Page 396 - 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.

growing enthusiasm during these years the Congresses demonstrated
in favoiu' of international co-operation and goodwill between the
nations of the world.
The passing years, also, have witnessed events more of internal
interest. The boycott of co-operators that was announced so
confidently from St. Helens died of exhaustion without troubling
very greatly the co-operative defence fund, to which in 1902 the
C.W.S, guaranteed £50,000. The Tradesman and Shopkee'per ran
its short but violent course, until its wanton Ubel on the Plymouth
Society proved too much for it early in 1906. At Birmingham, in
the same year, IVIr. J. C. Gray, while approaching his conception
through ideas of the past, nevertheless marked the furthest advance
of co-operative thought by advocating a " national co-operative
society," of which the Wholesale Societies (English and Scottish)
"
would constitute the natural nucleus," and in which the local
societies would be merged as " branches of the national body."
Apart from the C.W.S. and the constituent societies, the removal
of the Co-operative Union headquarters to Holyoake House, the
adoption of new rules by the Union, and the placing of the
Co-operative Congresses on a more business-like basis, together with
the obtaining of increased subscriptions for propaganda purposes, and
the fostering of a National Co-operative Men's Guild, are among the
actions and events parting us from the past. Time, also, has robbed
the co-operative world. In October, 1911, in the person of J. M.
Ludlow, there passed away the last representative of the noblest
inspiration (when all is said) which the co-operative movement ever
received ; and the following year was marked by the all too early
loss of J. C. Gray, the successor of E. V. Neale as general secretary
of the Co-operative Union. More directly affecting the Wholesale
Society there are many names to be remembered. First may come
that of George Hawkhis (of Oxford), chairman, until the retirement
v/hich preceded his comparatively early death, of the C.W.S. London
Branch. Other Southern and Western names may be linked with
his—Joseph Clay (of Gloucester), W. H. Brown (of Newport), R. H.
Tutt (of Sheerness), Henry Pumphrey (of Lewes), G. Sutherland (of
Woolwich), and J. F. Goodey (of Colchester). In the North the loss
was equaUy heavy, for WiUiam Stoker (of Seaton Delaval), Robert
Irving (of CarUsle), George Binney (of Durham), F. A. Ciappessoni
(of Cleator Moor), and Joseph Warwick (of North Shields) died
while in office. And to these names there are others to be added,
associated with the chief district of the federation Thomas Bland
:
316