Page 276 - 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.
anything except the article on sale. Their existence from an early
stage in the modern history of humbug pomts to the ease of
burdening the tea trade. Tea is so universally in demand, so easy
to hand over in packets, so sure m its profits, that it has seemed
marked out for the bearing of impositions. Thus the giving of
" presents " with tea led to the selling of packet teas carrying
" ; " while these were ecUpsed only some ten years ago by a
bonuses
gigantic pretence of " pension " teas. Advertised in all working-class
quarters, pension teas entered home after home like an epidemic of
measles, especially as the swiftly-accumulating profits enabled the
"
first claims by widows for life pensions " temporarily to be met. The
disillusion came with the natural maturing of further claims. It was
then a matter for the law courts (in 1905), where Mr. Justice Buckley
described the scheme as one for attracting married women to buy
the tea at 40 per cent above its market value by " the delusive and
recldess promise of impossible pensions," Half a million women had
become purchasers, and 19,000 widows were calling for a fulfilment
of obhgations. Ultimately, in 1909, the official receiver made one
lump payment of 32s. to each widow on the company's books for a
" "
life pension of ten shillings weekly, and another payment of 16s.
to discharge each five shillings a week claim. This constituted a
final and complete settlement. The multitudes whose confident
overpayments had made even so small a return possible received
nothing.
Like all charlatans, the promoters of this scheme traded upon a
real need. Although they are wise enough not to let it weigh upon
them, many wives and mothers know how hard their position may
at any time become; for more and more doors to professional or
manual employment stand shut against the widow with children.
Workmen's compensation acts, trade and friendly society benefits,
industrial assurance, and accumulations of dividend at compound
interest m co-operative stores, all help to relieve this anxiety, but
without removing it. . . . Admittedly with a difference (the
practice, of course, not being fraudulent) , the usual purveyors of bonus
teas also exploited the working man's needs and difficulties. They
traded so successfully that co-operative societies felt obhged to act
in self-defence. In September, 1898, the Committee reported the
demand that was growing up. " Societies inform us that their
members will have ' bonus ' teas, and unless their requirements are
drawn from us they will be obliged to go elsewhere." In consequence,
some 150,0001b. of tea durhig the previous year had been packed
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