Page 200 - 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 CW.S.

amongst themselves. An alternative scheme was proposed by the
General Committee itself. This included first-class tickets where
no seconds could be got, a halfpenny per mile for time spent in
travelling, fees for each meeting attended (of 7s. 6d. for a first and
3s. 9d. for a second meeting on the same day), and chairmen to serve
without special payments. The discussions at the ensuing special
meetings occupied many pages of the Co-operative News. At the
final Manchester gathering 379 delegates attended, and were in
conference for nearly four hours. Payment by fees was carried by
283 votes, against 181 for a lump sum. Then came the question
of amounts. In spite of a Lancashire delegate who considered any
stipend beyond 30s. a week " extravagant," and who contended
that many men would be glad to serve for 25s, a week, the first
figure of 7s. 6d. enjoyed an easy victory. But the 3s. 9d. for a
second meeting was closely contested. An amendment from
Rochdale was that if the members of the executive were not occupied
by the meetings of any day for more than six hours in all 7s. 6d.
must suffice. J. T. W. Mitchell was willing to accept the limitation,
but it was defeated by fourteen votes. As for the railway tickets,
the Newcastle delegates (perhaps knowing httle of the Southern
railways at that day) were for thhd-class universally; but nobody
in London wished such a fate for then executive, and, on the whole
voting, second-class won easily. Third-class, however, where no
second obtained, received a narrow majority, but the Directors were
allowed the desired mileage. In regard to deputations, they were
not to spend more than £50 without gaining the consent of the
delegates. It was not merely a superlative regard for economy
which moved the latter thus carefully to watch these expenses and
rewards. They wanted to ensure that the Society should be
governed by and for the working class to which it belonged, and that
its posts of honour should not attract men whose main desires v.ere
for then own individual advancement. ^
Later on there came a question of revising the rules, with which
a variety of matters was knit. Among these was the subject of
divisional meetings. Mr. D. Mc.Innes, of Lincoln, raised the
proposal at a Lincoln District Conference, held at Grimsby on July
7th, 1888. Not only were societies debarred by expense from
sending delegates to Manchester, but among distant societies the
' Perhaps in this conuection one may refer to the Wholesale Board Selection
Conferences, which were held in the Dewsbury-Stalybridge district about 1887.
Their purpose was to sccui-e a local agreement concerning candidates to be
recommended to the federation. The movement they represented, however, proved
short-lived.
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