[John Robert]. English politician, born at Oldham on the 27th of March 1869 of working-class parents, and worked himself as an artisan for many years. He was active in the trade-union movement, and eventually became president of the National Union of General Workers, and chairman of the executive council. He came into Parliament as Labour member for N.-E. Manchester in 1906, when the Labour party were returned for the first time in numerical force—over fifty in all. It was not, however, until the World War that he attracted public attention. He protested, in February 1915, on behalf of his party against the rise in prices, which he attributed mainly to contractors and dealers exploiting the needs of the people. His interest in this subject made it natural that he should be selected—as himself a working man—to be parliamentary secretary under Lord Rhondda soon after the latter accepted the position of controller of food. In the arduous and successful work of that office he took his full share. He became president of a consumers’ food council in December 1917, so that the office might keep in regular touch with the needs of the public. When Lord Rhondda died, in June 1918, he succeeded him to the general satisfaction. He gave special encouragement to the creation of national kitchens, the number of which had grown by the end of August to over 600, and he set up in September inside the Ministry a food council to consider questions of policy, and to cooperate with other bodies dealing with the food problems of the Allies. In consequence of the decision of the Labour party to terminate its support of the Coalition Government he resigned office in November just before the general election. At the beginning of the session of 1919 he was elected vice-chairman of the party, and he took a considerable share in debate, speaking with a moderation and appreciation of the standpoint of other classes not always manifested by Labour members. At the trades union congress in September he made a strong speech against the policy of “direct action,” pointing out that Labour could capture the political machine if working men were sufficiently united and sufficiently active, but that threats would only throw back their cause and set all other classes against them. But a year later he acquiesced in the establishment of a Labour council of action, and in the threat of a general strike in case of any military or naval intervention against the Soviet Government of Russia. In 1921 he was chosen chairman of the parliamentary Labour party.
