CO-OPERATIVE MOVEMENT DOES NOT LIKE CRIPPS’ BUDGET

Wanganui Chronicle, 20 April 1949, Page 5

CO-OPERATIVE MOVEMENT DOES NOT LIKE CRIPPS’ BUDGET

Warning That 1950 May Be Black Year For Labour Party

LONDON, April 19 (Rec. 6 pm).—The annual conference of the Co-operative Party, which is meeting at Weston-Super-Mare, strongly criticised the Government’s Budget proposals, and despite an appeal by the Minister of Defence (Mr. A. V. Alexander), who is one of the leaders of the Co-operative Movement, carried a resolution calling upon the Government to abolish conscription “as soon as the present emergency threat of war ceases.”

These views and decisions are likely to have important political repercussions as the Co-operative ; Movement is one of t’ne strongest j' and best organised organisations ' '■ supporting the Labour Govern- ■ ■ men*:. Though continued co-' operative support for the Govern-'' ment was taken for granted, it was made plain that the move-: ment will continue to exert its; considerable influence against the ' present economic policy of Sir Stafford Cripps, as expressed in the recent Budget. The Chancellor was warned by one speaker, Mr. A. Lyon, of Manchester, that unless he did something for the workers by reducing the purchase tax “1950 would be a black year for the Labour Party.” Mr. R. Sharp, a member of the Co-operative Party National Committee, disclosed that the committee had urged Sir Stafford Cripps to remove the purchase tax from sewing machines, cycles, mangles, floor coverings, schoolbooks, toys, needles and ■ cutlery, but that the Chancellor had refused.

Several speakers said that all these goods were necessities and claimed that working class families were being gravely penalised. Other speakers expressed doubts whether workers would main tan production unless; something was done immediately to lower the cost of living. DIVIDED ON NATIONALISATION. The conference also disclosed a sharp division of opinion about the virtues of nationalisation. While all the speakers admitted that continuing 1 nationalisation would curtail the field of operations of co-operative soceties, one section took the view that advantages of State control outweighed the restrictions which would be placed upon co-operative expansion, and an-' other urged the party to light for its j independence. One section of Government policy! with which the movement showed it-1 self overwhelmingly in sympathy was foreign policy. A resolution supporting the Government’s present line of action as carried by a majority oi more than 6,000,000 votes.—Special N.Z.P.A. Correspondent 1