The Sun.
London, England, 1867-02-11 00:00:00

Mr. Hughes, M.P., on Co-operation.

On Saturday night Mr. T. Hughes, M. P., addressed
a meeting at the Whitechapel School-room upon
co-operation. The immediate object of the assembly
had reference to the opening of a co-operative store
in Peabody's Buildings, Spitalfields.
Mr. HtiGnEs, after some general observations,
said he supposed that all present had heard how
much co-operation had done for the working people
in several parts of England. He himself had been
connected with many such societies for a considerable
number of years. There were a good many things
at which persons tried their hands in this complicated
state of sociAy. There were a good intny plan 3
which one joined, and principles which one believed
in at various times, which were found to be false at a
later period of life. He had had 20 years' practical
experience of the co-operative movement; and his
faith was increased in it, and not diminished.
(Hear, hear.) Ile did not mean to say that there
had not been many and considerable failures in
co-operation. There was one such failure in White-
chapel. It was a very sad blow to the movement,
and tended to discourage it. He referred to the
failure of the great engineering establishment. How-
ever, it was easy for any one who was acquainted
with the principle to account for such break downs.
It was invariably seen that they had failed through
want of earnestness in the movement on the part of
those who conducted such stores, and not from the
weakness or failure of the principle upon which
these societies:were founded. The longer he lived,
and the more he saw the development of the move-
ment, the more thoroughly was he convinced that,
abuve every other movement at present known in
England, it was enabling the working classes to
take that position which it was good for them and
the country they should. (Hear, hear.) They
were beginning here, as it was quite right they
should, with the very A. B C of the movement.
There were many developments of the principle,
but the simplest was that of the co-operative store.
He believed they were pretty well acquainted with
the main outlines of this plan. They became their
own shopkeepers and customers, and the more they
spent the greater return they got. In past years
there had been great difficulty in finding good in-
vestments for the small savings of the working
classes. There were the small savings banks, which
offered excellent mediums, but they did not give
very large returns. Besides the savings banks there
were building societies, which were no doubt profit-
able investments, and perhaps as good as could be
found in any class of society. But still, the persons
to whom co-operative stores were most useful were
those who perhaps could not afford to save sufficient
to become members and hold shares in building so-
cieties. There was no investmentso good for working
people, so advantageous, in which they could place
their money, as co-operative stores. They would
of course take care to purchase the best goads, and
sell them at such prices as they might arrange. The
profits which were derived from the sales will be
divided pro rata. A sufficient margin must be left
for incidental expenses. lie knew two or three
small stores which had been started in neighbour-
hoods which were not so good for a store as this—
and London, he would observe, was behind other
parts of England in this movement—and at the-enel
of the half year a bonus was declared of Is. in the
pound upon all purchases. The result was that the
purchasers not only had better articles than they
could get elsewhere, at the most reasonable prices,
but at the end of the period he named they got the
profit stated. He trusted that all present would
join the movement which was now proposed. The
principle had spread through all the towns of
Lancashire, Yorkshire, and other parts of the north.
There was not a town or village there in which they
would not find a flourishing co-operative store. In
the north there had been but few failures, (Hear,
hear.) His opinion was that it required a consider-
able amount of ingenious blundering and folly to
get a properly established store into the wrong
groove. The more shareholders and customers the
better and more profitable would be the concern.
The particular Store which they were met to ad-
vance was situate in Peabody's Buildings, where he
should imagine a number of personslived who would
become good customers. Resolutions were then
passed in favour of such institutions, and this one
in particular. In conclusion, the hon. member
spoke upon the necessity of the liorking classes in
the receipt of good wages saving something. He
was a dishonest man and a bad member of society
who did not do so. (Hear, hear.)
A cordial vote of thanks was given to Mr. Hughes
for taking the chair. In reply, he expressed his
belief that the movement was to do more for
England than any other known. He was only too
glad to render them any assistance. There was no
part of England where it was more needed than in
the east end of London, nor any part where it
ought to do so well if they supported it.

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