Page 280 - 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. —

advertisements to the columns of the journals of record which
they issued. Having thus realised the commercial possibilities of
their space, thej' would then ask the C.W.S. to make its amiounce-
ments at a similar price. It was upon this point, precisely, that
the Committee, in September, 1894, brought the question to the
notice of the delegates. Opinions were immediately expressed at
Manchester against the C.W.S. bemg charged for space in societies'
magazines. A Dewsbury delegate stoutly declared that " if the
Dewsbury Society could not afford to run their Pioneer without
being subsidised by the WTiolesale or private traders they would
give it up." But over and beyond this special form of it, there lay
the general question of advertising. Not less than elaborate window
displays, all trade advertisements were disliked by the old
co-operators. It was not because they shrank from holding up their
On the contrary. Cooper's letters to the leading men of the day
light .
and the general propaganda of the Pioneers, backed up by Holyoake,
Hughes, Ludlow, Neale, and others, gave to the ideas of co-operation
a pubhcity which it has hardly enjoyed since. When a delegate in
"
1894 said that the rank and file of the co-operative movement
knew as little about the Wholesale and its meetmgs as about Cochm
China," Mitchell quickly replied that if the members did not know
they ought to know. The objection was solely to a costly, because
competitive, commercial advertising. Those who attended or read the
reports of quarterly meetings, and knew all about the C.W.S. works,
naturally had no wish to spend the common funds upon flambuoyant
appeals to themselves to buy their own jam or soap. And if all had
been like them it would have been a sheer waste. But there is much
difference in an "if;" and, as IVIr. R. H. Tutt, of Sheemess, said,
"there was advertising and advertising"
In his opinion their advertising should be confined to the " Records " and
other co-operative channels. If they introduced a broad and general system
they would fritter away a large portion of their profits. He did not tliink it
would bo either dignified or co-operative to do this. He would rather say to
co-operators, " Spend your money in disseminating and developing your
principles." They had showcards. . . . They wanted to create in the
minds of store employees a desire to show them and to push the goods men-
tioned on them.
The Committee did not at this time put forward a resolution. But,
on the side of general advertising, as a result of the discussion, they
proceeded with the issuing of showcards and similar advertisement
matter, and this work, with the organisation of exhibitions
and lantern lectiu-es, grew to the point of centralisation in one
220