Page 415 - The_story_of_the_C._W._S._The_jubilee_history_of_the_cooperative_wholesale_society,_limited._1863-1913_(IA_storyofcwsjubill00redf) (1)_Neat

CHAPTER XXVII. —

Co-operative Insurance in the Old Century and the New.
Old Days Recalled—The Founding of the Co-operative Insurance Society
The Position in 190G—The C.W.S. Insurance Fund Again—The Discus-
sions of 1898—A New Movement in the North—Details of a Long
Controversy—Crossing the Rubicon—Two Decembers—Twenty Shillings
instead of Thirty—The Way of Progress—Years 1863-1913.
APPROPRIATELY enough the matter of this chapter goes
- back to the beginning of our travelled road, and reminds us of
landmarks along the way. If the modern co-operative movement
practically sprang from Rochdale, the federation of the movement
in Britain, for all national purposes, most certainly dates from
the tea and talk of the August afternoon at Jumbo. Probably
the tiny Lowbands Farm did not boast any plough except that
metaphorical one to which the Httle group of leaders then put their
hands. And, as we saw in Chapters IV. and VI., having prepared
the ground and sowed the seeds of the present C.W.S. greatness,
they proceeded to do the same service for a co-operative insurance
society. Or, to change the metaphor, first they set capable hands to
work upon the laying of a main track, and then commenced to
build a loop Hne. It is fitting that the point of the loop rejouiing the
main is also the year of the C.W.S. Jubilee.
The first reference to insurance in William Cooper's old mmute
book, now the property of the C.W.S., is in a resolution under the
date of November 8th, 1863. The Rochdale members of the group,
as a sub-committee, then were instructed to make inquiries from
societies concerning fire insurance and employees' guarantees. The
subject again was discussed subsequently, although the business of
getting another bill through Parhament to amend the faults of the
1862 Act seemed to prevent substantial action. In 1865 a new
impetus was given by James Borrowman, of Crosshouse, a promoter
and first secretary of the Scottish Wholesale Society. Mr. Borrowman
was a man of ideas; in one short letter to the Co-operator (AiDril,
1865), he advocated co-operative insurance, a co-operative sick and
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