The house of Industry : a new estate of the realm

CONSUMPTION AND CO-OPERATION 69

consumer. In the large affairs of production, it is obvious that the intermediate consumer can easily hold his own. That is to say, practically every producer is a consumer of raw or semi-manufactured materials. And many manufacturers, in the engineering and ship-building trades, for example, are buyers of many thousands of finished articles, which go into the assembling of the parts of some engineering product. But should not the final consumer also have adequate representation in the House of Industry? Undoubtedly. From every point of view it is necessary to a right balance of the economic interests.

That being so, it is obvious that the Co-operative Movement stands out, head and shoulders, above every other distributive organisation and must therefore be fully represented in the House of Industry. Moreover, since it is also a manufacturing and producing unit, it is further entitled to representation as distinct from distribution.

Every Co-operator, therefore, should strive, might and main, for the creation of the House of Industry. His representation in the House of Industry would be greater and more effective than anything he can obtain in the House of Commons.

When we remember the imponderables of Cooperation, the influence it wields far beyond its financial and industrial strength, the conclusion is that in arranging the industrial electorate, the Co-operative Movement must inevitably be the subject of special consideration.