Page 120 - 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.
branch. No dissentient voice was raised; and in due course (April
7th) Messrs. Crabtree, Mitchell, and Whiteley were cordially
welcomed in London by a body of forty-five delegates, together v/ith
Messrs. Ludlow, Hughes, Morrison, Neale, and Greening. A business
of £49,000 was promised, and, while the small capital of the Southern
Societies was a difficulty, the deputation upon its return gave a
hopeful report. One fact was that, branch or no branch, the
Wholesale Society itself would require ultimately a buyer stationed
in London. The Quarterly Meeting of May 17th empowered the
Committee to go forward and "establish a branch if they deem it
practicable." In consequence a second conference was held at
Eranklin Hall, 30, Castle Street, W., on August 2nd, 1873. The
main point in the further negotiations lay in a claim by the agency
for such payment on account of goodwill as would enable it to be
wound up without loss. The C.W.S. Committee had no desire to
continue in the West End premises of the agency or anywhere near
them, and on this and other grounds the claim was disputed.
Eventually the pm"chasable stock of the agency was taken over,
and in February, 1874, a sum of £250 was also paid to the C.C.A.,
" in consideration of their giving up the wholesale business."
Meanwhile premises had been taken backing on America Square,
at 118, Minories, E. ; and, after some futile advertising for managers
of the right kind, Mr. B. Jones had been sent up from Manchester to
take charge, with Mr. W. Openshaw as assistant. Doors were
opened for business early in March, 1874, and on the 28th of the
month a quarterly conference of the Southern co-operative societies,
attended by sixty delegates, was held in the warehouse of the
branch.
The short and simple annals m co-operative history do not
belong to the poor. "W'here everybody is agreed and everything
prosperous there is httle story to tell. The periods of struggle
and controversy yield the full narrative. Long in coming to birth,
the London Branch had difficulties to face unknown to its sister
of the North. Of the capital invested not more than one-half
came from its own area of London and the Southern and South-
western, South Midland, and Eastern Counties, the remainder being
supphed by the general federation. Of twenty-one societies which
welcomed the Wholesale to London in 1873, only ten were in
existence less than two years later. The first complete quarter,
April 13th to July 11th, 1874, showed net sales of £21,725, against
£95,419 for Newcastle and £369,183 for Manchester. The whole
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