Page 390 - 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.
slates ; and never did a hunt for buried treasure begin more ardently
or with richer hopes of success. And at the end of 1905 a small
profit was shown; "bright prospects" were announced by the
Co-operative News; and more capital was raised on mortgage. But
in the next year or two the success became " ultimate." Then the
prospect faded altogether. In 1909 a ^hquidator was appointed;
and on October 8th, 1910, in the Mitchell Memorial Hall, the final
meeting was held. Of £40,000 raised at one time or another not
more than £1,000 was left. Directors had foregone fees, officials
had M'orked at half salaries, or voluntarily—all to no purpose.
Landshps, defective productions, depressions of trade, and other
causes were quoted, and a desperate search for a crumb of comfort
produced this:
The total wages paid at the quarries from the coinmencemont of operations
in 1903 to date had been about £46,000, and to tliis extent had the inhabitants
of Bethesda and neighboui'hood been benefited and the sentiment of the
enterprise carried out.
In its rise and fall the North Wales Quarries Limited of 1903
followed fairly clearly the path of the Ouseburn Engine Works of
1871-5, as the latter reproduced some main features of the London
Working Men's Associations of 1850, and these agam virtually
revived certam Owenite economic principles disproved about 1832.
The co-operative movement might profit by a study of its failures.
normally, our
We do not work to find ourselves employment ;
labours are governed by our needs. That is to say, desire precedes
satisfaction, demand determines supply, consumption authorises
production. Where co-operation lias based itself upon original
consumers, and served them and put them first, its production has
been successful. Yet precisely for following this main road the
C.W.S. suffered one long attack during the years 1898-1901.
The time-honoured form of co-operative advertising by exhibi-
tions of productions has been gi'catly developed by the C.W.S.
These displays have been made either directly by the federation
in conjunction with its local member or jointly with the productive
societies affiUated to the Co-operative Union under the Union
auspices, and especially where the Wholesale Society has sho\Mi
machinery in motion it has contributed the most popular part of
the entire exhibition. At Keswick, in July, 1898, such a joint
effort was made by the Northern Section of the Co-operative Union,
the C.W.S. exliibiting and also giving £25. The Right Hon. Earl
Grey was the speaker of the occasion. In his address he reproached
310