Page 343 - The_story_of_the_C._W._S._The_jubilee_history_of_the_cooperative_wholesale_society,_limited._1863-1913_(IA_storyofcwsjubill00redf) (1)_Neat

Ladies' Wear.
light and airy workrooms of the manufactor}'. History, here,
chiefly would be concerned with fashions, for whether by the aid of
their dividends or not, many co-operative women at their best are
dressed handsomely, and the " Sunday best " is thoroughly studied
in the warehouses and at the factory. Formerly the corset making
was under the same roof; but, in 1905, after seven years at
Broughton, under its present manager, Mr. Thomas, the latter
industry was removed to Desborough, in Northamptonshire; and
the mantle department, Hke the shirt and underclothing business,
obtained room for expansion. Concerning the removal of the corset
factory the writer, perhaps, again may be permitted to quote his
—
own words in the Wheatsheaf:
The corset factory was originally a meruber of the Broughton group, and
it began operations on October 20th, 1898. A few years sufficed to prove
that at some time in the future larger premises would be required; and the
attention of the Wholesale Committee was drawn to Desborough. The
Northamptonshire township had a claim to be considered as a corset-making
centre, and it made also a strong co-operative appeal. The distributive
co-operative society at Desborough, besides enrolling the greater number of the
inhabitants, had attained a unique position. With the help of a- secured loan
from the C.W.S. it had purchased (in 1898) a freehold estate of over 400 acres,
carrying with it the local manor house. Under a large area of this land there
proved to be a bed of iron ore, sufficiently valuable to recoup the society for
the whole first cost. The Desborough co-operators decided to work this them-
selves; and, under the circumstances, to find employment for the girls and
women of the village, they were ready to offer the C.W.S. special terms. At
the Quarterly Meetings in December, 1904, the Wholesale Committee asked
approval for a purchase of 7,556 square yards of building land, fronting on the
Rothwell Road, Desborough, for a nominal price of £5 ; and 500 square yards
adjoining were afterwards bought. Meanwhile the existing Desborough
Corset Manufacturing Society was taken over, and finally, on July 3rd, 1905,
the whole of the business was transferred to the fine new factory which by that
time had been erected on the Rothwell Road site.
The new Desborough factory was entirely "in the country,"
so much so that fox, hounds, and hunters more than once charged
past its walls. Desborough at that time had a population of about
4,000, of whom 1,000 adult persons were members of the local
co-operative society. At the joint cost of the C.W.S. and the
Desborough Society a new road was made upon one side of the
C.W.S. works, along which the Desborough co-operators built a
number of villa cottages. The increased charges for depreciation
and interest worked out m losses at Desborough durmg the three
years or so after the removal; but since 1908 the factory has met
these Habihties and shown profits in addition.
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