Page 118 - The_story_of_the_C._W._S._The_jubilee_history_of_the_cooperative_wholesale_society,_limited._1863-1913_(IA_storyofcwsjubill00redf) (1)_Neat

The Story of the C.W,S.
the theatre of the Society of Arts, John Street, Adelphi. Concur-
rently, a co-operative exhibition was held at 337, Strand; and,
together with Congress discussions, this resulted in the Central
Co-operative Agency coming into existence, practically to continue
the exhibition as a permanent depot at the same address. It was,
of course, the second association to bear the name, the first CCA,
being that of 1850-52, already described. Besides acting, Uke its
prototype, as an emporium for the manufactures of productive
societies, the agency endeavoured to direct the co-operative
provision trade of the South to the North of England CW.S.,
which acknowledged the goodwill by a subscription.
One result of the agency was to make it still more clear that
the means of London and Southern Societies were insufficient to
create any real efifective federation. This had been foreseen by
Mr. Joseph Croucher, of Kew, and others, who had urged Southern
co-operators to support the North of England Society rather than
attempt a separate institution. At its best the ^Metropolitan and
Home Counties included only some ten societies and dealt vrith no
more than forty. For the Central Agency, the manager in his first
report recommended merging it in the North of England CW.S.
A Congress resolution to this effect was carried ; yet the Congress of
1871 found the agency still in separate existence. That the Whole-
sale should be asked to extend was felt by some Wholesale leaders
rather as an injustice than a compliment. The grievance Avas the one
with which we are now familiar. " The North of England Wholesale
has done well," it was said, "and, therefore, everything is placed
upon it." So a reconstruction of the London institution was
announced at the Congress of 1871 by the manager of the agency.
While still preferring that the CW.S. should undertake the work,
the promoters would provide a Southern wholesale society and
something more. In addition to a London depot for co-operative
productions, a Manchester branch of the " manufactured goods
department " was foreshadowed, as well as a department which
" may develop itself into a complete system of ' labour exchange.' "
A hst of sympathisers was given who, between them, had taken up
five hundred shares of £1 each in the new association. The names
included a French count, three members of ParHament, a colonel,
two managing directors, a firm of pubhshers, and the roll then
tailed off with the building society and trade union secretaries.
Considering that the new association was to be " on the general
model of the North of England Wholesale Society," this sounded
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