Politics, 1900–38
The emergence of the Labour Party into York politics during the 1890's was followed
by no spectacular triumphs, either in local or parliamentary elections. By 1906 there
were 31 'independents', 13 'progressives', and 4 'labour' members of the council, the
labels of 'independent' and 'progressive' being now freely interchangeable in the local
press for conservative and liberal. By 1910, however, labour representation on the council had fallen to one member compared with 24 conservatives, 13 liberals, and 3 'independents' whose type of independency is not clear. When in the following year the
Labour Party gained two seats, the Herald commented that 'considering the number of
workers in the city, it cannot be said that they were adequately represented by one
councillor, and three representatives of labour are not an undue proportion'. (fn. 73) In 1913
the balance of the corporation was still in favour of the Conservative Party, but labour
representation had increased to five.
The main change in the political composition of the council following the First World
War was that the Liberal Party ceased to be numerically important. The council continued to be dominated by the Conservative Party, but the place of the Liberal Party in
opposition was eventually taken by the Labour Party. When, in November 1926, the
number of labour councillors increased from 6 to 8, compared with 20 conservatives in
the majority party, the Herald saw this as a 'sinister fact'. (fn. 74) There need have been no
alarm, however. The largest number of labour representatives on the council was 15
in 1934; labour control was not achieved until 1945.
As might be expected in the light of municipal politics within the period, the city
remained a conservative stronghold, only in 1906 and 1910 was the parliamentary
representation of the city shared by the Liberal and Conservative Parties during the
liberal revival. Similarly, the Labour Party moved into second place at the polls after
1922, the city now being represented by only one member, and in 1929 succeeded in
returning a Member for the City; after 1931 the seat was recaptured by the Conservative Party. In 1924, 1931, and 1937 the Liberal Party failed to contest the seat.
Thus, with a brief exception, the Labour Party failed to make any noticeable impact
in York's political representation either in local or national government during the 20th
century, or to fill the gap in the city's political life which had been made by the decline
of the Liberal Party which during the 19th century had been such an important force
in the city's political life. In spite of its class structure, of the growth of trade unionism,
and of the existence of the large body of railwaymen, York in the 20th century remained
politically conservative.
Social Life, 1900–38 (fn. 75)
For the two-thirds of York's population whom Rowntree recognized as 'working
class', the 20th century brought marked improvements in material well-being. Whereas
7,230 persons or 15.6 per cent. of the city's working-class population were, in 1899,
living in conditions of 'primary poverty'—that is where family earnings were insufficient
to obtain the minimum necessities for maintaining physical efficiency—in 1936 this proportion had been reduced to 6.8 per cent. or 3,767 persons. It was still the case in 1936
that some 31.1 per cent. of York's working-class population lived in 'poverty', but the
standard then used by Rowntree was so different from that which he had used in 1899
that comparison is impossible. Nevertheless the economic condition of the workers was,
as Rowntree said, 'immensely better'.
In this York followed the rest of the country, and like other towns it mitigated poverty
and misfortune by the action of its co-operative society, the trade unions, and the
friendly societies. Whereas the city's population increased by some 33 per cent. between
1901 and 1938, membership of the York Co-operative Society rose from 7,250 in 1900
to 22,820 in 1940. The society's share capital in 1900 was £59,887, an average of £8.26
per member; by 1940 it had grown to £525,905, an average of £23 per member. Death
benefits were paid to members in proportion to their purchases, amounting sometimes
to between £20 and £30. Whereas in York in 1899 there were only 2,539 trade unionists,
none of whom was a woman, at the end of 1938 there were 17,824 including 3,970
women. The difference between the two years is mainly accounted for by the unionization of workers in the cocoa trade. At Messrs. Rowntree's works, although no compulsion was exercised, workers were exhorted to join the appropriate unions. The 34 trade
unions in York in 1938 also paid a variety of benefits as did the 16 registered friendly
societies. The friendly societies had in 1938 a membership of 22,682, including 5,377
junior members under the age of sixteen. By far the largest was the National Deposit
Friendly Society with 9,665 members. In addition, there were 'sick clubs' with a
membership of approximately 14,000. The combined membership of these societies and
clubs was nearly four times as great in 1938 as it had been in 1899.
With improved housing, greater security, reduced hours of work, and rising real incomes, the demand for recreation increased. Borrowings from the public library rose
sharply between the wars, reflecting also the improvement in the general standard of
education within the city. The resources of the libraries were supplemented by the use
after 1932 of privately owned libraries charging 2d. a week for books borrowed and, in
1938, boasting an annual circulation of 370,000 books a year or about one-half that of the
public library. There was a marked increase in sporting activities: by 1938 there were
48 Association football clubs, 17 Rugby football clubs, and 61 cricket, 18 tennis, and 15
hockey clubs; of the 51 bowling clubs 25 were associated with working men's clubs. The
theatre, although in difficulties from competition with the cinemas, was revived in 1934
as a non-profit-making communal venture, offering weekly repertory performances at
prices comparable to those charged by the cinemas. While recreational facilities such as
these improved, the number of licensed premises fell, even though the population rose
sharply during the same period. It was Rowntree's opinion that the average workingclass expenditure on drink had fallen from 16.6 per cent. of income in 1900 to about
10 per cent. in 1936.