—" That in the opinion of this
congress it is exceedingly desirable that the committee
of the wholesale societies should consider the advisability
of supplying the various co-operative stores with
the productions of their various co-operative manu-
facturing societies, and that the delegates present
bring before the notice of their respective societies
the extreme desirability of purchasing the whole of their
goods from co-operative manufacturers, and if established
through the medium of the wholesale agency."
Mr. LUDLOW proposed resolutions to the effect that it
was expedient to establish in London and elsewhere
bazaars, warehouses, &c., for the exhibition and sale of the
productions of co-operative societies.
These resolutions were carried.

The charge for telegrams of ten words to Arne-Flea
was on Tuesday reduced from £3 7s. 6d. to.£2. It is to be hoped
that this reduction will prove as successful as previous re-
ductions have been. The daily receipts for May, 1869, at a
charge of £3 78. 6d. per message, have been £602 as com-
pared with £550 in May of last year, when the charge was
five guineas.
SIIAKSPERE CRITISITED BY A COUNTRY BUMPKIN,
—A curious thing happened lately at a theatre in Saxony,
"Hamlet" was being performed. In the great monologue
(Act 3, scene 1), where Hamlet says,—
" But that the dread of something after death,
The undiscover'd country from whose bourn
No traveller returns,"
a country fellow in the gallery exclaimed, " Stupid ! didn't
you see yOur father's spirit last night? \Vli,exe do you
think h~ CP,lne