Page:Mahatma Gandhi, his life, writings and speeches.djvu/267



THE MORAL BASIS OF CO-OPERATION

[''At the 1917 session of the Co-operative Conference held at Bombay, Mr, Gandhi introduced a paper on "The Moral Basis of Co-operation." The paper reads as follows'']:—

,—The only claim I have on your indulgence is that some months ago I attended with Mr. Ewbank a meeting of millhands to whom he wanted to explain the principles of co-operation. The chawl in which they were living was as filthy as it well could be. Recent rains had made matters worse. And I must frankly confess that had it not been for Mr. Ewbank's great zeal for the cause he has made his own, I should have shirked the task. But there we were, seated on a fairly worn out charpai, surrounded by men, women and children. Mr. Ewbank opened fire on a man who had put himself forward and who wore not a particularly innocent countenance. After he had engaged him and the other people about him in Gujarati conversation, he wanted me to speak to the people. Owing to the suspicious looks of the man who 147