Page 159 - The_story_of_the_C._W._S._The_jubilee_history_of_the_cooperative_wholesale_society,_limited._1863-1913_(IA_storyofcwsjubill00redf) (1)_Neat

The Society Comes of Age.
from the accountancy, with the confirmation of Mr. Brodrick as his
successor. After the meeting two thousand delegates and visitors,
wearing commemorative medals, marched four abreast to the St.
James' Hall.
" What's it all about ? " asked one onlooker, as reported in tlie
News.
"Why, co-operation," was the answer.
" Oh, money-making ! " and, satisfied that he had compassed
the whole phenomena, the inquirer turned away.
The Committee had designed that each guest should be served
with a first-class meal in the hall, but the arrangements, although
planned in detail, broke down in practice, and many had to take the
will for the dinner. The Cymric wit of Lloyd Jones immediately
turned the disappointment into a parable. " The dissatisfaction,"
he said, " came from the unfed. Now, this is just the fault in the
world, so that we should never lose sight of the unfed."
While you were making a noise in one part of the room, we who had entered
upon our second or third course were going on quietly and happily, and were
bearing your misfortunes with that kind of patience with which men bear other
men's misfortiines. I felt how happy I was, not because you were miserable,
but that we were fed; and how necessary it is that we, who were doing so well,
should take some thought for you, and should take care at these meetings that
such a circumstance should never occur again. And if your emperors, kings,
popes, and archbishops could all take into their hearts to insist on seeing that
the legitimate wants of the world were legitimately satisfied, that kind of
discontent would be tmknown among us. The difficulty would be met, not in
Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Leeds only, but everywhere. There are
thoughtful men who are taking these things into their hearts, and who are
saying that if the kings, popes, bishops everywhere will not lift up God's
creatures to the enjoyment of His bounties, we will do it ourselves.
Other speeches came from Abraham Greenwood, Holyoake,
Crabtree, WiUiam Maxwell, of the Scottish Wholesale, Joseph Clay,
John Atkinson, of Wallsend, and others, while Neale presented a
cordial address from the Central Board (Co-operative Union), the
friendliness of which was reciprocated by Mitchell, What with
"
music and the speeches, six hours passed before " Auld Lang Sync
brought the gathering to a close.
While at least one of the Rochdale Pioneers (Mr, Kershaw) was
present at the Manchester celebration, some of the founders of and
early workers for the Wholesale Society—Cooper, Smithies, Hooson,
of Oldham, Henry Whiley—
Ashworth, Edwards, Robert Allen,
were before the minds of the company only as memories. A httle
later another link with the past was gently broken. Following the
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